Friday 30 April 2010

Computer Cables - adapter, mac mini


I had this product for about a month when the sound problems began. Initially I was using the recommended configuration. Both Video and Digital Audio ports were being run from my mac mini media center into the converter. From the converter I just ran the HDMI connector to my amp. After a month the sound began to cut out, almost like a CD was skipping randomly (except this was when playing both music and video files.) This rendered the converter unusable for the purposes of sound though. Thankfully my amp supports direct audio TOSlink from the mac mini so I used the Audio TOS cable that Kanex shipped with to connect the mac mini to directly to the amp.



That got me going for another two months at which point the sound just died again. At this point the main culprit is most likely the TOSlink cable that the adapter ships with, maybe that's poor quality and who knows - maybe that was the cause of the initial sound cut-out problems?



In any case - I've had zero problems with the Mini-display -> HDMI video functionality of the tool (which is why I'm giving it the extra star) but really - for a freaking *converter* that costs $70+ there should be greater reliability or manufacturing quality.



Additionally - while I know this product is supposed to be "so obvious to use that no documentation is needed" - the fact that it ships with zero documentation is highly disconcerting, especially when things start to break and you're attempting to troubleshoot. Who knows - maybe the "known issues" section of that guide might get too long. For those of you looking for help you can find what little documentation is available at:

[...] Kanex iAdapt 51 Mini DisplayPort to HDMI with 5.1 Channel Digital Audio

This product is about 90% of the way there. But it's not ready for the living room.



Like many other reviews, I can definitely claim that this device did not work properly out of the package. It was definitely easy to set up. No manual was required. However, the resampled audio is not correct. There is a 1/8th second clipping noise. You can determine if your Kanex is broken, too, by playing a pure sine wave audio clip. If you hear a pure tone, then your Kanex is probably fine. But if you hear a pulse, you have a broken one like mine and others. It does this for both digital and analog passthrough.



I left it plugged into my mac mini overnight. The next morning I decided to google around for clues, but by then the chip was overheating and the HDMI video synchronization was lost. It would reclaim the sync every few seconds, in a periodic failure.



In a nutshell, I surmise they rushed this product out, when another month of QA testing would have yielded a properly working chip. Oh well, it was a really good attempt! Have to rate it as a complete dud though. I'm not even an audiophile and it was too lousy for me!

Posted from mac forums:



It no longer stays connected to my computer. It loses the signal and stops working after a few minutes no matter if I am booting the computer or waking it from sleep.



I'm pretty computer savvy and after working with all of the settings on the TV and computer, nothing worked. I have determined that it is fact the Kanex connection. I'm pretty sure the product has degraded to the point of not working at all now.



I would suggest not buying this product.



After attempting to working with Kanex, I found out that none of their contact forms or emails work so you can forget any support help too.





Update:

7-13-10

I got an email from Kanex saying they will replace it for a new one. I am pretty sure even a new version is going to fail so



I ordered the simple MDP to HDMI adapter and that would not work with my TV at all. I spent even more time with the Kanex adapter and although it connects with perfectly fine audio, the video connection is not right. I get pixellation as if it was connecting at 320p. I ordered another adapter that will adapt dual link DVI-D to HDMI. I think this is okay but after spending $100 on adapters and I really wanted to avoid using a toslink cable into my receiver since I only have one port.



I will post one more update so all of you trying to work with the same issues will know what you need to do. I hope the DVI-D to HDMI does the trick so I can put this issue to rest.



Update:

7-21-2010



I bought a $3 dvi-d to hdmi connector and it works like a charm. The picture is perfect, never goes out and acts like a dvi connection. I spent $70 on the kanex iAdapt and it never worked properly. I want my $$ back!!!

I purchased this a month ago in order to display my MacBookPro's screen up on my LCD TV in my living room. Previously, in iTunes, you could NOT output HD video to any external source except an Apple Display. With this device, that is no longer a worry. Once connected the display was fantastic. I was able to set the second display (my TV) to the maximum resolution (1920X1080) and it was able to show excellent frame rate for any video source on the laptop. There is a bit of flicker if you get up close, probably from the upconversion of the signal, but nothing too noticeable, especially if you are displaying this on a large TV and you're sitting a few feet back.



