Review of YUBZ® Retro Handset

Image by StreetFly JZ via Flickr

I've been sharing mainly about eco-tips so far, but isn't one of the joys of doing a business like Decolives about sharing interesting finds with people? What's the point of being an in-house contributor if you can't rave about your own products?

The Truth and Nothing But

So today, I'm going to review one of our latest additions to our range of products - the YUBZ^® Retro Handset. Of course, be warned that I have vested interests, so feel free to doubt my words and try it out for yourself ;)

But seriously, I do solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, and only about stuff that I have personally used in my reviews. You are welcome to challenge my views, because I think part of the fun is the livefiring exchange of ideas with friends about things of genuine mutual interest.

The Retro Chic

I bought one of the fire-engine red YUBZ^® Retro Handset from our website (yes, I had to buy my own! I don't get it for free!) and have been using it for a couple of days. I must confess I'm pre-disposed to liking this product because I have always loved vintage phones and have been wanting one of my own. But ever improving phone technology always gets in the way, so we still don't own any of these antiques. I remember that my grandfather had the real classic thing back in the 1970s and 80s. As a little girl, I loved the solid feel of the handset and the firm resistance of the ring-dial. So when I saw the YUBZ^® Retro Handset, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one!

I wasn't disappointed. The handset comes with a coiled cord just like a normal corded phone, though I must say I was a little surprised by its feel. It was anything but just-for-show. There is real resistance and bounce in the cord that you would expect from a real antique phone! The weight is sufficient, though not as substantive as I would have liked. But it is hefty enough to satisfy my nostalgic tastes, while remaining light enough that one would not begrudge the weight. I'm happy it doesn't look or feel like some cheap plastic toy - which I was a little worried about initially - and the bright funky colour totally updates the old-fashion classic into a chic modern mobile accessory!

Simple to Use

The connection point is a 2.5mm jack. Included in the package are five adapters that can fit this handset to most of the major phone brands on the market. I own an Apple iPhone 3GS so I use the 3.5mm adapter provided in my YUBZ^® package. My sister has a Sony Ericsson that works with one of the adaptors provided too.

The handset is easy to use. Just plug and play. There is a button that you can press to answer calls on the inner side if the handset along with a volume slider. One complaint though is that I find the volume a wee bit on the soft side, so I have to max out both the volume slider on the handset and on my iPhone to be able to hear the other party. Then again, maybe it's just me being deaf because I tried unplugging the handset halfway through the call and realised it was still better with the handset than without!

Multi-tasking with YUBZ®

What I really like about my YUBZ^® Retro Handset is that now I can the use the calendar and notes applications on my iPhone while I'm on the line with someone. I'm hopelessly forgetful so I always need to jot things down. That's why ever since I bought my first PDA 10 years ago, I haven't looked back. The problem with combining both the phone and PDA functions in one gadget is that I can't input things while talking at the same time. I can resort to the speaker mode, a headset or a Bluetooth headset, but none are ideal. The first, obviously because of the lack of privacy. The second, because it is such a hassle to uncoil the messy wires while you are hurrying to answer the call before it gets directed to voicemail. Most times, I end up either not using the headset or just leave it sticking in my ear so I feel alternatively stupid for having silent earphones or rude when I'm talking to someone in face-to-face. I don't like the Bluetooth option either because the phone battery runs down extremely quickly, the response time is usually slower and I always feel like the Bluetooth thing is giving me headaches. Not to mention it makes me feel like a human robot with a distractingly blinking blue eye standing on the ready to receive instructions from a remote master.

96% Rediation Free

Another thing I like about the YUBZ^® Retro Handset is that it is supposed to cut mobile phone radiation by 96%. I've always been prone to headaches so I don't like to talk much on mobile or cordless phones. With my YUBZ^® Retro Handset, I can enjoy chatting on the phone again without worrying about a raging headache at the end of the call.

Good-size Anchor

The only disadvantage of the YUBZ^® Retro Handset is it's obvious bulk. But here, I find it's obtrusiveness works in it's favour. I can just dump it in my bag without it getting lost amongst my stuff. Another way I carry it is by hanging it on my bag so it becomes a cool fashion accessory. I do this by looping a piece of nylon string around the YUBZ^® Retro Handset and tying it to a carabiner that I filch from my ChicoBag™. Then I use the carabiner to clip my YUBZ^® Retro Handset to my bag.

For all it's features, the greatest advantage of my YUBZ^® Retro Handset is probably one never intended by the original designers. On top of being forgetful, I'm also very careless. With every new PDA that I've bought, I've always had to buy a second one within a few months because I would use it all the time and then end up leaving my new gadget in the bus, train, cab, toilet or even on the luggage trolley at the airport! That's right! I'm a total serial mobile phone loser. So I've taken to wearing the phone around my neck at all times. That is literally a pain in the neck! But now, with this a chunky anchor attached to my phone, I'm never going to lose it again!

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What to do with all that glossy paper?

Image by imeleven via

One of the easiest things to do in Singapore when it comes to being environmentally friendly is to recyle paper. Whether it is throwing it in your company's shredder, dumping in the neighbourhood recycle bins, putting in the recyle bags for collection by your local waste collector or selling it to the garang guni, the options are all easy and convenient. And unlike in the past when the garang gunis would refuse to collect glossy paper - you know, the shiny, smooth kind usually used in magazines and brochures - nowadays, almost all paper can be recycled.

