Thursday , March 28 2024
A triptych of products from Viatek. One for fun, one for efficiency, the last to make you one smooth customer.

Gadget Review: Triple Play from Viatek (PlushPals, Pearl and Grab It!)

This is what we call a triple-play review. Three unique products sent to me by the same manufacturer, all tied together into one mega-review. My only caveat to you, the buying public, is these products are not meant to be used together. Attempting to do so might result in injury, fire damage or a rift in the space-time continuum. You’ve been warned.

Viatek is a company that develops and markets new and innovative products. Everything from kids’ toys to kitchen miracles, they have something for you. Below are just three of the many products available on their site.

Viatek product

Interactive Plush Pal: These adorable animals come in three types (Manny the Monkey, Patch the Dog, and Freddy the Frog) and they shake, dance and move their mouths in time with any audio connected to them. Reaching out from behind the animal is an audio jack that can plug into any normal headphone port on your computer or phone. When you send music through, the animal dances and sings along, although the mouth will move whether there are lyrics or not. Yet a toddler watching it probably won’t care and will become instantly entranced.

The best part is plugging it into your phone when receiving a call. As long as the settings are correct on the phone and the volume is turned up, the animal comes to life and seems to be talking directly to you. My son is a little too young at the moment to get what was going on when I tried it, but I tried again on a two-year-old friend of his and she giggled and smiled like it was made of rainbows and puppies (which is on target if you buy Patch the Dog; personally I tested Manny the Monkey).

Viatek has these for $39.99.

Viatek products

Grab-It! Universal Mount: These handy little items (shown in the photo holding up the smart phone) are great for tech geeks, like myself, who have smartphones and/or tablets that keep moving randomly from place to place on our desk. We hear them vibrate underneath loose sheets of paper, two or three notebooks, possibly from the inside of an empty coffee mug, basically anywhere the phone can fit. The mount gives you a stationary and secure place to put it where it’s still useful and accessible.

It works in the same fashion as other mounts on the market, through air suction, but takes is an even simpler approach than many. Instead of just a one-stick suction cup, you push the larger end against any solid and smooth surface, then pump downward a few times. Each pump makes the seal tighter. You can twist the gears to loosen and tighten the angle at which the smaller end points. Then when you are satisfied with the angle, just push your device onto the other end, pump a few times and you’re good to go.

Since Viatek sells them in a two pack (for just $14.99) I now have one in my office at work and at home. For long-term placements it will require a few extra pumps each day to replace any lost grip or tension. Completely affordable and much more handy than you originally imagine.

For those thinking this is a great device for your car, it’s not, unless your car has a completely flat and non-porous surface. Alas, mine does not. I did mount it to the windshield, but that placement I found too distracting and possibly dangerous. I would stick (pun fully intended) to desks and counters. I find glass desktops work amazingly well.

Viatek product

Pearl Hair Remover: Here’s the one product I imagine most people didn’t imagine showing up on this website. I’ve plied you with tons of tech gadgets, movies, books and an utter deluge of Doctor Who, so how does a hair removal system fit in? Well, I fully admit that I pretty much hate shaving and anything that tells me it will make me have to do that less is worth a shot.

It works by sending heat down through the hair follicle thereby “crystallizing” it. Once you’ve gone over the desired area, the kit comes with pads to use in order to gently remove any lingering affected hairs. Then there is a smoothing serum to put on afterwards to help ensure comfort and lack of irritation. According to the instructions, the more you use it, the less you will have to because the hair will grow back slower.

In my testing I found it does indeed work at removing hair, but it is a delicate procedure. As it warns in the guidebook, if you feel any discomfort, STOP. The remover works using a heated filament in the device that is extremely hot to the touch, but if you are using it correctly it should never be in contact with your skin.

They also make a subtle suggestion to light a scented candle or incense to cover up the “possible scent of burning hair.” It’s not “possible,” it’s definite. It’s kind of how the thing works. So bring out your favorite gadget for flavoring the air and leave the bathroom window open when using this.

I ran a control test by using it on one side of my face and my normal razor on the other. The Pearl was a lot more delicate and I had to move much more slowly to get the desired result. I used the serum afterwards as well. The results after a few hours were that the Pearl side looked more red, slightly more irritated, but it didn’t itch or feel that way at all. The normally shaved side looked and felt fine at first, but by the next morning the razor burn/bumps starting coming out as normal. By the end of the next day the Pearl side looked and felt fine in stark contrast to the other.

Viatek is selling this kit for $199 (but they do also have a payment plan on their website), which may sound like a lot, but the initial purchase price pales in comparison to numerous visits to a spa or clinic for treatment which are either exactly the same or far more painful (how people endure waxing is beyond me).

So there you have it, a grab bag of products from Viatek. You can go check out their site as well for a ton more random goodies.

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About Luke Goldstein

People send me stuff. If I like it, I tell you all about it. There is always a story to be told.