Congratulations To us!! This is Giz Wiz Show #2 of year 20!

If you’d like to support our independent venture (we have zero ads) just click the Patreon link at the top of our web page. There’s a PayPal link there too. Thank you! www.gizwiz.tv. Now on to the show—-

A Fun Assignment! Cover The Huge New York Toy Fair 2025 Show At The Javits Center in NYC!

Bet You Haven’t Heard About Loops — yet!

Info from the company: Begin your journey as a Loopster with the ultimate starter kit. Choose your favorite bands, and pair them with the Loops Lab® stage to unlock endless fun, creativity, and musical exploration. Dive into beats and rhythms you’ll soon master, paving the way for a world of sound and self-expression. Setup your stage, place Loops – our smart figurines – on the Stage’s spots and make music! There is no way you can go wrong, simply explore and express yourself. Move Loops around the stage to have them play different parts and mix different Loops together to get a party started.

From the Giz Wiz: As you’ll hear on the show, the spokesman said Loops will be available in the Fall. A five figure band – there’s a choice of 5 different bands – and a Loops Lab stage will be $119.99.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/VFYoEX2k-Lw

Company website: https://loopslab.com/

Individual Musicians: https://loopslab.com/pages/bands-solos

See or hear this show:  www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2030

ZipString is a mega hit that got a start on Shark Tank. At the show they announced they hit the “1 million units sold” mark. I had a demo of the original ZipString, but more impressive was seeing the ZipString Luma and its glow-in-the-dark magic. It comes with 5 strings with different lengths and colors. 3 Neon Strings and 2 Ultra glow strings. The magic is in Luma’s built-in black-light LED that charges the ultra glow string! With the seemingly endless glow, people can create shapes and tricks in the black-light and at night! And yes, both units charge with the way more convenient USB-C charging port! Prices range from about $29.95 to $39.99 on Amazon.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/Xxs_bAmdVfE

Check the latest price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i8zCjd

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2030

A given every year I visited Toy Fair is to stop by the folks at Folkmanis Puppets. They make incredible puppets to spark anyone’s imagination. I was originally going to say ‘kids’ imagination’, but when I saw the joy of everyone at the show who stoped there, I know these puppets please pretty much everyone. This year they told me they introduced more new puppets than ever before. You’ll see most of them in the video on this week’s show and on their website. The other amazing thing about these puppets is the price. I’m always so impressed they can deliver such wonderful puppets for such a reasonable price! Some hand puppets are under $10. They said some Barnes & Noble stores carry a few of their small puppets.

Giz Wiz Video: https://youtu.be/3zzAd0P1CYM

Company website: www.folkmanis.com

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2030

The March Theme for Chad’s Crappy Corner voted on by our loyal Patreons is Dual-Purpose Gadgets!

Why settle for one function when you can have two? But do these multi-use gadgets actually work, or are they just twice as bad? Chad’s first gadget is The “3 in 1 Gap Cleaning Brush Set” This 3 in 1 bottle brush with U-shaped silicone brush, stranded slit brush and stiff bristle corner brush, makes it easier to clean coffee cups or machine, tea cups, milk bottles, ice grids, molds, peelers, etc. The shape and size of the brush head is not only a crevice cleaning brush, but also particularly suitable for cleaning the gaps in the cup lid, and the silicone brush head can easily clean the mouth of the glass.

And Chad’s Take? Chad liked this gadget a lot. He said even though it looks like a tiny alligator, it’s one of more useful gadgets he’s talked about. Chad didn’t buy his, it was a stocking stuffer gift this past holiday season. And to those in chat who said it looked familiar, well we did something like this on the show last year. It may have even been this exact gadget. But to many in chat, it was brand new and very interesting. They’re inexpensive too. A package of 3 was $5.99 to $7.99 on Amazon as of the night of 7/12/24. Prices can change at any time.

Check the latest price on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3S30feE

As an Amazon Associate Giz Wiz Biz earns from qualifying Amazon purchases. You pay no more.

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2030

Our email this week is from Mo Torres, our most loyal and frequent contributor.

The subject of this week’s warehouse video is: My New / Old Gadget.

Spoiler alert: The old-time gadget is the AUDIOVOX VBP2000 5” inch Active Matrix LCD Monitor VCP Combo PORTABLE Car VHS PLAYER

Mo gives us a great look at tech from 2001 – 24 years ago!

YouTube: https://youtu.be/x_6nppdLsjw

See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2030

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Submit Your Gadget Warehouse Video & Win An Autographed MAD Magazine.

We’d love to include your video in an upcoming Giz Wiz Show!

1. Video can be ANYTHING about a gadget: I bought a piece of crap. I bought a gadget I love. I have an old gadget I can’t part with because it was ‘high tech’ years ago! Even a ‘What The Heck Is It? Gadget.

2. Videos should be just 2 to 3 minutes long in Horizontal Format! Low production value is fine, but we need to hear you and see your gadget clearly! You can be in the video if you like.

3. Post your Video on YouTube and click ‘unlisted’ when you upload it if you want, but not “Private” or we won’t be able to see it. Send us the URL link from YouTube.

4. If we show your video (and we show 99% of them) and live in the US or Canada you’ll get an autographed current issue of MAD.) But no matter where you live outside of the US & Canada, I’ll autograph an Alfred E. Neuman photo to you, scan it & email you a high res image. Just print it out, frame it, or just hang it up and no one will know it’s a copy. We’ve tested it out and fans say they look terrific!

All show submissions go to mail@gizwiz.tv

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Email of the week:

These two emails refer to the anti-choking device we talked about on the previous week’s show which is here: See or hear this show: www.gizwiz.tv/episode/2029 

Jim Dozer emailed us:

I saw your segment on the choking life saving device.  You really should look into

www.Lifevac.net

The device has saved over 3000 lives and if you use it to save someone, they send you a replacement for free.  They’re the real deal.

The creator, Arthur Lih, did a podcast episode with Mike Rowe that was really interesting and explains why he quit what he was doing to create it.

Take care. Jim Dozer

For the record, no one at Giz Wiz has seen or used Lifevac. Read on for more info on Anti-Choking Gadgets.

And here’s a second email from a long time fan of the show, Ian Winkler MD:

Hey Dick and Chad!

I watched the episode including the Anti-choking rescue device. I am a pediatrician and (surprise) a gadget fan. I am not familiar with this device. I did a brief Google search to see what I could find. 
From the FDA:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/fda-encourages-public-follow-established-choking-rescue-protocols-fda-safety-communication

If you choose to use an anti-choking device, only use it after established choking rescue protocols have failed. The safety and effectiveness of over-the counter anti-choking devices have not been established.

From Goodrx:

https://www.goodrx.com/health-topic/childrens-health/anti-choking-device-work?label_override=undefined

Key takeaways:

1. Anti-choking devices work by creating negative pressure (suction) over the mouth in order to clear the airway of a person who’s choking. 

2. There are few studies on how well they work. Available evidence shows that getting a good seal for suction can be difficult for most people.

3. First aid experts don’t recommend routine use of anti-choking devices. Traditional methods like back blows and the Heimlich maneuver are better studied and proven to be effective. 

I have used back blows and the Heimlich maneuver to clear the airway of a choking child. 
I would try these proven techniques first before using the anti-choking device. 

Take care and keep up the great (?) work  Ian Winkler MD