As for audio, it too was flawless. At first, I ran just a mini-port audio cable from the audio-out on the laptop to my receiver; but then I noticed an extra part in the box that resembled a fiber-optic cable. Not being a Mac expert, I learned that this included cable is a TOS-Link cable: a digital, fiber-optic cable that can connect to the audio out (which is both analog and digital) on newer MacBooks. Once connected, I was getting full streaming HD video and 5.1 SS audio from my MacBook flawlessly.



This is an expensive device, but works great for those looking for a home theater HD/surround sound solution for their Mac computers. - Mac Mini - Macbook - Adapter - Mini Displayport'


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Disposable Diapers


The first time my daughter pooped in these they failed. It was our first time in our new wading pool and there was poop in the pool within 10 minutes. Thankfully it was our wading pool and not a public pool. My daughter is in the middle of the weight guidelines, so it doesn't seem like the size should have been an issue. Pampers Splashers Size 3-4 Disposable Swim Pants 24 Count

I bought this for my son, he is almost 2 (this month). He is 25 lbs and we bought the size 3-4 (smallest). I noticed when he got out of the water, we would dump his splashers b/c they were full of water. Not cool. Huggies Little Swimmers are not at ALL like this and are size appropriate.



I called pampers, they said they could send me 2 - $5.00 coupons as their packages retail for no more than $12 typically. I told them I bought on amazon, but that went in one ear and out the other. Anyways, I do NOT recommend these... unless you bought them at the store, and like them, go with huggies. If you child is "smaller", don't buy them. Its not worth the hassle. My son wears a size 3 diaper, but can fit in a 2 also, (I like the 3 though b/c the back is higher), so he is on the 'smaller' side but still, well within the guidelines of weight.

These swim diapers work great! Nothing leaks out of these, they stay slim when wet, and the sides break apart easily for ease of removal. They hold very well, and you can expect at least a few hours worth of holding, even when swimming. Nothing comes out of these.

I purchased this product using the subscribe and save option combined with an already reduced Amazon summer sales price and paid a total of $7.00 shipped. You can't beat that price, and on a name brand product to boot. Amazon often has coupons available at the bottom of the screen on diapering products. Couple that with free shipping via Amazon Mom, and this has become my preferred source of baby essentials.

I've been using Huggies swim diapers all summer up until a few weeks ago when I ordered these at a good price off Amazon. They do not fit as snuggly as the same size Huggies around the waistband. Due to that, they are constantly slipping down once wet. And then when your little one has a BM, it is most definitely leaking in the pool. Gross! Had to throw the rest of these away and go back to Huggies little swimmers.

My daughter has pooped twice in these and twice it was all over her back, her swimsuit and the pool. I always bought Huggies but she likes Dora better than the design on the Huggies so I thought Pampers are good. No way. I am going back to Huggies swimmers!'


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Skinomi Techskin - screen protectors, android


Size-wise it fits the screen absolutely perfectly, and it's pretty easy to apply. Each side of the cover has a thin sheet of cellophane over it to protect the cover while you are installing it. You first remove one side's cellophane and install it on the Droid X screen. Then you smooth out bubbles with the included cardboard smoother tool. Then you remove the outer piece of cellophane. I had some trouble getting this outside piece off because the little doohickey sticker you're supposed to pull to remove it came off, and so I had to mess around trying to separate the temporary cellophane from the actual screen protector. Ultimately I managed. There are also a couple of small spots along the edge of the protector where it will not adhere to the Droid's screen. This doe not really bug me since it is on the screen's non-viewable border. It's sticking where it is most important, and it doesn't look bad - likely no one else would notice it, but I'm a perfectionist. The protector seems tough, and the touchscreen is just as sensitive with the protector as without. It is utterly clear and see-through, and I have not noticed any difference in picture quality - no distortion (Planet of the Vampires has never looked better than on the Droid X - so cool!) If this protector ever gets damaged I will likely order the same kind as a replacement.



