Electronic Shop: January 2009

Saturday 31 January 2009

Hdmi Cable - hdmi cables, amazon hdmi cables

I use this connector to view the video output of my Nikon D300s DSLR, attached to a Meade ETX-125 telescope, on a Samsung HDTV. It's a lot of fun to pan across the craters of the moon in real time with this setup. A more conventional use might be slides shows viewed from the camera body, but IMHO a better way to do that is view the images from a PC attached to the HDTV (better control of the show through software than through a camera). But the cable itself is up to the the task. It's well-made and affordable for 2 meters, which I think is the minimum length necessary to be useful in most situations. AmazonBasics High Speed Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable with Ethernet (6.5 Feet / 2 Meters)

Well constructed HDMI cable with good shielding and well finished connectors. This cable is being used for connecting our Flip Ultra HD directly to an HD TV, I am not sure why others have said this does not work with Flip cameras as it clearly works flawlessly us. If your signal is only traveling 6.5 feet I see no reason to pay a premium for other cables AmazonBasics show no signal degradation and they are a bargain.

I have purchased many Amazon Basics cables. Universally they have been high quality and an exceptional value. I use this cable so I can output photos and videos to my TV.

When I need a new cable I always look to AmazonBasics first to see if they provide the cable I need, if there is a cable available from Basics, I stop shopping buy the Basics cable.

The packaging is great! No horrible clam shell plastic, just a cardboard box with a sticker holding it shut. Genius simplicity! - Hdmi - Hi Def - Hdmi Cables - Amazon Hdmi Cables'

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Book Recommendations - grief, gayle forman

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Rod Serling's THE TWILIGHT ZONE was one of the most ground-breaking programs to air on television. Through its wonderful storytelling, it was able to explore and discuss prominent issues that are just as relevant today as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. Many shows and serieses have been inspired by THE TWILIGHT ZONE with varying degrees of success. The show is just as powerful and thought-provoking as it was when it first aired. Yet, there are many teenagers and youth who have never seen the show because "it's so old it's in black and white". Many of the episodes could have a huge impact upon younger people if they would only give it a chance.

Therefore, I was very excited when I learned about the series of graphic novels from Walker & Company written by Mark Kneece and illustrated by Dove McHargue. Selected episodes from the original tv series that were written by Serling himself have been selected to be adapted into a series of graphic novels. Graphic novels and trade paperbacks of comics are a huge market nowadays and, unfortunately, are some of the only material that many people read. Therefore, the graphic novels of THE TWILIGHT ZONE might be able to reach a key audience and introduce them to the series.

WALKING DISTANCE is one of the first titles in the series. In this story, Martin Sloan is an executive of an ad agency living life in the fast lane. He's become highly successful and seems destined for more, but he's very unhappy. He's nostalgic for his past and wants to go home again. After blowing up a tire on the highway, Sloan realizes he's only a short "walking distance" from his hometown. While his car is being worked on, he takes a jaunt into town to clear his head. As he begins his journey he crosses over into the Twilight Zone eventually learning an important lesson from someone in his past.

The illustrations are well done and the overall structure and tone of the graphic novel stay true to the spirit of the original episode. The text is written in a font a bit larger than most graphic novels and comics. "Walking Distance" wasn't one of my favorite episodes of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, but it is a good story to use as an introduction to the series. The book includes introductory and concluding essays as well as a page that gives many details about the original episode, including cast, crew, and trivia. For instance, I learned that "Walking Distance" is considered to be Serling's most personal because the memories that Sloan has of Homewood are based upon Serling's life growing up in Binghamton, NY.

Overall, this is a wonderful graphic novel that I really enjoyed and I look forward to reading more titles in the series. Recommened for fans of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, for people who enjoy graphic novels with good stories. Also recommended as a tool to introduce younger people to this classic television series. The Twilight Zone: Walking Distance (Rod Serling's the Twilight Zone)

The seminal "Twilight Zone" TV series gets an interesting face lift of sorts with a new Graphic Novel series that retells some of the series most well regarded episodes in comic-book form. These adaptations certainly earn kudos for going the full mile in presentation with its hard-bound binding and glossy, thick stock paper but falls just a tad short with decent (but not spectacular) artwork.

Also at issue is the fact that the original source material (The TV episode - "Walking Distance") clocked in at approximately 21 minutes so there is a sense within this book that the story is being stretched to its limits to finish at 72 pages. Not to say that the story is weak, far from it - seeing this episode in comic form makes for an entertaining and engaging read, flaws and all. Value is of question though. Perhaps this series would have been better served as a 240 pages compilation featuring 8 episodes or so.

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind....."

If you are familiar with those words, then you must be a fan of Rod Sterling's The Twilight Zone series. I must say that I have watched many re-runs of the show and was delighted to see Sterling's scripts become the basis of several graphic novels.

In WALKING DISTANCE, Martin Sloan lives a fast-paced life. Being VP of an ad agency has made him extremely wealthy, but happiness has not come with the package. After almost getting into a car accident, Martin realizes that he is very close to his hometown. Martin remembers a simpler, happier time -- and that's where the Twilight Zone takes over.

The illustrations in this novel are exceptionally drawn. Lines are very clear and the coloring is vibrant. Text bubbles are easy to read and follow, a plus since they can become problematic if there are too many of them.

This is an excellent addition to the world of graphic novels!

Reviewed by: LadyJay - Grief - Gayle Forman - Death - Emotional'

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Sea Eagle - inflatable kayak, sea eagle

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I bought this item off a membership-only wholesaler and I have not been let down in my three years of ownership. Though advertised as a two-person vessel, two people make it very cramped, especially for me as I have very long legs.

