50 Fun Things Kids Can Say to Alexa (Amazon Echo)

The company I work for surprised every employee with an Amazon Echo for the holidays.  (I know, how cool is that, right?)  My children have been having all sorts of fun asking Alexa questions, but after two months, they are starting to run out of ideas.  Although new content is added to the Echo every week, I made it my mission to come up a list of interesting and fun things kinds can ask Alexa that they might not necessarily think of on their own.  It took me well-over a week to come up with fifty.  I hope your kids find something new on this list to ask their Echo!


One thing I want to mention is that Alexa is fickle.  She might give you different answers to the same question asked at different times.  Sometimes she might say she doesn't understand a question that she successfully answered in the past.  Just tell your children to try again later.  That always works for me.


50 Fun Things Kids Can Say to the Amazon Echo . . .

1.  "Alexa, how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" (From the classic tongue twister)

2.  "Alex, tell me a knock-knock joke."

3.  "Alexa, to be or not to be?"  (From William Shakespeare)

4.  "Alexa, may the force be with you."  (From Star Wars)

5.  "Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road?"  (From the classic riddle)

6.  "Alexa, do or do not."  (From Star Wars)

7.  "Alexa, to infinity."  (From Toy Story)

8.  "Alexa, what time is it in __________?"  (Fill-in the blank with the country of your choice. Depending on the country, she might request that you specify a city.)

9.  "Alexa, which came first . . . the chicken or the egg?"

10.  "Alexa, it's a bird!  It's a plane!"  (From Superman)

11.  "Alexa, beam me up."  (From Star Trek)

12.  "Alexa, see ya later alligator."

13.  "Alexa, what's the weather in ______?" (Fill-in the blank with the U.S. state or country and city.)

14.  "Alexa, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?  (From SpongeBob)

15.  "Alexa, do you want to build a snowman?"  (From Frozen)

16.  "Alexa, mirror mirror on the wall."  (From Snow White)

17.  "Alexa, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" (From the classic Tootsie Pop commercial)

18.  "Alexa, what's the capitol of _______?" (Fill-in the blank with a U.S. state or world country.)

19.  "Alexa, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." (From the classic tongue twister)

20.  "Alexa, what would you do for a Klondike bar?"  (From the classic commercial)

21.  "Alexa, guess what!"

22.  "Alexa, what does the fox say?"  (From the song What Does the Fox Say)

23.  "Alexa, self-destruct."

24.  "Alexa, what is your favorite song?"

25.  "Alexa, what is the population of ______?"  (Fill-in the blank with a city, state, country, or continent.)

26.  "Alexa, what colors make up ______?"  (Fill-in the blank with a common color.)

27.  "Alexa, who was that masked man?"  (From The Lone Ranger)

28.  "Alexa, what is your favorite movie?

29.  " Alexa, with great power . . . "  (From Spider-man)

30.  "Alexa, what is your favorite color?"

31.  "Alexa, roses are red . . . "

32.  "Alexa, tell me a joke about ______."  (Fill-in the blank with a subject.)

33.  "Alexa, who's on first?" (From Abbott & Castello, The Naughty Nineties)

34.  "Alexa, peek-a-boo!"

35.  "Alexa, who are the members of the Avengers?"

36.  "Alexa, who is Han Solo?  (From Star Wars. Also try other major characters, such as Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi, etc . . . )

37.  "Alexa, who is the president of the United States?" (Also try other political office positions.)

38.  "Alexa, who was the _____ president of the United States?"  (Fill-in the blank with a number, such as 2nd, 16th, 40th, etc . . . )

39.  "Alexa, who is _____?" (Fill-in the blank with the name of a superhero that has a known true identity, such as Superman, Spider-man, Iron Man, Hulk, Batman, etc...)

40.  "Alexa, who invented ______?"  (Fill-in the blank with any invention.)

41.  "Alexa, when was ______ invented?  (Fill-in the blank with any major invention.)

42.  "Alexa, when is your birthday?"

43.  "Alexa, happy birthday!"

44.  "Alexa, what does a cow say?"

45.  "Alexa, why are there so many songs about rainbows?" (From The Muppets song 'Rainbow Connection')

46.  "Alexa, how do you spell ______?"  (Fill-in the blank with a word.)

