Shazam!

Hey guys, I know I'm being kind of biased with my posts, since the vast majority of the products I'm reviewing are ones I really like, but too bad so sad!!

Anyway, this post today is about a smartphone app called Shazam. Have you ever been in those situations where you hear a really good song on the radio and want to remember it to download it to your Ipod later on? So you try to make out a couple lyrics to find the song on Google later on... and when you get in front of your computer you TOTALLY forget them! I know this has happened to me dozens of times, and it is really frustrating!!

Shazam Logo

Well, interestingly enough, this app is one of the main reasons I got a smartphone. Sad, I know, but this lyric-memory problem really drove me crazy! So as soon as I got my phone I quickly downloaded Shazam, which is the song identifying app.

When you hear a song you like at a club, in a restaurant, on the radio, all you need to do is whip out your phone, press the Shazam app, and PRESTO! The app takes about 15 seconds to identify the song and artist for you! But it doesn't stop there, it also shows you the Youtube music videos associated with the song, gives you the lyrics AND even tour information of the band/artist!! And this app is free, can you believe it?

I give the product a rating of 8.5/10. I'll list the pros and cons of this app:

Pros:

• It's free and takes up hardly any memory on your phone, so it's really not a hassle to have. 
• As mentioned before, it goes above and beyond just identifying the song title. 
• I notice there are frequent upgrades for the app, making it faster and more accurate in identifying the song.
• No more scribbling down lyrics on little pieces of paper! The songs are all recorded and listed on your phone, for you to check up whenever you want. Definitely saves a lot of trouble!

Cons: 

• It has to be relatively quiet for the phone to accurately pick up the song. The best way to use this app is if you're listening to the radio, and using it in public can sometimes be ineffective. If there is too much background noise (people talking, traffic, etc.) the phone will not be able to identify the song. 

So, as you might have guessed, I am a big fan of this app! I have about twenty songs in my history, and it's saved me many headaches! I recommend it for any music love out there! It works on Iphones, Blackberries, Androids, and many other phones! So what you waiting for?

8 Minute Workouts

After many years of going to the gym, I only recently discovered this revolutionary 8 minute workout! The videos feature three people straight out of the 80's (check out their crazy outfits! omg!) who enthusiastically work out different parts of their bodies (abs, legs, arms, etc.) in 8 minutes.

I know it sounds a bit funny, but check out the video by clicking here.
On first glance, there's that relaxing music, green scenery and three muscular people doing the routines. The main idea behind the workouts are that they have 8-10 different activities, each about 30 or 45 seconds long. The activities work out a variety of areas in the arms, legs, abs and buns (those are the four categories).

The idea is to take 8 minutes out of your day to work on a part of your body you want to work out, everyday, and you'll see results very shortly.

The results?
I really think these exercises work! The 8-minute abs is especially challenging, it takes a while to be able to keep up with the routine! However, as the main guy says, go at your own and work your way into the routine! I don't think it's necessary do to all four exercises (abs, arms, legs, buns) everyday, my suggestion would be to pair up the arms & buns and the legs & abs and do them every other day.

ex. day 1: abs & legs
day 2: buns & arms
day 3: abs & legs

Do this for 2 weeks, you will DEFINITELY feel more toned, and give it a few more weeks you'll see yourself being tightened up! These short routines will get the blood pumping for SURE!

I'd rate these videos 9/10. Why?
Pros:

• It's FREE! no need to buy a machine or go to the gym, just look up "8 minute buns", "8 minute abs", "8 minute arms" or "8 minute legs" and go!
• It's really easy to encorporate this workout into your day! Just dedicate 20 minutes to your fitness, it will probably be nice to escape from homework anyway!
• Once you've done the routines enough, you'll be able to memorize the movies. Often the videos have "BEEP VERSION", where all you hear is the beep to switch moves, and so you can play your music over the video! And we all know how more enjoyable it is to work out to your fave tunes!
• The feeling after completing a day's work of muscle exercise is unparalleled. 
• The people in the video are too freakin' funny!!! And so encouraging :)

Cons: 

• While its easy to work yourself into playing these videos everyday, it's also easy to stop doing them regularly and completely ruin the pattern. Kind of like when you stop going to the gym regularly. 

So overall, I would definitely recommend giving these videos a try!

Summer is coming up, after all :) 

Shake Weight

Infomercials are sometimes so absorbing, so mind-numbing and neverending, that people can't help but get sucked into watching 10 minutes worth of them!

Some of them take off quickly, like the Magic Bullet.

Some of them have a memorable spokesperson, like ShamWow!

Some of them... well... see for yourself.  

Shake Weights feature "groundbreaking" workout technology that will "revolutionize" our way of toning our upper body. With "scientifically proven" facts, the Shake Weight is guaranteed to build up muscle where desired, as well as drastically reduce unwanted arm fat. The infomercial claims that the manual weight is based on a new kind of work out technology, called "Dynamic Inertia", where the weight only vibrates when you move your arms. It immediately starts tightening your arm, shoulder and chest muscles.  

The infomercial claims that this 2.5 pound weight is designed for the ladies. BUT FEAR NOT, MEN! Shake Weight has designed a new 5 pound weight just for you! And accompanied with it is an equally hilarious infomercial! 

So one day, as a joke, my brother asks my dad to pick him up a Shake Weight when we went to the US. Sure enough, he did! We all thought it was hilarious for a few minutes, we all picked it up and tried it for 10 seconds, and within 30 minutes of opening it up, the Shake Weight began to pick up dirt in the corner of my brother's room.

I'll cut to the chase. I rate this product 2/10. And those 2 points are purely for the design team that came up with this innuendo-filled product! Honestly it's hard to watch the video and not cringe at all the sappy people involved in them! But I guess that's usually how infomercials go. 

As for actual product performance, the Shake Weight leaves much to be desired. It is an incredibly awkward fit, and takes a lot of effort to actually build up momentum in the weights. Not only would I never work out with one in public, getting the right momentum is so difficult that it just seems like a useless piece of garbage. 

Let's be real. If you want to lose arm fat, or build muscles, just stick to the good old-fashioned weights, and you'll save yourself a lot of embarrassment, frustration and 30$.