Saturday, April 13, 2013

Chicco Infant Car Seats

Chicco Infant Car Seats

Chicco Infant Car Seats and Base It’s very rare to find an infant car seat and base which work together so greatly to make the entire installation process easier. The KeyFit Car Seat and Base from Chicco works so well together that it is very different than other car seats. Other car seats don’t install half as easily as the Chicco Infant Car Seats. The KeyFit is a baby car seat ( see KISS car seats Guide ) which is also affordably priced to not bust wallets. Chicco Infant Car Seats can fit a range of child form 4-30 pounds

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat Foxy Reviews

Chicco Infant Car Seats

Chicco Infant Car Seats

Perhaps if I did not have a chicco infant car seats keyfit 30 to compare with, I might have not think so poorly of this First Years Via car seat, but they are similarly priced so it is a reasonable comparison. I got the Via (from Amazon Vine) because I thought it would be a good back-up car seat for our second car and I liked that it could handle babies up to 35 pounds.

The first thing I do with all baby gear is remove the fabric portions and wash them several times to remove/reduce the chemical fabric treatments (water repellants, flame retardants, dyes, and all other carcinogenic/ endocrine disrupting additions they put on baby stuff these days). The Via fabric cover began to come apart ofter the very first washing. After the second washing, it looked old and tattered. I didn’t have these problems with the chicco infant car seats. Putting the fabric back on the car sear was easier than the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat. Next, we attempted to install the base in our second car. It was not intuitive like the Chicco is. The Via was difficult. Despite the car being on a level surface we could not get the base to level even at the highest setting. We thought it might be the car, so we removed the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat base from our primary car and installed it in the second car. No problem getting the Chicco Infant Car S eats leveled. The instructions for the Via recommend to put a rolled up towel or a “pool noodle” (yes, really) under the base to make it level. We opted for the rolled up towel, but even then it wasn’t looking good. The second car has leather seats and the towel was sliding around easily stuffed under the end of the plastic Via. I am not sure that a pool noodle would have been much better.

Next, we try to latch Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat base to the straps in the car. Uhg. We got it done, but it isn’t quick and easy like the chicco infant car seats . And at the end of it, Chicco Infant Car Seats was loose compared to the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat, even with the towel stuffed under it and making adjustments to the Via is a pain.

The carrying handle on the Chicco Infant Car Seats are thickly padded and my husband liked the feel of it in his hand more than the chicco infant car seats, but the Via is also heavier than the Chicco Infant Car Seats which made it more uncomfortable for me to carry. The carrying handle is loose on the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car. It has play of about an inch which gives it a shoddy feel and makes it noisy. The Chicco handle locks into a position and doesn’t budge.

The Via is more difficult to mount into and remove from its base than the chicco infant car seats which slides in and out of the base easily.

The level indicator on the via is a metal ball (about half the size of a marble) housed in a clear plastic tube. It is also noisy as it rolls around banging end to end in its tube. The level indicator on Chicco Infant Car Seats base is a liquid bubble and is silent and discreet.

The cons are few and far between and probably not worth taking off stars since I don’t know if these are things you can change about most infant carriers. There is a time from when your baby is born until they can sit up themselves that you must carry them in the car seat. The major flaw this thing has is that it does’t have slots to attach to a shopping cart. What will wind up happening is that you cannot go shopping unless you have another person with you. You will have to place the car seat inside the shopping cart which will take up the entire shopping cart and leave no room for groceries (unless you put them on your kid). The second person will have to get another shopping cart to put the groceries in. chicco infant car seats state that shopping cart latches aren’t safe (even though every other seat has them). What you will wind up having to do if you get stuck shopping by yourself is placing the car seat in the cart sideways and balance it with your hand while you shop. Yeah Chicco that’s a lot safer. You cannot even begin to image how annoying it is to have to shop with two carts. Also, sometimes car seat won’t fit inside smaller shopping carts at all. If that’s the case then you can’t go shopping. Who wants to drag round 25 pounds of baby and cart seat in one hand while they push a cart with the other hand?

