The Consumer’s Corner

I’m not a huge salsa fan; always been a ‘nacho’ guy. I just don’t like a lot of the ingredients that go into salsa. But I found one that is really good, and has earned a place in my fridge as a regular snack.

Pace brand Tequila Lime Salsa is made from a base of yellow tomatoes, jalapeños, and onions. Add a few squirts of lime juice on top of that, and you’re left with a great tasting dip. Nothing is over powering, and the onions take a back seat, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to eat it. The yellow tomatoes offer a very unique flavor, and everything tastes better with lime!

It’s not an unhealthy snack either, just 15 calories per serving. That’s only two tablespoons though, so go ahead and triple that number, because this stuff is hard to put down. I enjoy it with Tostito’s Scoops, but any tortilla chip would work just as well, I’m sure.

Availability may be a bit spotty, but try Publix grocery stores if you have them in your area. I really recommend it, this will be a real crowd pleaser at your next get together!

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

Are you an internet junkie like me? Do you start having withdrawal symptoms if you have to go more than a few hours without being able to at least check your email? Like me, are you too cheap to buy a decent data plan for your phone, so you can accomplish this task quickly and easily? Are you looking for a simple service that allows you to stay connected for just pennies a day, or less? Well, I found it for you. Welcome to Flurry!

Funny story. I upgraded my phone around a year and a half ago (Walkman w600i, don’t buy it), and I proceeded to play around with it, like I do all my new gadgets. Just one of my favorite past times. Anyways, I came across the preloaded Yahoo! Mail application, and thought I’d give it a quick try. Anyone that knows me well knows I’m not completely ignorant (if you think I’m ignorant, what does that make you, you’re reading my blog?); I knew that there was going to be some data charges. But in my mind I thought ‘Hey, it’s just text files, it can’t possibly cost that much!’ By about the second time I checked my messages wirelessly, I had became addicted quicker than a crack head and started doing it all the time. Long story short, my Cingular (now the new ATT!) bill was damn near close to triple what I was used to, and that Yahoo! Mail appication got deleted so fast I made lightning look slow.

That did not cure my addiction though, so I started searching. ‘There has to be a better way,’ I thought. And of course there was. What I found was Flurry, an amazing little java application for java enabled cell phones. So easy to set up, all you have to do is register for an account, and they’ll text message you the installer in an attachment. You can also transfer it yourself if your phone can connect with your PC, and that is of course much cheaper (free) if you have no data plan.

As a warning, upon setting up your account, your eyebrows will be raised. They ask you for your email address(es) that you wish to keep tabs on, and the passwords to those precious accounts. Now here’s how desperate I was; despite my long standing policy of never giving anyone my password, and my anality when it comes to security, I simply caved like a house of cards and handed over my information just as quickly as I could type it.

They seem to have been true to their word though, since that time (a year or so ago) I have not once noticed anything fishy going on within my accounts. They say your passwords are encrypted, and even they cannot read them. I somewhat doubt the last part, but even if they can, they have not opened my stuff so far as I can tell.

Flurry works by their servers opening, copying, and compressing your emails (only text, no html). That compression part is the big secret, it cuts way down on the amount of raw data that has to be transfered to your phone. By ‘way down,’ I mean that $50 data charge turned into a mere 75 CENTS! I’ve been able to read a whole day’s worth of email for around $0.02, at $0.01 per kilobyte on my ‘pay per use’ plan. Those numbers just speak for themselves, so there is nothing else I need to say about that.

The software itself is very simple to use, and should work on just about every phone still in operation. Flurry is able to check mail from nearly all of the big email services, and works with all the major cell phone operators. Other options they provide are things like texting you when you have a new message, but I just prefer to check manually. Those text thingies cost money, too (just ask Jill and her bff)! There are other toys to play around with like RSS feeds (hey, you can read this on your phone! Subscribe now!), and more. You’ll have to check them all out and get back to me, because I’m happy sticking with the basics for now. Oh, yeah, Flurry is ad-free freeware; the only money you’ll be paying is to your cell service provider. Now where’s my phone?

UPDATE: Flurry has updated it’s software, and it now has a much ’slicker’ and more attractive interface. Lot’s of other ‘goodies’ that I haven’t played around with yet, as well. Still provides the same excellent compression service, costing me next to nothing to check my mail. I still recommend this amazing service!

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

cell phones, software, java, electronics, freeware

This will be my last energy drink review for awhile, I need to detoxify myself from all these stimulants. Likewise, this will also be the last coffee beverge I drink; two birds with one stone. I’m nothing if not efficient! Did I pick a good beverage to go out on? Yeah, I think so.