But for a single passenger, this kayak is very comfortable. It is very transportable, I fold it up to keep in my trunk in the spring and summer months, and I've also taken it on several camping trips over the years. With just one person, there is plenty of room to pack a cooler, and my favorite option is using bungee cords to strap down gear to the front or back of the kayak.

This kayak has many great surprises, the valves (Boston valves) let air in one direction to inflate, which is always an issue with air mattresses, and things that need a real firm pressure. The provided foot pump is ample, but makes for a tiresome setup, but still in under 10 minutes. The repair set for small holes and punctures works great, I've had a small puncture sealed back to normal for almost two years. Paddling is smooth with the two skegs (fins) on the underside provide straight steering and efficiency.

The biggest let down on this kayak is the seats, which are inflated, and do not provide the support of a hard-plastic seat in fiberglass kayaks. Overall though, this kayak can provide a great weekend getaway in the local river/lake/bay. I have not taken it out to the beach, but I believe it would not underperform.

I paid roughly two hundred dollars; a deal for me, but as inflatable kayaks have improved, I would now invest in the Sevylor Colorado Canoe (just like this kayak) because of it's reinforced seats and the option of adding a trolling motor. Sea Eagle 330 Inflatable Kayak with Pro Package

First off, this is offered as a two person craft. I think it's a little small unless you put children in it. Which would be a great idea. This little boat is very stable once you get used to it. At first it feels like it will flip right over, but no. I've taken it down a few local rivers and it does very well, especially at boulder pong. My river skills would have left a canoe in very sad shape several times over. I'm not saying you should get in a river with too little experience for the conditions, but it does seem easier. Now, again with the bad. On still water, there are much better boats. Wind and difficulty paddling can make this more work than play. It's a great creek or small river boat where you would take a canoe, packs small (I've carried it on the passenger seat of a Kawasaki Concours), and sets up easy. I'd also like to say it is far and away more comfortable than a canoe. I do wish they had the 370 when I bought mine. That one may be long enough for two adults. I can't say enough about this boat. For the price and what I put it through, it's great.

I bought this kayak about 3 weeks ago and have since taken it on 2 trips, one to the NC mountains and one to coastal Maine. I'm delighted with it. We drove to the mountains and I floated about 6 miles down an easy section of the north branch of the New River in it and found it great. The river where I was is simple (easy enough for tubing with no rapids to speak of) and the solo kayak was fun -- and easy to set up, manage, and get back out of the river. For the ocean in Maine I found it less suitable; I'm not a serious kayaker and had limited ability to be in those waters, period (cold Atlantic ocean shore shielded by a few islands). That said, I found the kayak easy to board and to get back out of from the dock of the place where we were staying and enjoyed paddling it around the cove where I was close to shore. I personally didn't feel it was a good boat to take out into more open waters in that setting though more experienced kayakers might disagree; its high profile made it very susceptible to being blown by the wind, and it doesn't track wonderfully, despite its skegs. But I was able to pack it (in a large wheeled duffle) and bring it via airplane + rental car with no trouble and enjoyed having it handy for short / near-to-shore paddles. In Maine I used it with both my preschooler and my mom (not at the same time!) and we found it useful for both purposes -- for me and my kid to float around in a bit, and for me and my mom to paddle along the shore. It's comfortable, but not spacious, for two average sized (5'6" / 150#) women, would be tight, I think, for two people if either were much taller than that. And compared to other kayaks, the price can't be beat. I'd definitely recommend this for someone looking for an affordable entry-level kayak and/or wanting something portable, though as I say were I considering using it with 2 large adults I'd go for the larger (370?) model.

Its light weight notwithstanding, with all its parts (paddles, seats, pump) and packed into the wheeled duffle, the boat only just fit under the airline weight limit for checked bags of 50# -- but it did weigh in under that.

I find the pro package seats only reasonably comfortable and imagine the deluxe seats must be pretty aggravating (though maybe I'm wrong -- I haven't tried them); I'm glad I bought the more expensive and supportive package. I'm pretty inflexible physically, so others may find these seats more acceptable.

I'm a poor student without the funds nor the space to store a big hardshell kayak, so I decided on the sea eagle 330 pro. The thing is built very well, it doesn't feel or look cheap at all. I take it out primarily on still water with average 10mph winds and can paddle about as fast as I can walk. As soon as you stop paddling though the kayak will turn so the left or right side faces the wind and you'll be slowly pushed unless you anchor yourself. Fortunately, there's enough room for yourself, a cooler, an anchor, even a waterproof radio.

I've taken it out with myself and a small girl (I'm six feet, she's 5'6") and it was pretty cramped.

The reason for four stars instead of five is because of how slow the thing is. But I imagine that with no wind and on still water, the speed would be faster. - Sea Eagle - Inflatable Kayak'

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Toshiba Satellite Ac Adapter - toshiba ac adapter, laptop charger

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An excellent replacement for the standard issued laptop cord. I have a Toshiba Satellite A135-S4527 and at first I was hesitant to buy from anyone but Toshiba. But I took a chance and it paid off; I ended up saving quite a bit of money for the risk. The cord is a little shorter than the standard but what's cool is that the cord part that goes into the computer swivels! Not so much strain on that part. But yeah it fits and works. If you are in need of one but cant shell out the money for the Toshiba store, buy this. Laptop/Notebook AC Adapter/Power Supply Charger+Cord for Toshiba Satellite A100 A110 A135 A135-S4527 A135-S4656 A135-S4666 A135-S7404 A200 A205 A215 A85 L25 L25-S119 L25-S1192 L25-S1193 L35 M115-S1061 M35X P205 a135-s2246 a135-s2276 a135-s7403

I tried to find a replacement at the big box stores and couldn't find anything less than $50 and all were in a universal configuration. It works and it arrived quick. Even though the back of my Toshiba Satellite A205 showed 19V @ 3.95A, the 19V 3.42A adapter works fine and I have had no problems.

