Nissan introduced the Leaf a couple of days ago and while it is causing up a storm, it looks like you will have to wait until late 2010 to get your own -- at least those are the rumors right now.

The Nissan Leaf, a zero emission vehicle, is powered by advanced technology lithium ion batteries -- the same batteries that power your cell phone. The batteries are said to give you enough power to travel at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour and cover up to 100 miles in one charge. According to Answers.com, Americans travel about 33.4 miles per day, so you could technically go about 3 days without charging your car. No detail specifications on how many trips you can make to the pizza parlor with you and four of your best buds however.



The current electric car revolution reminds me of the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" If you haven't seen it, make sure you do. It is an interesting view on GM's EV1, the American version of the electric vehicle, that seems to have come before its time.

I'll get right down to it and say it: ooma has been one of the best investments I've made in the last few years. I'll explain briefly why, but it's going to be hard to do so without sounding like an outlandish fan boy (which I've become).

WHAT IS OOMA
ooma is in essence, a voice over IP (voip) system. The ooma device itself connects to your high-speed internet connection and existing telephone to allow you to make local and long distance phone calls in the US for free. That's the basic premise.

THE SET UP
The ooma phone system connects to your high-speed internet connection (your router) with an Ethernet cable and to the phone via a standard phone cable. Both of these cables come with the ooma phone system package. You then follow a few simple steps on the ooma web site to activate the device and you are ready to go. It took me approximately 15 minutes to do all the steps to get my system online.




HERE IS A TIP
I connected the ooma Hub (the main device) to a wireless phone base. In turn this allows you to use multiple phones without the need for an additional ooma Scout. The ooma Scout is a tiny device that comes with the ooma phone system package that connects to any additional phone in your home that is connected directly to the phone wall outlet. If you go with my set up, you'll avoid the need to make use of any ooma Scouts.

SERVICE QUALITY
The voice quality on ooma is exceptional. I ran various tests calling individuals on landlines, on other voip services and on multiple cellphone carriers and we noticed no difference in quality. In the past 4+ months of ownership and over continuous use, I've had the service go down on me twice not due to my broadband connection, but directly related to two ooma incidents. The incidents were document on the ooma forums and the downtime lasted approximately 3 hours.

When using the service, my typical internet bandwidth was reduced anywhere from 20k - 30k (out of 150k). As soon as you hang up the phone, the bandwidth goes right back up.



THE REAL REASON TO LOVE THE OOMA
I could go on and on about the ooma set up. The fact is that the system works like any other phone you may own. And I think up to this point we all have used a phone before. The real reason to own an ooma is how much money you'll end up saving by ditching your landline carrier or other voip companies like Vonage.

I used to pay Bellsouth a total of $83 dollars a month for phone, long distance (just to have the long distance you had to pay), internet, and taxes. Now I pay only $37.95 for the internet connection. That's about $45 a month of savings. In other words, I was able to pay off my ooma phone system in about 5 months of owning the ooma. After the fifth month, I've basically become $45 richer and I can now make long distance phone calls whenever I want. And that's the whole point -- saving money!

For those who need/want it, ooma offers a premier service. For $12.99 a month (or $99.99 a year if you want a discount) you can get premium services like a second line, three-way conferencing, multi-ring and a slew of other features, but for those who just want to scrunch every penny, the features included in the basic package are the most essential: caller-ID, call-waiting, and voicemail (see full list).

A FEW BAD THINGS
Even with all the kudos, there is still a couple of things that ooma should improve. The number one gripe I had was the $40 fee to transfer your phone number to the ooma system. Though ooma provides the option to waive this one-time fee with an annual subscription to the premier service, charging $40 seems a bit on the hefty side.

The other gripe is that we wish the ooma Hub would have some kind of LED screen for voice mail management. Currently the ooma Hub only tells you that there is a voice mail, not how many.

THE VERDICT
I don't think I dipped my cup in the ooma Kool Aid enough. I love the product. I love the service. And I love most of all, the money I'm saving every month now. The ooma phone system receives our highest possible recommendation.


IN THE BOX
- ooma Hub
- ooma Scout
- Instruction/installation manual
- Ethernet cable
- Phone cable

THE GOOD
- Great voice quality
- Free long distance calls
- Easy set up
- Apple-like design
- Computer not required unlike other devices (MagicJack)

THE BAD
- ooma hub voice mail function should be more visual
- You need to pay $40 to transfer your phone number


WHERE TO GET IT
Amazon

MANUFACTURER
ooma

Been loving the artwork in Say Your Piece ceramics for some time now. Friends forever is a prime example of what we love about Say Your Piece's work: simple designs without overbearing elevatorate patterns.

See more at Say Your Piece's etsy shop.