But here goes, Not so good things::

  • Sunshade is pretty useless. Even with the extra flap pulled out; this hardly gives any sun coverage. I often found myself draping a blanket over the seat to adequately protect my baby from the sun.
  • I do think the chest latch could use some improvement in the design (i.e. more difficult to release). I don’t know how, but my daughter has managed to unlatch it a couple of times. That’s not very settling.
  • I believe the 30 indicates the weight of the seat- this is one of the heaviest seats around- it’s impossible to carry for long and the bad handle does not help.
  • The sunshield does not cover the baby- and to make things worse after 3 month it did not stick in the up position any more.
  • Do all carriers/bases have stickers on them that can’t be removed? I hate that I always look like some sort of instructionally challenged goon with 50 safety/warning/instruction stickers slapped all over the seat and base, but they were the kind of stickers that would NOT, for the life of me, peel off nicely. It’s hideous.
  • It is May now and the seat is already way to hot (at 75F!). The baby gets a very wet and sweaty – becomes uncomfortable and starts to cry. The only remedy is to stop the car and carry her around till she drives off a bit!

I do recommend having an expert inspect your seat, and that you read the instruction manual. For example, be sure to read about how long to keep in the infant insert before it becomes considered a possible risk as opposed to help (page 21 states to not use the infant insert for babies larger than 11 pounds–I never would have expected it to be that low!). Secondly, as cute as the Kiddopotamus is, or as convenient as the JJ Cole Bundle Me may be, the instruction book explicitly states that anything not manufacturer installed is considered dangerous and to not use it.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy installation. My husband installed the base the day I went into labor (hooray for procrastination!) He had no issues installing it and every time we uninstalled/reinstalled the base thereafter was easier and easier. We did invest in an extra base for our other car, which was nice to have.
  • Seat is fairly lightweight. I confess that my daughter is now 14 months old and we still use this seat in one of our cars since she hasn’t technically outgrown it yet. She is near 20lbs and I still have no problem getting this seat in/out of the car. Our backseat is even higher than most (Honda Element). Of course, this might just be because I’m now ripped (thanks, motherhood).
  • Compatibility. I used this with the Maclaren Easy Traveler for several months, and it was just so nice to be able to take the seat out of the car and pop it onto the Easy Traveler as my stroller. I know this seat also works with the Snap N Go and chicco infant car seats now makes their own version of the infant carrier stroller frame. We later got the Cortina stroller which is compatible with this seat (but I hate the stroller).
  • Don’t know if most infant carriers are shaped like this, but the bottom of the seat is a nice, contoured shape. This meant when the seat was put on the floor, you could rock it back and forth with ease. It was perfect for soothing my baby to sleep and saved my sanity many times.
  • Fabric is easy to clean and seems pretty stain-resistant. My baby was the queen of spit-ups, but you’d never know it by looking at the fabric in the seat (FYI, we have the “Cubes” pattern).
  • Straps are easy to adjust.

Overall, this is a great seat. And, for the record, I chose Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat before contacting the expert who helped us install ours, but she told me this is Chicco Infant Car Seats she would recommend for us and that it really is top notch. So I do think it is important to check the babies and make sure that they are comfortable.

Chicco Infant Car Seats – Product Description

Wireless Alarms

Wireless Alarms System Guide

Wireless Alarms

Wireless Alarms

As much as we would wish otherwise, the world is not a safe place. Crime is a fact of reality, and it’s always a good idea to take precautions against it, whether in your home or business. You can never be too sure, and in that time, there are many solutions for business and home security needs. It is therefore; important to have  wireless alarms are installed; because these systems will do wonders dramatically improve the security of a home.

So what makes these Wireless alarms systems beneficial?

Establishment of a wireless alarms system installed can be a difficult process. Drilling holes in the wall for the son to run until the system is installed on the wall; it can cause serious damage to the structure of your home. In contrast, wireless security systems without son or installation techniques disorderly. You do not have to worry about walls and doors damaged during the process, which is expensive and time consuming to correct. The actual time to establish the wireless alarms system is also much shorter. Moreover, this alarm is as easy to install and use. You do not need professional help just to use them. Now read the manual and you become a professional installer. In addition, compared to an alternative choice, wireless alarms system are relatively inexpensive. You do not have to buy another one if you decide to move to a new ho use, just put the old one and you’ll feel as safe in your new home.

This option for home security works in a very easy way. Radio frequency signals are sent between a control panel and various sensors installed in an area. Detection devices on an alarm will monitor movements. These movements can be especially monitored by temperature differences from body heat. After a notable change occurs signals will be sent to the control panel.

A central panel is used for this option. The panel will sound off an alarm when improper movements are found. It can work with sounds or lights for people who cannot hear properly. Subscription based panels can work with call centers too. A signal is sent to a center who will contact the property when the alarm has gone off.