I bought this as a replacement for the power supply that came with my Toshiba Satellite, and I wish this had come with the laptop instead of the original. Designing this with an elbow right where it attaches to the laptop is perfect. The first one stopped working because the wire got loose from getting jammed and bent all the time since it stuck straight out from the computer. This cord provides more protection for itself, and it never gets in the way.

No issues with it working so far. So glad I bought this! Actually, I'd recommend considering buying one of these even if your current Toshiba power supply works fine. It's just better.

I received the adapter, hooked it up to my computer and plugged it in to charge,

after 30 minutes or so it started smoking and smelled like it was burning, I immediately unplugged it. The top of the adapter box had a melted spot and i burned my hand on it while unplugging it, fortunately it did not damage my computer or the wood surface it was on. Thankfully I was in the same room or it would have started a major fire in my home. I sent an email to the supplier they never responded. The least they could have done was offer to replace it!

There's not much to say other then it works. It charges my computer as fast or maybe faster than my original charger. I actually prefer this charger over my stock charger that came with my computer because the male end of the cord immediately goes to a 90 degree angle so my cord isn't sticking straight out of the side of my laptop thus it feel more durable. And my not break like my previous stock laptop charger.

After the original power supply failed, I found this one for a very good price and with good reviews.

Pros: Price, the "L" shaped plug is a big advantage.

Con: The indicator light is BRIGHT green. Bright, as in if facing up, it will light up the end of a room. Also, the cord is about a foot shorter than the factory cord.

Will have to see about the durability, but so far after a couple of weeks of daily use, it is working just fine. - Laptop Charger - Toshiba Satellite Ac Adapter - Laptop Adapter Charger - Toshiba Ac Adapter'

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Kindle Reading Light - kandle, reading light

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Just received the Kandle and it is a neat, compact design. I already own a Mighty Bright and an M-Edge light, for comparison below.

Pros:

- Very lightweight (partly because of the button batteries).

- Compact, stores nicely.

- Great for a bare Kindle - fits perfectly on the top edge and provides adequate illumination for the screen.

Cons:

- Substantial falloff of light on the bottom half of the Kindle. Sufficient for reading, but a noticeable difference in intensity and could be a strain on old or tired eyes; really noticeable when clipped to a cover.

- Won't work (very well) on a Kindle with a cover that uses straps. I have several M-Edge covers currently, and all are too thick to attach the clip with any stability over cover and Kindle together. Clipping on the folded back puts it too far away to adequately illuminate even the top half of the screen, and clipping it on the Kindle directly between the cover and Kindle stretches the straps and risks damaging the rear skin if your Kindle has one. It does work on Kindle covers with the Amazon-type covers with just the metal spine clips (and no straps), but I avoid those because of potential damage to the Kindle frame (and you should too). Have an Oberon cover coming*, so could be better suited to this design - we shall see; I expect any cover thick enough to protect the Kindle would be too thick to use this light.

- Don't have one, so this is a guess, but based on the K2 results I would think would be marginally (if that ) adequate for a DX - just too much difference in light at the bottom of the screen.

Neutral: Battery life currently unknown, but the button 2032 batteries are more expensive than AAAs and are not rechargeable

For neat, light weight, trim design and compactness, I give the Kandle a thumbs-up. For practical use and good screen illumination on covered Kindles (which I suspect is the majority), the Mighty Bright and M-Edge e-Luminator lights are superior Kindle lights, although not as cool looking!

*Addendum: The light DOES fit on the top (1/4") edge of the Oberon cover over the Kindle, so it is usable, but light falloff on the lower half of the screen is significant. Much less illumination that even the M-Edge light, which is just adequate. Great design, marginal functionality. Kandle by Ozeri LED Book Light for the Amazon Kindle (1st and latest generation), and other eBook readers - in Black

I would've gone with the white Kandle, but I had a Black Kindle cover/skin so I chose this one. Overall, the Kandle is perfect! It feels sturdy enough to just throw it in my pack or put it in my pocket without worrying about it breaking. The 2 LED's provide enough illumation to light up the whole screen without bothering people around you yet at teh same time, lighting up the screen enough for you to be able to easily read. Now, I've read some people complaining about how the light isnt bright enough, or that the light isnt spread out well. In my opinion, those people probably are tryiing very hard to find something to complain about. I found the Kandle to be bright enough; when you're about to read at night, let your eyes adjust to the dark setting, and you'll find the Kandle to provide enough light for you to be able to read everything easily. I've purchased about four other booklights previous to this, and this is my favorite without a doubt.

I Love this Light! I love how it is so small and portable! I travel alot and this is the most practical light for the Kindle I've seen or used- its small, lightweight, portable, durable, and it gets the job done. I'd recommend this for anyone who loves to read at night.

I received this as a present, but after using for a few nights, I loved it! So I bought one for my wife. Now she takes it everywhere she goes. We both agree that the Kandle is a fantastic light that fixes alot of the headaches experienced from other book lights. Overall, the Kandle seems to be a A+ in terms of build quality and design. The clamp is not to tight but not to loose so it fits snugly on the Kindle. It also has nice pads so that it won't scratch. The light is sufficient enough for most situations. I did read a few reviews saying how its not bright enough but my wife and I found the lighting to be perfect. If it was any brighter, it would be like shining a flashlight at people around you while you're reading. I also love the fact that this does not glare, and even if it does it can be easily adjusted. This is a very well-thought product that does what it is supposed to do. I'd recommend this to ANYONE who has a Kindle.