UPDATE: Nearly two months after purchase, protector is in same condition. I have not dropped my phone or anything, so in that sense the protector has not been tested, but it is still adhering to the screen fine and no new bubbles have appeared.



UPDATE II: After 6 months the protector is beginning to show some signs of wear and tear: a couple of points literally about the size of a grain of sand appear to be "disconnected" from the Droid's screen itself, but the protector as a whole is still very securely adhered in place. I'm pretty careful with my phone - I don't keep it in my pocket with change, keys etc., but there are now several small scratches on the protector. But it is, after all, a screen protector, so better it than the Droid's screen, right? It would be unreasonable to expect anything more from a $3 item after 6 months. It is still very acceptable, and I would not be surprised if it was a year before I decided to get a new one, and it would definitely be the same brand. Given all of this, I'm raising my rating from 4 to 5 stars. This item is a rare bargain, and I will probably order a couple at a time now to last me through the life of my Droid.



Hope this info has been helpful. Motorola DROID X Screen Protector (Motorola MB810)

First screen protector I've ever had to deal with. Cleaned screen and put it on there with very few bubbles. I can't tell a cover is even on there. It fits the droid x perfectly. No reason not to get this.

This product works perfectly! The cut is exact, and the protector is very high quality IMO. Don't pay attention to the ones that say the stickers don't come off right, they aren't supposed to! They're attached to a thin film covering either side of the actual protector, all you'll need to do is pull on the sticker and the film should come off with it. 5 stars!

This is the only screen protector I've ever used, so I don't really know how it stacks up against the competition. It was cheap, shipping was fast, and it was easy to install, but it's certainly not completely transparent. My Droid X has an extremely sharp, bright display, but it's a little cloudy with this protector on. That being said, since I carry my phone in my pocket, the protector is taking the brunt of the wear, so I guess it's a slight trade off.

It was very easy to install this protector on my droid X. It comes with plastic backing on the front and back. Take one off, stick it to the screen, then take the other one off. It is very simple. First shot - no air bubbles... It seems like this is one of the easier ones to install...Mine had a very tiny bubble on the right edge - but this disappeared under the edge of my snap-on case... so it doesnt matter to me...

The screen protector works really great! The screen is bright and there are no big air bubbles like there was with another screen saver I used. A cleaning pad is included to clean the display before putting the screen protector on. A great product! I ordered 4 more for my friends and to have a couple of extra ones. The price is really good too.

It's not a "Motorola" brand like the ad says, but it's a good product. Easy to use. Take your time when putting it on to avoid bubbles and make sure the phone screen is clean and free from lint or you will have lots of bubbles. Compaired to what Verizon charges for a screen saver that needs to be cut first, this one is the excit size and less than half the price.

Motorola's screen protectors for the Droid X are not worth buying.



1)The screen protectors DO NOT cover the ENTIRE screen, but only the portion where you can touch. I don't know about you but I want my entire screen protected.



2)The stickers that allow you to handle the product while applying it, is very hard to remove without lifting the screen protector up and leaving the sticky residue behind. You'll be spending more time cleaning that off while creating scratches.



3)The screen protectors scratch very easy. I am a male and I keep my nails trimmed to the nail bed lining, but surprisingly I get 5 long scratches within hours of application!