But other than throwing it away, another option to consider is to reuse the paper. Glossy paper is actually pretty good as artwork material e.g. for scrapbooking, collage-making, paper beads, etc. or as sensible anti-liquid liners for the floor or table because it doesn't absorb water well. I like to use it for making boxes that can use as temporary bins to organise small items or as a handy collector for trash like fish and chicken bones, peanut shells and other organic waste that otherwise pile up and make a mess of the dinner table.

It's real simple to make too! Here's how:

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When the trusty companion gets beaten up

Image by yeowatzup via Flickr

In a place like Singapore where it is either hot like hell or wet like a well, the umbrella is the trusty companion that we all can't do without. But when heavy-duty pouring begins, is your umbrella sturdy enough to withstand the onslaught?

For the less hardy, a broken rivet or a loosed end are common problems that can be easily fixed with a needle and thread or some wires and scissors.

One of the most common faults that gets the umbrella relegated to the trash bin is a bent spoke - which seems such a pity. Afterall, the umbrella can still be used - it's just not pretty anymore. But hey, I understand why people do it. Somehow it just seems so embrassing to be using an umbrella that is bent out of shape. What one of my friends would do is to keep those faulty umbrellas for heavy-rain and

Image by thornj via Flickr

strong-wind days, because on those days, everyone's going to be hunched under their umbrellas anyway so nobody's going to pay any attention to you! And since the umbrella is already benty, your heart won't break if it takes further beatings from the weather.

In the apartment where I used to stay, a less than perfect umbrella is actually a chance to do your good deed of the day. The estate management would placed umbrella stands next to the estate management's office, the main door or guard counter, for residents to donate their unwanted, but still functioning umbrellas. Typically called "big-hearted umbrellas", these bent, crooked, or kinked umbrellas have been real lifesavers on more occasions than one. (Ok, so that's an exaggeration, but they're really great when I'm just hoping over to the shop across the road to grab something quick and didn't notice the light drizzle when I left the apartment.)

But what if your umbrella is beyond repair? Rather than just chucking it, why not consider the following ideas:

• strip off the fabric and use as drying rack for clothes.
• the fabric is water-proof, so why not use it as ground sheet or to cover food during picnics or as any other form of wrapping for things that you don't want to get wet.
• another way is to just sew the fabric it into a waterproof drawstring bag.
• use it to make a waterproof cover for your backpack if you are the outdoorsy kind who likes to go on hiking or camping trips.
  
• give the fabric to your kid to play as a cape.
• use it to make a rain coat for your pet.
  

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The used toothbrush - torture tool or nifty cleaner?

Image via Wikipedia

Have you watched that old movie where the rookie is forced to use a toothbrush to clean the toilet as punishment by his sergeant?

An extremely tedious job designed to torture you might think. But a toothbrush is really good for cleaning those hard to reach places like taps and the areas around them, as well as crevices between bathroom tiles stained with grime and mould. My favourite is to use it to unblock the holes in the soap dish that has been blocked by dissolved soap.

How about using your used toothbrushes to clean your crocs – you know how dirty the insides get because we don't wear socks with them. Just soak in soapy water, lather and brush. Rinse dry and your crocs would be as good as new!

But of course, scrubbing with toothbrushes is only recommend for small areas; otherwise the nifty cleaner would turn out to be a real torture tool.

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Saving water

Image by malla_mi via Flickr

Hi everyone,

I'm Deko from Decolives. This is so exciting! It's my first appearance here on the Decolives blog. Truly sorry about not updating the blog since we started it two weeks ago. (Oh my gosh! Has it been that long?) I've been so busy trying to get everything in order for the push cart at Orchard Central and the online shop launch!

Anyway, I'm going to share a little tip about saving water with you today. But before I begin, let me just clarify that I am no environmentalist. Nor do I profess to be any sort of expert on the topic. It's just that I've had the chance to live in Taiwan for three years until recently and the exposure has highlighted to me some differences in the way we do things at home and the way others do things. It struck me then how easy it really is to make little changes to our daily habits to adopt a more earth-friendly lifestyle. In my previous job, we were always doing staff suggestions and more than half of those were frequently about the three “R's” of “reduce, reuse and recyle”. From the big boss to the company chauffeur, everyone has something to contribute on this topic! So I don't think it is true at all that environmental-friendliness is an atas (Singlish for: hoity-toity, snobbish) topic for the atas people!

So back to my little tip-of-the-day.

Besides the commonly heard advice to save water by washing on a full load, my family has always made it a habit to collect the water that drains out from our washing machine after each wash. The water from the first wash is the dirtiest and depending on how bad it is, we usually either discard it or use it to flush the toilet. As the water gets progressively cleaner after each rinse, it can either be used for flushing and washing the toilet or for other tasks like mopping the kitchen floor and hand-washing canvas shoes.

The average washing machine uses about 40 litres of water each time. That's about one-third of our daily water consumption in just one wash!

So here's when I turn a little fanatical and insist that even if you don't do all these household chores yourself, you can still instruct the maid right? Because when it comes to such precious resource as water, every little bit counts!

Shopping website launched

Our shopping website for creative lifestyle products is up! Come visit us at http://www.decolives.com.

Introduction

Decolives is a creative lifestyle products company registered in Singapore. Our online shopping store is currently under construction and will be launched in March 2010. This is our blog.

To us, décor is about creating the life you want, the way you want it. This blog is set up to support our ideals of a compassionate and environmentally-friendly business and to help our readers live the life they want through the sharing of eco-experiences and lifestyle tips.