The kandle is downright awesome! I've went through about 5 book lights looking for the perfect light for my kindle, but none of them seemed to be the perfect one. or at least until I bought the Kandle. Other book lights had bad qualities that really out-weighed the benefits, such as hotspots, glare, heavy, portable.... but the Kandle had all the perfect qualities i was looking for and I am glad to say that my exhaustive search is over for the best book light. - Book Light - Kindle Reading Light - Reading Light - Kandle'

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Back To School Clothes

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Dickies pants do run smaller in size than other brands. This helps me, because my boy is a "slim size" in other brands, but then the length doesn't fit right. With Dickies, I just buy the size he needs without worrying about the slim, and they fit great! If your kid is a normal size, go up a size and they should fit fine. As for the stiffness, they come like they are heavily starched, but they wash out great. They make great uniform pants with the reinforced knee! I buy my son 2 pairs every year for school and they last the whole year! In fact, he still wears the ones from last year and they have little wear to show. Other pants I bought him before finding these, tore within about 6 weeks! I have been buying these for almost four years now and all I can say is, Awesome price for great quality! Dickies Boys 2-7 Flex Waist Flat Front Pant - School Uniform, Silver Gray, 5 Regular

In general it is good quality. The knees have enhanced pads..

The normal one is a bit slim even my son can be regarded between thin and slender. Other than this, this is a good purchase. I have ordered 3 pants so far. So far, the very first pant ordered still lasts in the whole school year.

I bought these for my 6 year old son for a 50th wedding celebration this summer - Great pants. They fit him well (perfect size waist and in length) , they're durable and the color is perfect. He looked sharp as ever!

The waist on these pants were so off. I have several different brands of size 7 pants for my boys and these are a good inch smaller than any other pair they have. The material was very stiff. It may loosen up after washing, but I need to return these. Just very disappointed that I have to go through this extra step of returning them because the waist size is so off.'

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Nintendo 64 - duke nukem, nintendo 64

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I think this the best N64 game nintendo has to offer, it not only has great gameplay, but graphics,guns, levels, and enimies.Levels were challenging(not if you had cheats)and Co-op mode was very helpful. Multipayeris probaly the best thing in the game becuase if you are an only child you can go against drones, which is fun when you have 2 people playing and 2 drones, you don't know who is who you just have to blast'em! Duke Nukem 64

The PC version is still my favorite because you can change everything, but unlike what some people say, I think this has realy great graphics. A while ago I gave the Saturn version a bad review, but I admit it had the best shading effects, they looked like an early version Red Faction's shading. The shading on Duke 64 is just like the computer version's, not bad looking, but the Saturn's was better. But on the other hand, that's why the Saturn version was [bad], to do the cool shading, they had to make a new engine, and the levels got messed up, Duke always looked like he was crouching, and all the neat effects were gone. The PlayStation version (PS not PSX, the PSX is a deluxe PS2. There are no PSX games, and no PS1 games) was almost identical to the PC version, and looks cool with "smooth texture mapping" on the PS2, but the framerate was choppy, and the graphics were fuzzy. I own the PS, PC, N64, and Saturn versions, and played them enough to know every variation, and this is the most evenly balanced version I've seen. The only version that will ever top this is if they convert the origional to open GL. Some hated the fact that the nudity is gone, but what is the point, most people probably own Duke Atomic fo PC or Mac already. And it doesn't take anything from the game. In fact the removal of nudity, strong language(explicit language) and religion adds a lot of surprises (enemies in different places, new areas). I'm not sayin i didn't like Duke Atomic, but i already have it, this is the most different version. My favorit thing is the more realistic set up of the levels (you see buildings instead of a dumb texture), and the new guns. One thing though, did they mean to [take] dual the sub-machine guns and grenade launcher from Shadow Warrior? They don't look the same, and are a lot cooler, but it seems odd. I love the Plasma Cannon, although it's a [copy]of the Tesla Cannon from the first person shooter "Blood" (I recommend Blood if you like Duke, realy bloody, shoot someone, blood slats everywhere and leaves little pools) But its still realy cool. It is so good i bought a 64. But back to Duke, the textures are not bad lookin, in fact good lookin (same as PC version). And the sprites look good, early 3D like in Quake was ugly. Sprites allow you to make more detail (compare Mortal Kombat 2 to MK4), and the animation isn't choppy. (keep in mind my 1st system was the NES and I have respect for older games) To put it another way, Buy this, and buy Duke Atomic for PC or Mac, or buy every version, like i did.Some people say Duke's vioce was altered, but I don't think it was, it just sounds re-recorded. I just can't get enough Duke, and Forever is taking FOREVER! It's time to kick [butt] and chew bubble gum, and I'm all outta gum!By the way, that saying is still in Duke 64 un-edited.

Duke Nukem 64 isn't a bad game. In fact, it could be one of the best on N64. I don't know. I havent played much shooters on N64. But, I do own this and chaotic DM with 2 freinds and a bot couldn't get better. Quake 64 and Doom 64 can't offer this much fun. THis is essentially a port of the pc game, but with new levels and add-ons to existing levels. I recomend this game.

When I rented this game, I got bored with the 1 player pretty fast. My annoying little brother kept insisting on playing, so we began to play 2 player, and the fun began. I loved how you could beat the game in 2 player mode, which is a nice touch that Goldeneye didn't have. We raced through the games puzzles pretty quickly working together. Thats why I must say that this is the best multiplayer game I have ever had.