The chocolate tones in Rockstar Roasted Mocha added a bit of the richness that I felt had been missing from the other two Rockstar coffee/energy hybrids. This actually tasted eerily similar to the coffee that I order at my neighborhood coffee shop; my favorite baristas may be seeing less of me when I fall back off the ‘wagon’ and need a boost.

The energy blend worked really well, especially considering I consumed the 2 serving can in about five minutes. 200 calories, 2 grams of fat, 200% of Vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12. 16% calcium and potassium. The actual energy blend consists of: 2,000 mg of taurine, 300 mg of ginkgo biloba, 240 mg of caffeine, and 50 mgs each of guarana, inositol, L-Camitine, ginseng, and milk thistle. Those numbers are per can, cut them in half if you want it by the serving.

I recommend it, it tastes good, picked me up, and didn’t break the bank. Anyone want to take a bet on how long I can make it without caffeine?

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

rockstar, rockstar roasted, energy drinks, coffee

No calories, no heavy flavors, just water with a splash of fruit. I like to make my reviews informative, and try to add some personality to them, but it’s difficult when dealing with a product this simple in design.

Simple is not synonymous with ‘bad.’ I really enjoyed drinking it! Just what I needed after a nice tanning session; I was hot, thirsty, and wanted something as light as possible. Owater provided that, with just the slightest touch of strawberry flavor. Real strawberry flavor, not some syrupy artificial flavor.

Owater is not only a product I’ll buy again, but as the weather warms up, I’ll probably be buying it by the case. Great stuff; easily recommended!

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

Mountain Dew has been expanding their Amp Energy Drink lineup, and so far I’ve really enjoyed the offerings. ‘Relaunch’ is fairly simple; just an orange soda with energy enhancers added. The flavor is very similar to that of Mountain Dew Livewire.

Relaunch adds in a blend of electrolytes to help the body rehydrate, but all in all, I think that is more gimmick than anything else. If you’re suffering from dehydration, an energy drink will probably be one of the last things you’ll reach for in the refrigerator.  Go for an ‘ade’ or some type of water.

I can’t say that Amp Relaunch does a whole lot in the energy boosting category either; I found it significantly less potent than many of the other 16 ounce energy beverages. That could be a positive for some of you who don’t want a big boost, but need something a little ’stiffer’ than a regular caffeinated soft drink can provide. This is almost like a ‘tweener.’ 220 calories, 58 grams of sugar, 160 mg caffeine, and 296 mg taurine. Those last two numbers are kind of weak.

Mildly recommended; I enjoyed drinking it, but not more so than a Mountain Dew Livewire. For a ‘true’ energy drink, I’d look elsewhere. This is perfect if you’re looking for something in the middle though. Tastes great!

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

Branching off into some new territory today, so new in fact that I had to create a new category just for this post. Toys! I’m a great big kid at heart, and I’m sure a lot of you are as well, so I may stick some more toy reviews up in the future, should something come along that piques my interest.

This product ‘piqued’ it alright. Knex Dueling Racers. They made these specifically for me, of this I’m certain. Since a very young child, I’ve always enjoyed building block sets. Anything that starts as nothing and ends up as something has always been appealing to me (that might explain my interest in web development). As I grew older, electric motors intrigued me, and I’ve tried to learn everything I can about those. Lastly, I love cars, and racing those cars.

Knex Dueling Racers has a little bit of all three of those interests of mine, and I enjoyed tinkering with the set. Included in the package is enough pieces to build two vehicles at one time; and the pieces vary enough that it is possible to create four varieties of car. One is a ‘Top Fuel’ style dragster, an open-wheel F1 style, a ‘featherweight’ midget, and another that I didn’t really recognize (but it still looks cool).

I had fun, and so did my seven year old test subject. I’d definitely say it’s worth the $19.99 MSRP, so if this is something you think your ‘kids’ would be interested in, I wouldn’t hesitate picking one up. Recommended! (Also compatible with other brands of building bricks, for those that like to throw the instruction books away and become more adventurous.)

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

I’m sure a few of you noticed that I took a couple of days off. One day I was sick, and the other was spent putting together a ‘companion’ website to The Consumer’s Corner.

LowCalCorner is a site, that for right now and the immediate future, will focus on low calorie beverages. A lot of it will just be reused content from here, organized in a place where dieters can find it easily. There will be some ‘exclusive’ content as well, so if that interests you, check it out!