Not worth it, buy another product my fellow Amazonian shoppers! - Droid - Screen Protectors - Screen Protector - Android'


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Universal Laptop Charger - power supply, ac-dc


I bought it as a companion to an electronic and unfortunately it didn't work, tested it with other items and it works just fine! Ended up returning the other piece but keeping this charger. I have gone around testing it with other electronics like my cell phone using the USB port and it also works. I am really happy with this purchase! 1,300mA Universal AC Adapter with Compatibility Tips and USB Power Port

I purchased this because I got tired of buying batteries for my daughters Vtech games. I already had on that I bought from Walmart so I decided to purchased the second on from Amazon. It works perfectly. Very pleased with my purchase! - Ac-dc Power Adapter - Ac-dc - Ac Adapter - Power Supply'


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Nutrition - raw vegan, cleanse


I received this book in eager anticipation and was not disappointed. I have found the recipes in this book delicious and satisfying. Green Beauty and Pico de Gallo are just a few of my favorites. I can make the Chia Custard Shake and feel totally full when I need something in the middle of the day. Ruby's Smokin' Hot Tomato Soup is so good. Wonderful book. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to incorporate healthy and tasty alternatives to their diet. Raw Food Cleanse: Restore Health and Lose Weight by Eating Delicious, All-Natural Foods - Instead of Starving Yourself

Penni Shelton has created this wonderful book, in part, through the experience of real people in real life following her program. And I have to say, I think that alone makes it an excellent resource for raw food info ... because we're all looking for real results. Penni's writing style is also warm and encouraging ... she's just a delightful and inspiring writer.



This book is organized around 3, 7, 14 and 28 day cleanses. But in this case, a "cleanse" is neither harsh nor strict with so many raw food recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and the dishes are visually stunning and delicious.



I really enjoyed the real life stories of people who've already done this program. They're genuine and open in telling about the changes that have happened in their health and their lives after following this way of eating and living.



I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a genuine and uncomplicated introduction to the amazing health benefits a raw food lifestyle can help create.

The Raw Food Cleanse is an easy guide for anyone who is interested in upping their health game which features a test group of people who actually participated in a trial cleanse. The information is clear and encouraging for newbies to the raw movement as well as seasoned followers. There are juice feasts of various lengths so you can test the waters or dive in for a long term fast. In any case, there are a multitude of delicious recipes to create for during your fast and a bevy of taste titillating recipes for post cleanse. I have alot of raw food recipe books and the recipes in this book are not overwhelming as some of the books I have. Even if you are not gung ho about cleansing I would recommend it merely for the recipes. It is the perfect affordable choice for anyone who wants to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables in a easy yummy creative way!!

This book practically jumped into my hands--read me! read me!. I do have about five or six raw cookbooks that my friends have given me. But as I have recently returned to a raw diet for cleansing, I was so happy to read this little gem. Just about every recipe calls to me and looks so much easier that other raw books I have. Plus it's packed with so much other useful information all in one concise and easy to digest format. I am going to order more copies for my family and friends. After using these recipes for two weeks my brain fog is gone, my skin looks great, the whites of my eyes are whiter, and I have so much more energy! The food revolution is on!

This is THE book that changed my life. I heard of it from a friend who did a cleanse and I bought it just for the cleanse but loved it so much and eating raw so much I kept on going and now 3 months later I still use this book EVERY day. I recommend it to all my friends, even those who don't want to eat Raw all the time like me, but for the cleanse and for great recipe ideas. I never knew juices could be so good and it takes smoothie making to a whole new level. I also never knew how much you can do with raw ingredients, this book has some amazing dressing and dips. It was also educational for me, I know more about food and nutrition than I ever have and I have this book to thanks for making me change my diet and my life.

After reading such glowing reviews and researching the author online, I eagerly anticipated starting this cleanse. But, the results and the experience were not at all what I expected.



After just two days into the 14 day program, I became so violently ill that I had to immediately stop. Now, before anyone suggests that I must have been going through a "detox", I would like to explain that I am a vegan who eats almost entirely organic foods. I am extremely fit and active and compete in triathlons. I consider my health optimal. So why start a cleanse? Well, I had been interested in raw foods and basically wanted to give my body a reboot and see how my performance was affected. Unfortunately for this review, I instantly felt better once I returned to solid foods and stopped the juicing.



I still am interested in raw foods and will take away some of the recipes she included in the book, but as far as a cleanse... I will do without. One other small criticism I have for this book is that the stories in the book, although inspirational, are taken from people who did not actually do the specific cleanses in the book. These people who signed up for the test followed a different program entirely, which the author used as research for the programs she outlines. Even the foods and juices seem different. Just a note...