I remember getting this game and being blown away! The aliens, the gore, the raunchy bad @$$ hero Duke Nukem...AWESOME!

Ofcourse now we have Call of Duty, Battlefield, Dead Space, etc... But if you are wanting a vintage gem pick up this game! I stayed up countless nights with friends playing through the game in co-op mode and facing off with each other in team death match. Solo player itself was quite challenging, and still is. I have always felt this game sort of set the stage for FPS along with Perfect Dark and Golden Eye.

Bad points: It can be irritating because it is so challenging. Also, there are a lot of extremely dark areas of maps that make it hard to see (maybe even impossible). At the time of its release I thought the graphics were great, but now that I play through it again, they are kind of disappointing. I mean, still decent for the time but considering similar games that were on the 64...they could have done a bit better.

Good points: Weapons are awesome. SMGs, plasma canon that evaporates everything in its path, pipe bombs, shrink ray allowing you to crush your enemy, expand ray that enlarges them until they explode...HA just coolness. Combat boosts were always a neat item that I wish had been in more games. You can also aquire a jetpack, Vitamin X, holoduke to confuse enemies, dumdum (explosive) pistol rounds, and many other helpful items.

Fairly smart enemies and a wide variety of aliens. Challenging bosses as well.

A lot of objectives on each map. Rescue the hidden "babes", find keycards, solve lock puzzles, even crush toilets and drink the water to regain health. And you get a good number of maps too!

I would suggest picking this game up, you get a lot of play time out of it. Its a good blast from the past for us who miss the N64 on occassion. - Nintendo 64 - Duke Nukem - N64'

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External Harddrive - 2tb, western digital

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I was originally planning on buying an Apple Time Capsule hard drive since we have 3 macs and I try to buy only Apple-branded accessories as they work well together. But after researching it, a lot of people don't like the Time Capsule because it dies almost always around 18 months. (right after the warranty expires) So I searched for an alternative and found the Western Digital My Book for Mac which I ended up buying. The hard drive is small, quiet, and didn't feel cheap. As soon as I plugged it into my Mac, a pop-up window appears asking if I would like to use it as an Apple TIme Machine. I clicked okay and it backed up everything on my computer to the My Book. The first back up takes several hours, but after that, backing up is very fast via USB 2.0 and with 1 TB of space, I don't have to worry about filling up with space soon. I mainly use this to back up my machine, but also use it to temporarily store large files to transfer from one mac to the next. Western Digital is known for reliable hard drives so in retrospect, this is probably a smarter purchase than buying a Time Capsule which was much more expensive.

It comes bundled with it's own software, but I do not use it. Time Machine works well with this hard drive so I don't need any other type of software. Some people complained about not being able to delete the software, but its not a big deal. Whenever you plug in the hard drive, the software icon appears on your desktop, but you can unmount it or just ignore it. Doesn't really take up much space on the hard drive. Western Digital My Book for Mac 2 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

This is supposed to be a Mac Edition external HDD and it still doesn't have a FireWire connection. I don't see how this is a "Mac Edition" with no FireWire options.

Other than that, the features in the drive are good. With Time Machine you won't need WD's extra software. As soon as you plug it in you'll be asked how you want to use it.

Choose Time Machine and it'll do the rest.

Just a quick chat about my initial impression of the WD My Book for Mac 1TB USB2 edition, but first, a word on my current environment. I have an early 2009 iMac with 4GB RAM running Mac OS X 10.6.x and plan on using this drive exclusively for TimeMachine backups.

My first impression was actually pretty negative in that I was surprised at how low-rent the case is for the My Book. Compared to the aluminum skinned previous WD external USB/FW400 drive I have, this My Book represents the worst in Chinese manufacturing. Also contributing to my woes, is the included wall-wort being the typical "too big to fit any normal powerstrip" size. Again, all my previous external drives had external powerbricks with regular wall plugs making extremely convenient to plug into a powerstrip or UPS.

With the overall aesthetics out of the way, I was happy to see a USB2 cable included for the single USB ported device and it seems to live up to the USB bandwidth rating one would expect. Yes, it would be nice if Apple had some type of eSATA connection for the iMacs and one must give up the first born child to afford a FW800 enclosure right now (about 40% more as I write this). But with all that being said, USB2 does fine for archival purposes and should be thought of as such.

A note regarding the sound, this is not an especially loud drive but its far from silent. Somebody made a comment about it sounding like mice trying to gnaw their way out of the crappy case their stuck in and I would agree with that. But again, its not all that bad and especially for TimeMachine purposes.

Finally, I am convinced that one could skip installing the WDsmartware software that comes with the drive. Outside of the encryption part, there doesn't seem to be anything here better than what TimeMachine delivers in OS X 10.5 or 10.6 and I have chosen to uninstall the software (of course it now want to fill my logs with launchd warnings but I'll take care of that soon enough). I think the only reason one would want this bloat is if they want to mirror files on the local drive with this external drive because one may carry this drive from machine X to machine Y and have the files 'restored' to a similar directory on machine Y? I don't know but that's my only guess.

I have two other WD (500GB) drives for my Imac that I use for external storage, but I kept having problems running my Time Machine backups.(not enough space on External to backup). I ordered my 2TB WD from Amazon and hoped for the best. Well I received it and opened the box and plugged it in. I went to my System Preferences and clicked on Time Machine chose my new HD and set it for my backup. That was it, of course it is going to take a bit of time for the initial backup, but that was it. No problems and it runs like a champ. I have already reccomended it to my niece for her mac.