Should it take off, I’ll start putting some low/no cal foods and snacks up, but for the moment I want to stick with my passion. The Consumer’s Corner will not suffer at all, as LowCalCorner.com wont be updated all that often; just when something pretty big launches, or I find something particularly special (be it good or bad).

Check it out, link to it, let me know what you think! Have a nice evening!

Jeremy Hobbs

I’ve been reviewing a lot of ‘waters’ lately, but when a water is loaded up with a bunch of other ingredients, does it cease to be a water? Where exactly is that ‘line’ between water, and soft drink? I will not pretend to know; that’s up to consumers to decide, but I do know which side of the line this product will be standing on. It is H20 in it’s (almost) purest form.

Zero calories is a good start, water is supposed to be calorie free. Zero calories means zero fat, of course. No sweeteners, not even artificial ones. The ingredients list is simple; purified water, natural peach flavor, and a short list of electrolytes that I don’t care to type out.

The flavor is very light, like someone just squeezed a few drops of peach juice into the bottle. That’s great, because I really don’t care for peaches, but whatever. That’s not the point. When you’re hot, tired, sweaty, you tend to want something really light and simple, not something loaded up with this, and that. Owater gives you that!

With summer coming up fast, I recommend this. I’ll be throwing out some shorter reviews of the other flavors that I’ve found, but water is going to be the essential element in each bottle. The choice will be which is your favorite fruit.

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

My name is Jeremy, and I am an energy-mint-aholic. I remember my first hit; Jolt Energy Mints. I was hooked from the first serving, and ever since that point in time, a can of energy mints has never been more than a few feet away from my grasp. I first realized I had a problem when my first can of mints ran out, and I had no back up. It was terrible.

I couldn’t find another tin of them anywhere; it was like God Himself was hiding them from me. But, thank goodness for a teenage girl named Amanda, who shown a light on another fix, and told me where to get them. I will forever be in her debt.

Ice Breakers Energy are a slight step down from Jolt Energy Mints in caffeine potency, but the make up for it due to simple availability. To get the caffeine dosage of Jolt Energy Mints, you have to consume two serving of the Ice Breakers Energy’s, but again, it’s worth it. They taste great, a bit stronger in mint flavor than the Jolts (that could be good or bad, depends on your preference).

Sugar free, only 5 calories per serving (3 mints). Totally guilt free. I can find no negatives to this product; freshens your breath, tasty treat, energy boost, cool packaging, decent price ($1.50). Well, maybe one negative; they may have you in a substance abuse program at some point; they’re highly addictive   Recommended and then some!

Absolutely Useless Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

ice breakers, mints

Bacardi Silver hasn’t ever been my favorite out of the ‘malternative’ brands, but I haven’t ever been scared to drink one (or six) either if I can find them on sale. Thrifty thrifty thrifty.

You consumers can often find the line of Bacardi drinks at significantly lower prices than Smirnoff and Mike’s, but there really isn’t a significant drop off in the quality of the drink. Bacardi just got into the game a little late, and they’re having to scrounge around a bit for some market share. I find them to taste a bit less sweet, but I’m sure a lot of people like that about them. Simple matter of preference.

I’ll get into more of ‘the line’ later; but tonight I’m focusing on this particular variety, ‘Mojito.’ The flavor is a really good reproduction; I was surprised. Can’t beat it in terms of convenience, the Mojito isn’t exactly an easy drink to make. Ever if you use a mix, it’s still easier just to twist off the top on a Bacardi Silver Mojito.

Did I think it was any good? Absolutely. The mint flavor (spearmint, I’m thinking?) did not over power the lime, or vice versa. It was very light tasting, not syrupy at all. That can be rare with these types of drinks. It left a cool, refreshing taste in my mouth. Calories will kind of ding you at 235 (35 grams carbs), but you should know by now that these things are loaded down with sugar going in. Definitely not for dieters, unless you’re a very light drinker. Alcohol percentage is 5% in my area of the world, but I’ve been told that may vary a bit by state (country?).

I look forward to popping the tops on the rest of my 6 pack this evening, so that should give you a clue as to whether of not I give them a recommendation. Sold in 6 packs only I believe (unless you own a bar), and Publix made me give them $5.50 at the checkout counter before they’d allow me to leave with them. Prices will of course vary by location. Drink in moderation, don’t drive, and keep your fetus sober, please. Thank you.

Official Site

–Jeremy Hobbs

Adult Beverage, beer, malternative