47.  "Alexa, what states border ______?"  (Fill-in the blank with a U.S. state.)

48.  "Alexa, what languages are spoken in ______?" (Fill-in the blank with a country or continent.)

49.  "Alexa, sing 'Happy Birthday'."

50.  "Alexa, how much is that doggie in the window?" (From song 'How Much is That Doggie in the Window' sung by Patti Page)


You can learn more about the Amazon Echo here.  Also, find out what new things have been added to the Echo here.

If you've discovered more fun things kids can say to Alexa, please share them with us in a comment here.

The New Rechargeable VTech Kidizoom® Smartwatch is Built for Much More Than Telling Time!

The VTech product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by VTech.  All opinions expressed are my own.

It’s camera time! With the exciting interactive Kidizoom Smartwatch, kids can capture photos, add photo effects, record videos, and play built-in games for learning fun on the go. Complete with an easy-to-use 1.4” color touch screen, as well as more than 50 digital and analog clock displays, the multi-functional Kidizoom Smartwatch is perfect for kids learning to tell time. It also boasts a rechargeable battery, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, voice recorder with funny voice changing effects, and parental game controls.

Kidizoom® Smartwatch features include:

• 1.4 inch color touch screen
• Camera for taking photos and recording videos
• Voice recorder with 5 voice changing effects
• Special effects including customized photo frames, color filters and distortion effects; fun video frames
• 4 fun games, included
• Kid-durable design to withstand drops and bumps
• Splash proof and sweat proof
• Alarm clock with fun tones and animation
• Timer and stopwatch in kid-friendly themes
• 50+ digital and traditional analog displays
• Rechargeable battery
• 4 vibrant colors: blue, pink, white and green
• Micro USB cable for data transfer and battery recharging
• Access to Learning Lodge app store to download more games and watch displays
• Recommended for ages 4 years and up
• MSRP: $59.99

We were sent a VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch to try out and we were instantly impressed. It’s made of high-quality rubber and plastic that is sure to stand up to use by any kid. It is very well laid out so it’s easy to use but still has many great features, and it’s small enough to fit even my tiny 7 ½ year old’s wrist. In addition to the touch screen, it has only 2 buttons so that even younger kids can navigate it easily. The choice between watch displays is a nice touch and Quinn has loved personalizing his clock daily. We also really like the camera feature plus the filters and frames you can use. The included four games are fun and engaging, though a little simple for Quinn. He still likes playing them though.

Quinn loves his unique Kidizoom Smartwatch. It’s great for the car, shopping, restaurants, or anywhere else. It’s small and simple and is no problem to wear around wherever kids like to go. I love that it is rechargeable too, so there’s no wasting of batteries. We love this watch and are happy to have it.


More about the VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch . . .


You can learn more about VTech on their website, VTechKids.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Tech Tip: What to Pack in Your Mobile Tech Kit

Thank you to SOL Republic for providing sample Tracks Air Wireless Headphones for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our Father's Day giveaway.  All opinions expressed are our own.

I am a gadget and tech nerd. I love all things mobile, connected, and electronic. In this day and age it is so easy to stay connected, and as a result be productive and entertained just about anywhere. I’ve carried a laptop with me for years, but recently I swapped that out for a tablet and reduced the size of my bag. After going this route, I started to become addicted to seeing how much tech and capability I could pack into my small tablet bag. So I started my “Mobile Tech Kit” challenge.

The goal was simple: Create a kit that could fit in the smallest bag possible and could replace every function (and more) that a full featured desktop and workbench could, both in entertainment and productivity. Recently I was sent the very last component to complete my Mobile Tech Kit challenge and I can't wait to tell you about it.


To satisfy my need to cover all the functionality possible, I decided my kit needed to contain everything necessary to work, entertain (video and audio), stay connected, and keep everything powered up . . .

1.  Tablet - At the heart of my kit is the Microsoft Surface Windows 8.1 Tablet. The Surface is capable of offering me a full Windows desktop environment, unlike many other tablets. The value to this feature is that I can work as if I am sitting at any other Windows based PC. The Surface has the ability to interact with all of my other devices and keep me connected. The Surface pretty much provides all of the functionality I need for work related computing.