Picked up one of the Western Digital 1TB backup drives after we suffered a catastrophic hard drive failure last month. Should have bought it online and saved some cash but we wanted to get it right there in the Apple store as they were installing our new hard drive, so we plunked down $129.99 retail for it.

We've had it up an running for almost a full month now and haven't had any issues with the device at all. It's as plug-n-play as you can get. The drive has already been formatted and indexed to work with the Mac. You can use WD's bundled software or choose the Time Machine option right at the start. I'd recommend the Time Machine choice. From that point you just let the drive do it's job. Files are backed up any time you modify a file for any reason.

It's unobtrusive and intuitive to use. Connects via USB cable. Not pretty or flashy in appearance, but who cares? Runs quiet and the case stays cool. This is a way cheaper backup option than Apple's pricey Time Machine drives. The 1TB of space is perfectly sufficient for our needs, but this also comes in a 2TB model for those who want or need the additional storage capacity.

Highly recommended. - Macintosh - 2tb - Hard Drive - Western Digital'

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Cheap Ipod Charger - cheap ipod charger, ipod car charger

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The USB cable looks and feels very similar to the apple one, but the chargers have a somewhat cheesy feel. Then again, that's totally to be expected when you buy a whole set for less than half the price of a cable or either charger alone from Apple or one of the name brand companies.

I also should note that the AC adapter is 100-240v compatible, so it can work worldwide. I was wondering about that when I bought it because none of the tech info mentioned it. In fact, the casing itself was designed to be used with the EU style plugs, and that's why it protrudes from the body of the case.

Also, the items I received look like the submitted picture, and not the MFG's picture, for what it's worth... Doesn't matter much because in any case the items aren't very aesthetically pleasing anyways.

Bottom line, from reading the other reviews it looks like they have QC issues, but I wound up with a perfectly functional set at a great price. Apple iPod USB Travel Kit with Car Charger, Travel Adapter & Cable

The car charger worked great. I could charge my iPod while listening to it. I'm currently trying to use the Travel Adaptor, but so far it's not working. I'm trying to discover the problem. It's not the cord, because the cord is working when connecting the iPod to computer. So, I can't really say anything about how the travel adapter works. But I give the car charger 5 stars. It gets the job done.

edit :: i actually got it to work. it works great. you just have to wait a second for your iPod to display the charging symbol.

Guys,

Do NOT EVER buy this product. I lost my Ipod Nano(8gb) because of this cheap nonsense. As soon as I plugged in the charger into the wall outlet, and connected it to the nano, the charger blew a fuse, and had smoke coming out of it. My nano didn't start after that. No matter what I tried. I took it to apple store, and they couldn't start it either. My warranty was void.

Go for real apple products, not for these cheap chargers. I'm not sure if this company BargainCell is selling authentic products, or just cheap makeovers without ever having tested them out.

Again, do not buy it, unless you want to risk losing your ipod.

The charger worked once. When I removed it from the wall electrical outlet an electrical spade just came off in the wall. These items are so cheap that they break the first time it is used. I wouldn't buy this item again.

so cheap. how could you *not* buy this? it screwed up my ipod after using it for a few weeks. now i have issues powering down my ipod. it won't turn off. weird. i've heard this complaint from others, too.

Great product to have for you ipod.

i own an ipod touch 3G. the wall wall adaptor is awesome. I was skeptical when i saw hte price, but the product is awesome

Don't buy the expensive wall adapter from the apple store, these ones works great and usb cable that you get with this product is awesome too.

so stop looking around and buy this.

So far, I really like the charger. The thing I like the best, is the convenience of not having to find a computer to charge My I-pod. Another good feature of this charging unit, is that it doesn't reset the play count(on the I-pod), just because I'm recharging. I recommend anyone with an I-pod to get one of these. My opinion, they are a "MUST-HAVE" type of item for anyone with an I-pod. The price is Phenomenal for such a necessary accessory for any I-pod Nano. I'm very pleased with this product, and the charging time is rather quick. I would appreciate a "Fully-Charged" indicator lamp that can be seen from a distance, to make aware of a full charge, and is ready to be UN-plugged. I would imagine that it'd be a bit extra in cost for such a feature, but I for one, would be willing to pay for it. As long as it isn't an "exorbitant increase", that is. Again, all and all, a pretty good, and necessary product for anyone owning an I-Pod. Too Redundant? Sorry.... - Usb - Ipod Accessories - Cheap Ipod Charger - Ipod Car Charger'

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Cheap Ipod Charger - cheap ipod charger, ipod car charger

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Dvd Cases - cd case, cd cases

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This shipped in and I immediately started using the cases for a project I was finishing up. I was disappointed that of the 100 I used, there were about 15 broken cases. Most of these had broken hinges due to shipping, I suppose. The ones that weren't broken are solid cases, but it is still frustrating to have to throw so many away. You can take your chances, and these cases are really well priced, but I'd say the way they are packaged, there is a good chance that you'll have a fair number of broken cases right off the bat. Vact 5.2 mm Slim CD & DVD Jewel Cases 200-pack

I must complement Musician's Friend, for all there help. The CD cases arrived with 1/3 broken. Musician's Friend sent me new ones to replace the broken ones. I was impressed with the service I received.

You can't really screw up jewel cases. These are your traditional cases; not name-brand or anything, but the value is fantastic. Even with standard shipping, I got mine the very next day. No packaging other than the box they come in--that means you need to keep the original shipment, but not really a big deal. They get the job done.

I have to admit the price was good, however, the quality was not. The cases do not lay flat, they have a dished shape probably due to the way they're packaged. They don't stay closed very well and upwards of 20 or more out of 200 were damaged and unusable when they arrived. I don't think I'll buy these again.