$20.00 fetches you a 11x17 original digital illustration print by SibylleD titled L'amour en cage. The artwork is inspired by one of SibylleD's favorite flower, the "les amours en cage". We love the way the orange gets playful with the light brown tones.

Find more stuff from SibylleD at her Etsy Shop.

The Res-Q-Me is probably the most important tool you can carry in your car. It is a seat belt cutter and glass breaker that can fit in the palm of your hand.





We have all seen it at some point in time, a rollover, car in a lake, or a car on fire. This little tool can help in any of these situations. It is a little device that you can put on your key chain so that in the event of an accident you will be able to help yourself out of trouble.
Just recently I was involved in a defensive driving course taught by a member of the Florida Highway patrol. The course was eye opening. The statistics that the officer brought to the table were outrageous on how many people have rollover accidents each year. The numbers were equally high for car fires associated with accidents. The officer then brought this little device and swore by it after giving us a brief demonstration on how easy it could cut through standard automotive seat belts. He also showed a small video clip of how it can break through the tempered glass on your vehicle in seconds. If you have 10.00 to your name and you own a vehicle make sure you get one of these as it can save your life and that of your loved ones. They also come in twin packs that will save you some money if you would like to purchase another for a spouse or child.

Here are some images of the device in action to give you a better idea on how it works.



The officer suggested that the device be used on the key chain because it would not be tossed around in the event of a rollover and since you see it everyday you will easily know where it its and wont fumble around looking for it.

The Res-Q-Me is available in four attractive colors, yellow, royal blue, black, and vibrant safety orange.

Get your on Amazon

Manufacturer Res-Q-Me

Looking for that special Ice Cube Tray or Jello Mold for that party, or just for a family fun night? Take a look at the lekue product line. They have dolphins, hearts, penguins, shells, and stars just to name a few. These ice cubes are sure to make any party a cool one. They work great as Jello molds also to have a fun little snack. The best part is that they are relatively cheap, at only about $4.95 per tray.

You can get yours on Amazon.

Chris Piascik is a doodle font magician and our obcession with his work is almost absurd. Though it was hard to choose from his prints at his shop, we ended up going with "I like to ride bikes", because well, we do.

Found at Print Brigade.

What better way to complement your new Arc Shower Curtain Bar than with a new hookless shower curtain? On our last review we told you about the Arc Shower Curtain Bar but we failed to mention the amazing shower curtain that was hanging from it. Sure we know what you are thinking. What's so amazing about a shower curtain? Well, it's actually fairly simple. The reason we fell in love with this curtain is because of its simplicity. The curtain as you could tell from its name is hookless which means no more worrying about the hooks falling off of your curtain when you slide the curtain. And no more scratchy noise when you move it to one side.
These curtains feature plastic hooks built right into the fabric. We must agree it's a great concept! The other thing that made us fall in love with these curtains was the window at eye level. This window is small enough to give you privacy while you are in the shower, yet large enough to let the light in when you are showering. If you have dim lights or little light in your bathroom area, then this is the curtain for you.

Finally, the curtains feature a removable inner curtain that can be washed on its own. The inner curtain has magnets on the bottom to make sure it sticks to your tub and not to you. Since the Hookless Vision shower curtains come in various colors and materials the prices vary but they are not too expensive. We have seen them at a good price on Amazon.

Get Yours on Amazon

This past week Urban Lime was out on a business trip hunting down cool products for future reviews. We stayed at a hotel that had one of the Arcs & Angles shower rods and we couldn't believe that we had missed this product in the past. It's little things like this that pass you by and you take for granted.

I am one of those people who despise small showers, specially if they are equipped with shower curtains because I hate the feel of a plastic sticking to me. This product solves both of my problems with a simple solution: a new curved curtain shower rod.

This rod makes the shower curtain extend past the tub in order to give your upper body extra room (about 30% more) than conventional shower curtains. This extra room allows you to keep a safe distance from the shower curtain, giving you the feel of a larger shower and the comfort of not having the curtain stick to your body while you are showering.

Arcs & Angles shower curtains come in standard 60" or 72" rods, but don't let the sizes deter you. The rods can be installed in virtually any size shower since they can be cut to size. They come in chrome for a shiny finish and stainless steel for a brushed finish. The bars are made of aircraft aluminum so it will never rusts.

Simply stated, the ARC Shower Bar is amazing.

Get yours at Amazon
Manufacturer: Arcs & Angles

With Cherry Blossom fridge magnets, created by In My Backyard, there is no longer the need to adorn your fridge with generic insert-a-city here magnets. The set of three magnets are composed of photographs with muted shades of pinks, greens and grays. Each magnet is roughly 2 square inches.

Found at In My Backyard for $7.00 USD.