2.  Tech Tools - To round off the kits ability to support work related tasks, I carry various screwdrivers, hex wrenches, and a carbon fiber Leatherman Skeletool CX Multitool.

3.  Portable Hard Drive and Thumb Drive - To make sure I can get at any information that I may need to on the go, I carry various ways to hold, gather, and transport data. At the heart of my data storage is a Samsung 1 Terabyte hard drive with USB 3.0. In addition to the hard drive, I carry a 16 gigabyte thumb drive and a SATA adapter to access any loose hard drives that may need data recovery. I can pretty much access and store anything I need to with this arrangement.

But all that stuff is about work, what about play? . . . 

4.  Wireless Speaker and Headphones - The Microsoft Surface is capable of playing any audio or video you have available, both from a file or via streaming. The screen is bright and sharp and video looks fantastic. But in the end, a tablets speakers are only so good, if I want to rock out the room I needed more. The SOL Republic Deck wireless speaker was the perfect solution. The Deck is loud, tough, has amazing sound, and the battery lasts for hours (see full review here). For those times when I need to keep the noise to myself, I use my new SOL Republic Tracks Air. The Tracks Air are sleek and sound great (see a full review at the end of this article).

5.  Credit Card Reader - Another function I have, which was not an original requirement, is the ability to take credit card or Visa gift card payments from my phone via a PayPal card swiper and app called PayPal Here. If I am ever in a situation where I need to collect payment or an owed debt, I can take a payment on the spot and send an email receipt!

6.  Portable Battery Pack and Adapters/Cables - With all of this technology, power is a major concern, if not the number one concern. In my bag I need a number of adaptors to make sure I can charge up all of my devices whenever I can. But sometimes a wall outlet just isn't available, at those times I use a NewTrent PowerPak+ high capacity charger. This beast can charge my phone more than 4 times between charges or a tablet 2 times. Honestly? I haven't ran out of juice yet and I only charge it once per week. A portable battery pack is a must have for any tech kit.

I really had a lot of fun jamming as much capability in my Mobile Tech Kit as I could. In addition to all the cool tech gadgets in there, I keep some comfort items such as tissues, hand sanitizer, pain reliever, first aid, etc. After all of that I still have some room to grow my kit as more needs arise. I can literally say that I am prepared for just about any "geek emergency" that may come up in my travels!

More about the SOL Republic Tracks Air headphones . . . 

I have been using, loving, and very much enjoying my SOL Republic headphones for some time now. I have used and reviewed a few sets right here on this site and loved every single pair. It is no secret that I am a very big fan of SOL republic products.

SOL Republic sent me a pair of Tracks Air wireless headphones in black to try out. Like all of my SOL Republic headsets, the Tracks Air are very good looking and come with SOL Republic's signature indestructible headband.

The Tracks Air look just like a pair of Tracks at first glance. The sleek style and lines are identical.  But at closer inspection, you can see that there are buttons added as well as a charging port and some additional elements on the headband. The Tracks Air are a little bit heavier (not much) than their Tracks cousins due to the battery, but much lighter than the larger Master Tracks. I did not have any problems with discomfort after long sessions with the Tracks Air.

Just like their Tracks cousins, the wireless Tracks Air can be used to make and answer phone calls if paired with a mobile phone. In fact, the Tracks Air will make the change seamlessly with a press of a button to answer a call, and transition back to music after the call ends!

SOL Republic states the range of the Tracks Air is as far as 150 feet. I was able to go about 20 meters in a steel and concrete office. I have not tested them out in an open space but it hardly matters:. All I want to do is walk about my office or home without having them yank off my head because I leaned too far from my PC! A 20 meter range inside is more than enough.

In addition to the buttons for answering and controlling a phone call, there is an easy to find and user-friendly volume button. I found it easy to change without any thought at all, your fingers just find it.

One of the most amazing things I have discovered about my Tracks Air is the battery life. The headset has an incredible 13 hour battery (product description says 15 hours)! And mind you, that is 13 hours of listening time, not standby. I can listen all day long at work and barely use more than half of the battery. Simply incredible.

So, the big question: How do they sound? Amazing to put it simply.