For anyone who did well on this cleanse, bravo! But, it's not for me.

I thought this book was very informative and got down to the main subject instead of the first 100 pages being about the history. There was a lot of practical recipes and I have certainly gotten plenty of use out of this book! I've even let my vegan friends take a peek at this! I love this book and keep it in my purse!

Wow! This book was everything I hoped for!!! It has so much great information that encourages you towards healthy living (but no guilt or pressure). Then it's broken down so clearly with the cleanses which make it so doable. I'm new to RAW and was looking for a book to guide me. I've done the 3 day cleans and plan to do the 28 day cleanse next. I LOVE that its not 'extreme' which makes it really feel like I'm learning a lifestyle in a gentle way.

And the recipes!!!!! So good!!! I really love them all. I think after I do the cleanse I'll go through and make each one. How fun and yum!

I LOVE this book and am so glad I got it!!!!! (I've seen it at big book stores and its cheaper here on Amazon).

Get this for yourself, you deserve it! Peace and carrots! - Raw Food Recipes - Healthy Living - Raw Vegan - Cleanse'


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Electric Sharpener - school supplies, electric sharpener


This is a great product. I love it. This sharpened pencils perfectly--even when my third graders sharpened them. Until that fateful day in January.... A student shoved a pencil in eraser first.... (So it was perfect from August to January.) That day in January I took it home and finally was able to remove a giant eraser-tip, but the sharpener wobbled and wasn't perfect anymore. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it failed. Now that it's April, it can handle one pencil before it dies--and it better be a Ticonderoga pencil or it won't work at all. (There is a warranty, but I'm sure misuse nullifies the warranty.)



I will be replacing it, as my students spend all day sharpening their pencils on hand-cranks that don't really work right. I will just sharpen 30 pencils each morning, which would take less than five minutes with this sharpener in peak condition. X-ACTO Teacher Pro Electric Pencil Sharpener with SmartStop, Black (1675)

I have suffered for years with the drudgery of using the cheaper x-acto model that Staples sells. I am so happy to finally have a sharpener that works! It's amazing what a difference there is between the two, and who needs the aggravation of broken pencil leads, dull points, and fussy kids? These days, one less unnecessary stress is much appreciated.

I am a teacher and have bought several pencil sharpeners and have always been let down. This is absolutely the BEST pencil sharpener I have ever used! Other teachers have come to my classroom to use it and have since gone out to buy the same one!! It is fabulous!! If you need a fast sharpener that will last a long time, this is the one for you!

This sharpener worked great for about a year. NOW, it takes forever to sharpen and makes a HORRENDOUS noise. I had a previous model that was great for 4 years until a student put a crayon in it. The new version is horrible. I had an electrician check it out for me to see if the noise could be fixed. All plastic parts inside and the teeth on the wheels have broken off.



DON'T BUY if you think it will last a while.

This pencil sharpener works beautifully...does a magnificent job sharpening, and automatically stops (and a light comes on) when the pencil is sharp. Seems well made & I expect it to last a long time in my classroom!

I was thrilled to finally get a sharpener for my classroom. However, I sharpened about 20 pencils and noticed that all of them were sharpened, but they had one end higher than the other, with the wood of the pencil coverering part of the lead. They did not sharpen evenly. I thought it was because it was new but after sharpening 40 pencils all had the same result.

I teach 2nd grade and sharpen hundreds of pencils. Never again will I buy this or any other X-Acto electric sharpener. They burn out and jam constantly. On my teacher's salary I am tired of buying worthless sharpeners.

