S’well bottles: a hit or miss on quality?
February 1, 2012 § 22 Comments
Back in August 2011, I wrote a post on brain sugar about a new water bottle that I had recently come across and was very excited about: S’well. The design, function, and charitable contribution of the bottle and company were all things that really impressed me. I became a big fan and loudspeaker for S’well – but that didn’t last long.
At the time, I purchased two bottles for myself and my fiancé, and seeing how much I loved my bottle, a few friends of mine as well as my fiancé’s mother also purchased bottles. We live in Canada, and sourced them from a local distributor – particularly as at the time of my first order, S’well wasn’t shipping to Canada yet.
Initially, the bottle was everything I read it to be. It kept my iced water cold, and hot water hot for 24 and 12 hours. But after a few months of use, I noticed my bottle would get very hot to the touch when I put hot water in it, and the water itself become cool in a matter of one to two hours. A long cry from the 12 it once supported. Cold water resulted in condensation on the outside – which is the opposite of what should be happening – and didn’t stay cold. Somewhere along the line, my bottle no longer insulated. (Note that true to the recommended product care, I did not put the bottle through the dishwasher, or leave it immersed in water. Only the gentlest hand-washing, rinse, and air dry for my bottle!) « Read the rest of this entry »
The flame of hope: internet billing will be reviewed
February 1, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Image credit: OpenMedia.ca
In the wake of over 265,000 signatures collected by Open Media as of today (with the count still rising), Canada’s Conservative minority government finally spoke. The verdict: the recent ruling by CRTC to allow usage-based billing for internet services in Canada will be carefully reviewed. Both the Liberal and NDP parties have spoken out against the ruling and have urged the Conservative government to overturn the ruling.
A point of interest is that, as the Globe and Mail reports:
The government review of the decision comes about one year after Mr. Clement overturned a CRTC decision ruling that Globalive, which now operates the Wind Mobile cellphone brand, violated foreign ownership rules and couldn’t launch service. It also comes during the run-up to a looming wireless licence auction in which established and new providers will bid billions of dollars for slices of the airwaves.
Perhaps that’s cause for some hope, as the review takes place. Regardless, this is a fantastic step in the right direction. Let’s keep on pushing!
If you haven’t already, you can still sign the petition against usage-based internet billing at StoptheMeter.ca.
Bæjarins bestu pylsur: Best hot dogs in Iceland… possibly the world?
May 23, 2010 § 1 Comment
Photo credit: © Vivian Chan
Despite its beautiful waterfalls, powerful geysurs, clear glacial water, and delectable local cuisine – one of the most popular stops for locals to visit in around Reykjavik is Bæjarins bestu pylsur: a hot dog stand close to the harbour.
We biked past the stand on our bike tour of Reykjavik, and I couldn’t help but notice the ever-growing long line-up of people at this quaint little red and white stand on the edge of what looked like a parking lot. “What’s going on there?”, I asked our guide. Turned out she was stopping already to talk to us about the stand… Iceland’s best hot dogs, hailed by some as being also the best in Europe. She encouraged us to try it later in our stay. « Read the rest of this entry »
Best seafood in town: Reykjavik’s Fish Company
May 20, 2010 § 2 Comments
One of the things we’ve found, being in Reykjavik is that there is no shortage of fantastic places to eat. After a long day of diving, we went to check out the Fish Company on a recommendation from our dive guide the other night. “If you want the best seafood in the city, you should go to the Fish Company”, he said. Having dined there, I would say that if you want some of the best seafood in the world, go there. It was incredible. « Read the rest of this entry »