My Tracks Air sound every bit as good as my corded SOL Republic Anthems, which have the the V10 HD Sound Engines on them. Do they sound as good as my higher end Master Tracks? No. But they sound very very good and the difference is very slight. Just like my other sets, the Tracks Air have a nice bass and a full range. SOL republic does an amazing job of providing that bass without sacrificing the rest of the range and the Tracks Air are no exception.

I can honestly say I have no negative issues with the Tracks Air and as a result, SOL Republic has won me over…. again. At this stage I find it hard to believe they can produce a bad product. The Tracks Air look great, sound great, and have a superb battery life.  I just can't think of a more perfect set of headphones for somebody who likes to rock out without any restrictions. At $199.99, the Tracks Air are priced in line with premium corded headsets, so in my opinion an exceptional value. I easily and wholeheartedly recommend the SOL Republic Tracks Air.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Shop 'n' Share: #RadioShack Has You Covered For Holiday Gift Ideas For the Whole Family! (Sponsored by #MC)

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for RadioShack. I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating.  All opinions expressed are my own.

As a child, I remember visiting our local RadioShack store with my Dad a countless number of times.  It was the place to shop for electronics, even if you were just looking for a power surge protector.  In 2013, there are many places to shop for electronics and gadgets, but RadioShack will always be among the top choices of trusted technology retailers on my list.  My husband and I are happy to have a RadioShack conveniently located in our local mall.  Aside from some specialty stores for mobile phones, Apple, or Microsoft products, the only other electronics retailer in the mall is a modest section in one of the anchor stores.  This RadioShack store must be a lifesaver for anyone who wants to finish all their Holiday shopping in one trip to the mall.

Many families save most of their major electronics purchases for Christmas gifts.  My family is the opposite.  If we need (or want) a new TV, tablet, or mobile phone, we usually do not wait to purchase it as a gift.  Instead, for the Holidays, we buy smaller thoughtful items for each other and for other people on our list, which often includes gifts in the tech and gadgets category.

I was delighted to see a sign for RadioShack's Holiday Cash promotion at the front of the store.  For every $50 a customer spends, they will earn $10 in Holiday cash that the customer can redeem one at a time during the specified dates on most purchases (with some exclusions).   That $10 could pay for a stocking stuffer or batteries for the gift you purchased during your first visit!

Although our local RadioShack store is likely smaller than freestanding locations, I was still amazed at how much they could pack into this mall location.  They had some of the most sought after gifts of the season, such as no-contract mobile phones, the newest smartphones, tablets, gaming systems, and more.  I was also extremely impressed with the selection of toys, which included modular remote control cars, quad copters, and learning toys.  For more gift ideas, visit RadioShack's Holiday Hub.

If you have stockings to stuff this year, RadioShack also has you covered with fun and useful items sized perfectly for a stocking.  Not only were there gift cards for Xbox Live, Google Play, iTunes, and more, there was a huge assortment of external battery portable chargers for mobile phones and novelty USB thumb drives.  I even found special edition Hexbug Nanos that pulled Santa's sleigh!

That day, I was shopping at RadioShack to check off a few things on my husband's wishlist.  An intercom system for the house was something that has been on his list for a long time.  Because I know it's not a common gift idea for the Holidays, I was happy to be able to find one for a decent price.  Also, my husband's alarm clock stopped working many months ago and he has been using his smartphone's alarm clock app in its place.  We both miss being able to glance at the clock to know what time it is instantly, so I picked up a digital alarm clock for him as well.

Since I spent more than $100, I received two $10 Holiday Cash coupons.  I will be returning to RadioShack soon to get the batteries I need for all our gifts plus a compact external battery for my smartphone.

If you haven't shopped your local RadioShack lately, be sure to make a point of stopping in.  Nearly 2,000 store locations have received a makeover with more to come.  I hope ours is on the list of stores to be reset in 2014.  As a sneak peak, checkout the new RadioShack Speaker Wall below . . .



To learn more about what RadioShack has to offer, visit www.RadioShack.com.

Father's Day Giveaway: Kindle Fire

Through May 16th, you can enter to win a Kindle Fire through Fiberon's multi-blog giveaway.  Although the contest will not end in time for Mother's Day, this prize would make a great gift for Father's Day or to keep for yourself.