I have a 6 and 8 year old daughter who are in first and third grade. This pencil sharpener seems to work great. It accomodates all sizes of pencils. The smart stop feature works well. It lets them know when to stop sharpening so that the points do not break in the machine. Highly recommend

Bought this for my 1st grade classroom in September. Holding up well and very happy. We sharpen a minimum of 22 pencils daily. I allow students to use it, but with supervision so they aren't all rushing it at once. Someone did attempt to insert a pencil in by the eraser and the sharpener ate some of the metal around it. I was able to unplug it and remove the jam. Another time a pencil had a decorative plastic wrap on it. That also caused a jam but was removed. After each jam the sharpener resumed working immediately without further problems. Really like the blue light that tells when the pencil is sharp - keeps the kids from leaving the pencil in until there's nothing left of it. - Pencil Sharpeners - Electric Sharpener - School Supplies - Pencil Sharpener'


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Beginners Yoga - stretching, beginner yoga


I have purchased other yoga/pilates dvd but never followed though. Why? I was simply too inflexible and uncoordinated for most of them--when I bend over I can very touch past my knees and I'm also about 40 pds overweight. But this video is doable for me--the routines are simple and give you time to work into a pose unlike others that move too quickly. I also like how the instructor uses props such as a chair to aid in stability. Essential Yoga For Inflexible People

As someone who is rather inflexible and who is beginning to explore the world of yoga, this is an incredible product.



I like to go to yoga classes, but have trouble fitting that into my schedule and following up in the weeks that pass between classes. So I had tried other yoga videos, but found them to be far too fast paced to follow along, and had pretty much given up on them.



There's a ton on this DVD, something like 3.5 or 4 hours altogether, and it's fun to try and do different parts on different days.



I wanted to give it 6 stars, but amazon only allows 5!

A great DVD for beginners. The pace is excellent for those learning the poses - the speed is relatively slow so the viewer can take the time to move into a pose and focus on attaining correct alignment. The instructions are clear. Rationale and purpose of most (maybe all?) poses are provided as well.

It's also a great DVD for advanced beginners. I am an advanced beginner, and I found that it was helpful to see close-up how my body was supposed to be positioned. Sometimes in yoga class it's hard to see an instructor's subtle movement: you may be in the back of the room, the instructor may not hold the pose because he or she needs to assist students, or you may not be wearing your glasses (like me)!

The video allows you to progress at your own speed. There are routines that focus on one type of pose (eg seated), one body part (eg stubborn hamstrings), and full routines too (eg AM practice). The DVD culminates in a 90 minute routine, which I believe is comprised of other parts of the video.

In summary, it's a great yoga DVD with, ironically, a ton of flexibility in how it can be used. The scenery is beautiful and Maggie Rhoades' voice is soothing and calming. I highly recommend it!

(Disclaimer: I am actually a student of Maggie's. If you ever have a chance to take a class from her, do it. She is an amazing teacher with a great sense of humor and extraordinary enthusiasm for yoga practice and life.)

Essential Yoga for Inflexible People is a DVD which offers a variety of beginning-level yoga practices. These practices are designed for inflexible people in particular by providing various modifications of traditional yoga poses, including use of props such as a chair and a blanket. The Main Menu of the DVD offers the following options:



Short Routines--Learn the Basics

Short Routines--Continued

Extended Routines--As You Progress

Credits



Each of the above options is broken up into practice sub-menus as described below. The times are as listed on the DVD, but I have added my own comments.



SHORT ROUTINES, BASICS

*Sun Salutations with Chair (6m)--2 rounds of sun salutations performed at a slow, modified pace using a chair

*Sun Salutations without Chair (7m)--2 rounds of slow sun salutations, still modified but without the chair

*Standing Poses with Chair (25m)--despite the title, these postures DO NOT use a chair; rather, they are modified standing postures including mountain, triangle, warrior 2, and side stretch

*Standing Poses with Chair II (14m)--this segment actually does use a chair, but only for a few postures; consists mainly of variations on intense side stretch pose



SHORT ROUTINES, CONTINUED

*Seated Poses (9m)--held seated postures including staff pose, cross-leg, cobbler's pose, and hero; a blanket is used

*Forward Bends with Chair (15m)--chair is used to support hands/arms for both standing and seated forward bends; ends with reclined leg stretch using a strap

*Beginning Back Bends (8m)--gentle variations of cobra pose

*Yoga Twists with Chair (11m)--starts with twists seated on chair, then moves to floor for additional seated twists and reclined twists



All of the practices in the final segment, Extended Routines, are made up of the the shorter segments from above; most of the practices add a 5-minute relaxation segment as well.