I was very disappointed in this product. The hinge is so skimpy that when you open up the jewel case for the first time it breaks. So far I've had to throw at least 30 away. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Bh25vSOvL._SL75_.jpg

The jewel cases arrived in a very timely fashion. The packaging was awful. No bubble-wrap or peanuts, just 200 pcs. tightly wrapped in thin cardboard. Approximately 95 cases were completely useless. Amazon.com did give me a 50% credit after talking to my 3rd Amazon customer service rep. He also made suggestions on what to purchase next time - woopee-doo.

I will never order this particular product again!!!!

These are very nice. I now have all of my music, and data CDs in them, and am much happier becaue I can store them in racks now instead of piled all about like when they were in paper sleeves. This is a good product, and you can't go wrong for the price. - Jewel Cases - Cd Cases - Cd Case - Dvd Case'

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Slim External Dvd Rw

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i like to keep my reviews simple.

this dvd burner is simply perfect.

it's smaller than the previous model from Samsung. the touch open feature is quite nifty. very light and quiet when i burned a few dvd's. i've connected it to my PC & MacBook Air 11" with no problems on either one. this is a much better option over the Apple SuperDrive. the SuperDrive can ONLY be used on the MB Air's. it's more expensive than most external dvd burners. why would you want to get it?

Edited: i forgot to mention that i use this DVD burner for both my desktop and laptop. unfortunately on my laptop there are only 2 USB ports. one on each side. the MacBook Air is sort of limited in that area. in any case, the DVD burner WILL WORK with only one USB cable slot plugged in. i think it may run a bit slower if you are burning something though, which will probably be due to the power outage limit that USB ports have.

do yourself a favor and get this if you need an external burner. you won't regret it. Samsung USB 2.0 8x DVD Writer External Optical Drive for Mac and PC SE-S084D/TSBS (Gloss Black)

I bought this for use with my new MacBook Air and my home server

Things I like:

1. Very compact. About a size of a double cd case

2. Very quiet for such a compact drive. Just a bit noisier than my internal dvd drive.

3. Requires only one usb port. Some drives need 2 usb ports, but this one runs fine on just one.

4. Plug and play. No drivers needed. Works great on Mac and PC.

5. A steal at $40 shipped

Things I don't like so much:

1. The small form factor is cool, but the black version looks and feels plastic. I'm not saying that it's flimsy, because it's not. However, next to my new Mac Air, it looks and feels kinda cheap

2. The soft touch eject doesn't work on Mac. You have to drag the icon to eject.

3. The Nero 9 software works with PC only.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a tiny, simple dvd drive that works with both Mac and PC.

I've used this drive with a windows 7 desktop, Windows XP desktop, iMac running Snow Leopard 10.6.5, and MacBook pro running Snow leopard 10.6.6. The drive works great, good speed, reliable use. I would say the most frustrating part of this product is that it has no power-cord and requires two USB ports to operate. occasionally it will (randomly it seems) work with only one USB port, but I have only seen that on occasion. I am very disappointed with this part of the drive, however aside from that it has worked flawlessly. I've burned DVD at full speed in both Windows 7 and Mac OS X. It is compact, and requires very little to setup, simply just plugin and use. When I installed this product using the discs that came with it in Windows 7 it brought me into this very confusing application that claimed I needed a firmware update, however when I checked on the website it said I did not.

conclusion

It's a solid product that works well under most operating systems. Be prepared to surrender TWO USB ports to it though.

Just received this latest version of Samsung external DVD ROM. 100% described as product spec, slim and super light weight.

This DVD ROM is very compatible with my Toshiba Netbook NB205, only use one USB port instead of 2 ports for power. No driver needed base on Windows 7 Starter, just plug then you go. To play DVD movies with proper software is working great, I played one movie already. Reading sounds are acceptable for me.

Even we can find more cheaper one in the market, but you will get what you pay for. Products always have its cost and quality, so this device is worth the money for my Toshiba NB205.

I have 64bit Windows 7. This device plugged in and worked immediately. Besides being compact, completely powered by over USB, and fairly attractive overall; what is awesomely excellent about this product is the fact that you can just connect ONE USB plug for proper operation. You can also connect two USB plugs if you wish for maximum speed (one USB plug renders about half speed operation), but it is not required.

I bought this product after my internal DVD drive burnt out. I was worried about having to lug around an external drive, but this Samsung drive is just perfect! It is very portable, but remarkably sturdy. On my Mac (OS X), all I had to do was plug it in and it worked without any need for installation or driver(s). I have read/played both CDs and DVDs with no problem -- even with autoplay! For it's speed, it is also amazingly quiet. Initially, I had to check the indicator light to see if it was working, because I couldn't even hear it running! I am thoroughly impressed... ESPECIALLY for the price!! I'd gladly pay twice as much for the same machine.

I have been using this portable drive now for a few weeks now. You can just plug and play or install the Nero 9 software provided on the disk provided with the drive. Works fine, reads and writes with no issue.

I'm amazed at it's thin size. Using verbatim DVD-R disks for copying with no issues.

The drive has also been working with just one USB connection. Works on my desktop (running XP) as well as my netbook (Win 7 Starter).

For those of us who are buying multiple external drives for, er, migrating our video DVDs collections to our computers, these are fantastic! I am using two on an external (powered) usb hub and plan to get a couple more. It's well worth the cost to speed up the process from one-disc-at-a-time slowness. One caveat, each drive does require a full-power usb port, so a powered usb hub is a necessity.