Please be sure to read the entry requirements carefully since it will vary from the typical entries you have grown accustomed to on 3G2S.  I would love to see one of my readers win this great prize!

The composite decking, railing, and fencing company Fiberon is giving away a Kindle Fire!
(view details)

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Good luck in the drawing!

Silly Monkey Story: A Sign of the Times

Last month, I took our 5 year old son to be screened for speech because we have trouble understanding him at times.  The whole session took about an hour and a half.  Most of the session was our son interacting with the speech therapist verbally with a little bit of pointing mixed in.

One of the activities had to do with our son completing a sentence started by the therapist based on an illustration.  Another was just his naming what was in the picture.  During such an activity, the therapist showed our son an illustration similar to the one below and asked him what the object was.  Of course, his answer was . . .

. . . "a phone".

Click here to read all my Silly Monkey Stories

Stocking Stuffers 2011: ThinkGeek Smart String Digital Tape Measure

What a great idea! I often need to measure irregular things, like kids heads, light bulbs, furniture, computer components, etc. Until now, I would use a soft tailor style measuring tape (or just guess). When Karen asked me if I wanted to test out the Smart String tape measure, I jumped at the chance to make my measuring easier.

The Smart String is small and easily fits into your pocket, no more big bulky tape measures that clip to your belt. It is about the size of a smallish calculator, perfect for around the house or shop.

The Smart String was very well thought out. The unit has a built in calculator, 3 memory buttons that store measurements that can be called back into the calculator!!! You don’t need to carry a pencil and scrap paper with the Smart String like you would with a regular measuring device.

The Smart String can measure in inches or millimeters and has a convenient ring at the end to hook on nails or pins for one handed use. There is also a small built in LED light. I found the light not that useful, but a thoughtful touch.

The accuracy of the measurement is very good, more than adequate for 99% of anything the average Joe needs. I noticed a few millimeters play before the measurements change on the screen however. So what? I don’t plan on engineering any rockets soon so I am good!

I highly recommend the Smart String. This measuring device will get plenty of use in any home.  What a functional product and a great gift idea for someone who has everything!  Currently, you can find this product on ThinkGeek.com for just $11.99.


Thank you to ThinkGeek for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

The HP TouchPad Seems To Be the Best Tablet PC Yet

I have a new “must-have” gadget: The HP TouchPad.   This thing is HOT.  Great reviews, gigantic beautiful screen, and . . . IT RUNS FLASH!  Try that Apple iPad (One or two).

The playing field is just filling up with tablet pcs and HP’s offering is a good one. It looks like the companies that stood back and watched what the others were doing made the right choice. The HP TouchPad basically incorporates everything people thought was lacking from earlier tablets. This is one sexy tablet pc!

The HP TouchPad has a 1.2GHz Dual Core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.  All you need to know about that is it's fast and it can handle many tasks at once. It also has a dedicated Qualcomm Adrino graphics processor, meaning games and graphics based applications (“Apps” to you kids) look great and fly. The HP TouchPad just moved the tablet pc bar a little higher folks.

Any HP executives reading this, feel free to send me any 32 gig models you have cluttering up the office.   I promise it will get used.

Holiday 2010 Review: SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ MP3 Player & slotRadio Cards

Being a gadget nut, I was super excited when I learned I was going to be able to try and test the SanDisk Sansa Fuze+. The very first thing you notice when you open the package is the Sansa Fuze's sleek and compact design. The unit fits nicely in the palm of your hand and is roughly the size of a small mobile phone. The screen is sharp, bright, and large in comparison to the overall size. The face is perfectly flush; the screen blends into the touchpad seamlessly. The touch interface is VERY sensitive and requires a small learning curve to get the hang of it. Although frustrating at first, once you spend a few minutes practicing you will appreciate the sensitivity.

The Fuze+ comes with ear bud style headphones and a USB cable for recharging and connecting to your PC to transfer media. The headphones are BIG, they just barely fit in my giant ears. As large as they are, they still managed to be comfortable and weren’t an issue after extended use. The sound is clear and sharp. The Fuze+ has various pre set audio settings as well as a customizable equalizer so you can fine tune the sound to fit your taste. I was surprised how much bass the Fuze+ could produce.

