{"id":25140,"date":"2016-12-02T09:56:12","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T14:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/?p=25140"},"modified":"2017-11-19T10:01:12","modified_gmt":"2017-11-19T15:01:12","slug":"2016-gift-guide-for-the-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dougbardwell.com\/db\/2016-gift-guide-for-the-home\/","title":{"rendered":"2016 Gift Guide for the home"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the course of the year, we\u2019ve had the opportunity to review many products \u2013 both good and bad.\u00a0 Here are a few that have impressed us enough to recommend for rewarding yourself or for placement under the Christmas tree in your home<\/strong> this year. Select from any of these 2016 Gift Guide<\/strong> selections and have a happy holiday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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ENCLAVE AUDIO CINEHOME HD<\/h1>\n

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Most 5.1 systems I\u2019ve check out recently were small and sounded just as small. Not the Enclave Audio system. The cabinetry is solid and it\u2019s a good thing, because when you crank these guys up, they are going to rock your house.\u00a0 Your DVD collection never had it so good before.<\/p>\n

After starting softly, and appreciating the full 5.1 surround sound effect, it was time to demo some DVD soundtracks, like the opening scene from Top Gun. Okay, I watched it three times in a row, loving the stereo separation and room rocking sound.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever looked at some of the Audio magazines on your local retailer\u2019s shelves, you know that most systems reviewed are in the $5,000 and up category, making them out of reach for many home theater owners.\u00a0 At an MSRP of just $1,199 with free shipping, this makes Enclave Audio not only attainable, but certainly the best value available at anywhere near this price point.<\/p>\n

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Learn more\u2026.<\/a><\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

WD MY CLOUD EX2 ULTRA<\/b><\/h1>\n

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Western Digital<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>has an entire line of My Cloud products for all your hard drive storage situations.\u00a0 Once you decide that you are going to take responsibility for maintaining your own files in addition to any \u201cfree\u201d cloud storage you can get, the thing to consider is a\u00a0<\/span>NAS (network attached storage) drive<\/span>.\u00a0 With a NAS, you create your own cloud (hence the \u201cMy Cloud\u201d designation) and now you have access to your contents from home, office or anywhere you have Internet access.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been using the\u00a0<\/span>My Cloud EX2 Ultra<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(Model\u00a0<\/span>WDBVKW0040JCH)\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0for over six months.\u00a0 It\u2019s available in 4TB, 8TB and 16TB models. It has two bays, with two hard drives, so you can create redundant backups and really be sure your data is safe. It can be configured as RAID 0, 1, JBOD and spanning for some real flexibility.\u00a0 Just remember, if you choose RAID, you cut your total disk storage space in half for all practical purposes.<\/p>\n

In addition to basic storage, you\u2019ll be amazed at all the additional capabilities packed into this Expert Series of NAS storage devices. It comes with its own 1GB of RAM and a Marvel ARMADA 1.3 GHz dual-core processor, so it can perform some awesome functions all on its own. \u00a0In addition, there are two USB ports on the back, so it can host additional drives for additional storage and additional functions.<\/p>\n

\"Western<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn more\u2026.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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CIRCULON ULTIMUM\u00a0COOKWARE<\/h1>\n

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With the rise in popularity of the tiny home or the popularity of the mobile RV lifestyle, it\u2019s obvious that those big sprawling kitchens aren\u2019t going to be in your future. So how do you maintain your gourmet lifestyle while trimming back your space requirements? A two-pronged attack is working for us:\u00a0<\/span>Circulon Ultimum cookware<\/span>\u00a0and a portable NuWave induction cooktop.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out any Kohl\u2019s store and you\u2019ll now find a complete set of cookware in a box. The\u00a0<\/span>Circulon Ultimum 11-pc. Forged Aluminum Nonstick Cookware Set\u00a0(Model no. 10983) has everything you\u2019ll need to make the majority of those recipes you most love.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Circulon Ultimum<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>11-pc. Set includes:<\/p>\n