I bought the Samsung external DVD burner/player a week ago (at about $40) for my ASUS netbook. I admitted (after a year of working around it) that I really wanted to watch DVD movies from Netflix on my netbook since I don't have a TV & I can't always borrow someone else's laptop.

Overall: Extremely easy-to-use and reliable DVD movie player for a netbook user

Pros:

+ Solid design; doesn't feel flimsy or easily breakable but is very light & very transportable/packable

+ Plug-and-play with no additional installation software required on Windows 7 Starter Edition

+ Uses 2 USB cords to ensure it's always fully powered

+ Works perfectly even with limited netbook processor (I use VLC Media Player for playing DVD movies)

Cons:

- Requires 2 USB sockets side-by-side or an extension cord for one of the cords

- Needs to be set on a flat surface and is much less forgiving about tilting than the old portable CD walkmans used to be

- Only burns DVD+ not DVD-

Limits of my use:

* I did not use the included software, which appeared to be for burning or playing DVDs/CDs

* I did not burn any DVDs or CDs

* Purchased 1 week ago'

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Strength Training - exercise, fitness

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These things are more effective and better made than I expected. As a pastor in my late 50's, I don't get a lot of exercise, nor do I have a lot of extra time or money. I wanted something small and inexpensive - not a weight machine that I would have to set up in the basement. My wife suggested exercise bands. After a quick review, I determined that 1) I needed a complete set to have enough for a good workout, 2) they had to me made well (many reviews complained about weak stitching and other failures). BMP's "new and improved" set (that included a Door Anchor - which I use in about half the exercises I do) seemed like the best choice.

As a former engineer, I look closely at design, workmanship and quality of materials. I have not seen other brands up close, but I am very impressed with this set from BMP. The straps connecting the handles to the bands are made of heavy "ballistic nylon", with an extra piece added to double the thickness where the heavy duty metal grommet is located. To keep the bands from pulling through the grommet, they appear to have something like a large ball-shaped bead over the tubing with a tough rubber sleeve over that - a very nice design. The handles have a somewhat thin, but comfortable padding. The clips that attach the bands to the handle are heavy-duty and easy to clip with a single motion.

Before my first workout, I tried each exercise to determine what band combination I would need. I then ordered my workout to somewhat minimize the number of band changes -- but I was surprised how quickly I could change them out. I was also pleased with the variety and quality of the exercises - I thought bands would be a poor substitute for machines and free weights, but in many ways I find bands to be better - especially compared to the kind of machines you can afford for home.

One of the things I found to be lacking with the BMP set was exercise instructions - they only have six exercises. If they just printed one more double-sided piece of paper they could have added an additional 12 exercised. So I found a good small booklet - "The Great Stretch Tubing Handbook" for $8.95. Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set with Door Anchor, Ankle Strap, Exercise Chart, and Resistance Band Carrying Case

Compared with other resistance band products selling, this band definitely is superior in both quality and strength. I'm a pretty fit guy, and sometimes when I use other bands, I'm scared that some part of the band is going to break if I'm too hard on them. With these bands, I'm sure that I can go as hard as I can, and the integrity of the bands will not be compromised.

The design is overall better. The plastic in the handle is thicker, ensuring that will not break. In addition, the other weak point of the band between the clip and the actual colored band is enforced with a ball-type system, which is also superior to other designs.

If you are planning on using bands for high intensity workouts like P90x, these bands cannot go wrong. Having used other multi-colored bands for sports like wrestling and soccer, I can say that these are the highest quality bands that I've used.

I have recently started the P90x system, and required these resistance bands for the program. I have shopped around and priced these things all over, and these are the least expensive by far... especially considering the quality and the included door anchor, leg strap, and the fact that these bands are stackable meaning it will be a long time before you max out on these things. The materials are of high quality. The metal rings are of good construction and the metal clips are thick sturdy metal. the handles are made of high grade nylon webbing and are very strong, the handles have foam grips that are very comfortable to use. The included bag makes taking your stretchy gym everywhere you go very convenient.

Was looking for exercise bands to use with P90X rather than buying a complete dumbbell set. I'm very happy with this product. I don't seem to use the yellow and blue bands at all since they don't provide very much resistance. The other bands get used and work well. I like the fact that the bands have clips for the handles. I bought an extra set of handles to avoid having to swap out frequently between exercises. As it turns out, a lot of times when I'm working a smaller muscle group with a single band, I won't even use the handle -- I'll just grab the end of the band near the attachment. I also really like the fact that it's easy to combine the bands to increase the weight. I haven't used the ankle strap and I'm not sure if I ever will. I have used the door attachment and it works well when used as instructed. I think I'll attach a carabiner to the closed nylon loop on the door attachment which will make it even easier to use.Overall, this is a great product. Very pleased.

I purchased these resistance bands about 5 weeks ago for use with P90x. I required an affordable and convenient way to easily move workout equipment from one room to another. These resistance bands achieve that requirement. From a product perspective I have been extremely impressed with overall quality and performance of the bands. A really nice feature of these bands is the ability to add multiple bands for additional resistance to one handle using the clips. The clips are great for ease of transition to different resistance bands, however if you are trying to do Lawnmowers or Heave Pants the additional 3-4 inches the clip extends the handle limits your range of motion.Overall I am happy with my purchase and the overall quality of this product. I would definitely purchase this product from this company again.

I don't often write reviews, but a month in and I love this product. I was going to go to my local sporting goods store and buy a resistance band. Then I started to look into it, and the cost of getting them in multiple "weights" added up quick. This system has the ability to be quickly tailored to difference resistance levels 'on the fly', and comes in a nice compact carry-bag. Loved it so much I bought it for a family member as a gift! - Fitness - P90x - Exercise - Exercise Bands'

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