Overall I was very impressed with the Sansa Fuze+ and its functionality. I like it at least as much as my iPod Nano and in some ways more. It is definitely a better looking and sleek device and the built in digital radio is a huge feature (my Apple requires a separate adaptor to play radio).

As much as I loved the Fuze+ unit itself, I did have some significant issues with my experience. I have yet to transfer any media to the device. My entire review is based on preloaded music on a separate SanDisk slotRadio card, I was unable to transfer my own music to the device. The Fuze+ was not always recognized when hooked up to my Windows Vista based PC and often turned off when connected. I was able to download some updating software from SanDisk that offered a firmware update hoping this would correct my problem. After 3 separate attempts I was unable to complete the firmware update (never advancing past 50%).

I attempted to transfer files to the device manually only to have various issues including endless clocking and unrecognized files after the transfer. The included SanDisk conversion software was also a disappointment. I attempted to convert a 25 minute animated video file to the Sansa Fuze+ format using the provided utility and was also not able to progress past 49%.

Even with the connection and format issues the SanDisk Sansa Fuze is a great sounding and sexy MP3 player. The controls are sensitive and easy to use once you get going. The preloaded slotRadio cards that are offered separately offered me 1000 songs to keep me listening for hours. BUT, as much as I love my Fuze+, I would warn anybody purchasing one to be prepared for connection issues and maybe a few calls to support. If it weren’t for the preloaded slotRadio card I would not have enjoyed the Sansa Fuze+ as much. Until these issues are corrected, I would not recommend this MP3 player to anybody who has only basic PC ability.

To learn more abou the Sansa Fuze+, visit SanDisk.com . This 4GB MP3 player currently retails for $79.99 and is available in 5 colors. You can also find the Fuze+ in 8GB and 16 GB models for a slightly higher cost. View the full selection of SanDisk slotRadio Cards on Shop.SanDisk.com .

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of SanDisk and received the SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ and VH1 slotRadio Card to facilitate my review.

Holiday 2010 Giveaway: Powermat Wireless Charging Mat System [CLOSED]

We recently had the opportunity to try a Powermat wireless mobile device charger. I was very excited to try a product like this as I was sick and tired of dealing with cables and adapters each time I needed to put my phone and Bluetooth headset down to charge.

Powermat has several choices available in mats and USB tips to fit your particular needs. The one we received came with a Powercube Universal Receiver and included 8 mini & micro USB tips. We needed two additional receivers so that we could charge 3 devices at once.

I ended up really liking the Powermat Portable Mat, even though I still needed to remove my phone from its case and plug in a small adapter. Although I did not have 100% wireless charging, I still only needed one AC adapter instead of multiple ones and the clutter is many times better than before. It is like a small charging station for all your devices in one spot.

This particular Powermat is compact and folds up into a handy travel case the size of a fast food hamburger box. This was a great feature because we tested the Powermat on a 4-day trip to New York City. During the trip the Powermat easily handled both my wife’s and my own phone as well as my Bluetooth headset. If we did not have the mat, we would have needed to bring 3 AC adapters with us. The travel case did not have room for the individual Powercube receivers, however, a surprising oversight.

All in all the Powermat is a great product and I use it every day. I can honestly say my phone and headset end up on the charger a great deal more than they did before as a result of the convenience. I would love for Powermat to find a way so that consumers can use a leave-on adapter for most types of mobile phones, as that is the “Holy Grail” of charging convenience.

Powermat products can charge a wide variety of devices, including, but not limited to the iPod, iPhone, Blackberry, DS Lite, DSi, and many brands of mobile phones, cameras, and Bluetooth headsets. To learn more about your choices, visit Powermat.com, where you can order products right off the website. You can also find Powermat at Best Buy, Target, Staples, and other major electronics retailers.

Thank you to Powermat for sending us sample products free of charge to base this review upon and for providing additional product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a customized Powermat package.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of Powermat charging mats available. Then leave a comment telling me which mat you think would best suit your needs. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Powermat.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Powermat on Twitter and/or "Like" Powermat on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

<br /> <a href="http://www.3garnets2sapphires.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd206/Busymonkeez/Graphics4Me/NEWBlogButton125x125.jpg" /></a><br /><br />

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 11th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!