It is very easy to get an alarm installed because it is wireless. The panel will then be attached to a simple to reach a place. This is so that the panel can be easily controlled and accessed. A setup process that varies by the panel will need to work as well.

Some systems come with glass break sensors, which is a plus. This sensors trip wireless alarms if someone were to break your window or patio door. There are motion sensors that can detect motion approaches your home, and they detect motion in the house. In addition to all these possibilities, the available input sensors to let you know that present is a car or a person who comes home. Most wireless alarms can detect movement up to 30 meters, and some will detect movement beyond that distance. There are also magnetic contacts included with most systems being installed on your doors. When the switch is broken, it would be if someone were to open the door alarm, this alarm produces an ear piercing sound very strong. The majority also have an option that signals the light to flash.

While there a variety of wireless alarms on the market, it will be hard to choose if you have not thought about the kind of protection that you want. If you live in an area where there is a low crime rate, maybe you would feel comfortable with one of the versions that only produce an alerting sound. If you live in an area with frequent break-ins, you may want to go with something a bit more advanced such as the type of system you connect to your phone line. There are some systems that even have numerous cameras that wirelessly connect to a main base to provide not only an alarm, but also constant monitoring of your home and property.

Several alarm manufacturers often develop additional features, and enhancements can be added to existing alarms are thus secure payment. Systems wired security update is usually a task and may require a technician to make multiple trips to your property only to complete the process. Wireless alarms, an additional fee, can be updated without effort and is sometimes as simple as removing the old and replace it with a new one.

There will not be normally complex reconfiguration techniques to take place

There is the much other wireless alarms system available on the market and they all can work tremendously well for securing your person and property.  If safety remains one of your major concerns, it would definitely be wise to explore your purchasing options for these excellent devices. So take your pick from a variety of wireless alarms gadgets to suit your needs and budget.

For additional Security tips consider that you could use in the same category as Wireless Alarms

IP Camera

IP Camera – Network Camera Guide

IP Camera

IP Camera

Security’s concerns are more common now than they ever have been. While security is a general topic on many people’s mind, they do offer many advantages and ease of mind. Using the latest technology will offer you many benefits when monitoring your home with a security camera. IP camera is a new type of security camera that offers many benefits.

The most common benefit of an IP camera is the ability to view live video over the Internet from anywhere in the world. This offers the advantage of monitoring a location or property while a customer is not physically there to observe activity for suspicious behavior. It is possible to view CCTV cameras over the Internet. However, additional hardware and software are required.

IP camera (Internet Protocol) also called network camera is essentially a standalone camera that includes all necessary equipment and software needed for direct connection to the Internet without resorting to the intermediate service of a dedicated PC (Personal Computer).

Although most cameras that do these are webcams, the term “IP camera” is usually applied only to those used for surveillance.

There are two kinds of IP camera:

  • Centralized IP camera, which require a central network video recorder (NVR) to handle the recording, video and alarm management.
  • Decentralized IP camera, which have been recording functionality built-in and can thus record directly to digital storage media, such as flash drives, hard disk drives or network attached storage.

One should add that the similar term Webcam, initially simply intended as a camera connected to the web (The World Wide Web or www.) is now used to mean also different things having nothing to do with Home Surveillance.

The greatest single advantage to an IP camera equipped system is that the viewing area being sent by the camera can be sent literally anywhere in the world where Internet access is available. Keep in mind that an IP camera system, by its computer-based nature and the fact that it depends on networks, can be more technologically complex to set up and then maintain. It also depends on the strength and reliability of the Internet network through which it’ll be sending its data (digital, not analog and totally through the Internet, not via means of broadcast).

The special features in IP camera embedded operating system on a chip that allows the correct software, connectivity anywhere on a network without needing a dedicated PC. Connecting an IP camera is performed using a PC, but once completed, the IP camera to stay connected on their own, and transmitted images can be seen everywhere on the Internet. This feature allows you to switch from a dedicated PC connected and always on the site under surveillance.

System performance can be enhanced to include, in addition to IP cameras, motion sensors and a series of cameras that offer more coverage of the space, and e-mails, if necessary. IP cameras can compress video images and present them in the chosen format for recording and further investigations.

When the time to make sure you choose the right IP surveillance camera system is important. Looking over the various options and styles to get the best options you have been available. This is the best way to help you choose and options you have been available. However, we must remember that because the options and difficulties that may be encountered by lay installing highly technical equipment and software must be prepared to ask for help, someone who is willing and able to help with the setup of IP camera.

For additional Security tips consider that you could use in the same category as IP Camera