EXTENDED ROUTINES

*Extended Standing Postures (30m)--both standing segments from above

*Legs (40m)--seated segment, forward bends, seated twists, and relaxation

*AM Wake Up (45m)--seated segment, sun salutations w/chair, 1st standing segment, and relaxation

*Spinal Work in 3 Dimensions (40m)--sun salutations w/o chair, forward bends, back bends, and twists

*Stubborn Hamstrings (65m)--sun salutations w/chair, both standing segments, forward bends, relaxation

*Full Routine (90m)--combines all of the above



Overall, these practices are definitely appropriate for those with little pre-existing flexibility who are new to yoga. Instructor Maggie Rhoades generally provides good voiceover cues. However, she moves VERY slowly, often taking several minutes to set up a single pose. Therefore, anyone with prior yoga experience may become easily bored by these practices, even those with limited flexibility. Furthermore, although the practices are filmed against the beautiful backdrop of Half-Moon Bay in Antigua, the camera sometimes focuses too much on the scenery and not enough on Maggie, which may make this video challenging for those just starting out with yoga. For a true beginner who is very flexible and looking for short, modified yoga practices, this DVD might work very well; I would recommended, but it would not be my first choice for either someone new to yoga or someone who is inflexible. - Beginner Yoga - Stretching - Yoga For Beginners - Beginners Yoga'


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Cyberpower - 7 port usb hub, usb hub


I must have bought one of just about every powered, USB 2.0 hub on the shelf at Fry's and returned them, one by one, because I wasn't happy with them for one reason or another. Besides those criteria, I was looking for a hub that has both the power jack and USB upstream jack on the same surface of the housing, because I hated the ones that are small, but take up a big footprint on your desk because they have plugs sticking out of them on 3 or 4 sides.



While the CP-H720P does not meet this criteria, it uses that fact as an advantage. First, the housing can be mounted vertically in a weighted stand (provided) to minimize footprint. Then, it has USB downstream ports on both a forward and rearward facing edges, so that plugs for long term connections can attach to the back of the hub and the cables route out of the way, and plugs for temporary connections face forward for easy access. Arranged this way, the power and upstream plugs don't get in the way. But the best feature is the seventh port, on the face of the housing, which is great for frequently accessed flash drives.



On the down side, not so much. The power light is an intense blue LED that lights up my workspace when the lights are off. There are additional less-spectacular green LEDs for each of the downstream ports, but to my dismay, they are not activity indicators but power overload indicators, so they don't normally light up at all.



On the whole, I am very satisfied with this unit. It's a "keeper". CyberPower High-Speed 7-Port USB Hub

[After over 2 and one-half years of service from this hub, I'm raising my rating to 5 stars. Below is my review from January 2008 followed by my revaluation from Sept. 2010.]



I realized I needed a 7-port hub and checked out the D-Link, Kensington, Belkin--the usual suspects. Then I chanced upon this unlikely contender, looking more like a jukebox in Amazon's picture than a hub. I was intrigued by the off-beat design and noticed that the price was competitive (though a couple of the others are presently offering rebates, a free flylight, and other sweeteners). Now that I'm looking at the CyberPower USB port "in person," I can provide a few initial impressions:



1. It's a lot smaller than the picture might imply. Compactness is nice, but you also want a hub that will stay put and that allows sufficient space between adjacent plugs.

2. Although the hub is designed for either vertical or horizontal use, the added and welcome weight of the detachable base makes vertical use the more sensible option. Otherwise, you've got a lightweight (and fairly generic) loaded-up plug which could easily move around, dislodging the USB mini-plug (a necessary evil except for small cameras) at one end of every USB 2.0 cable.

3. It seems to handle my equipment off of the USB power supplied by the computer, but I still breathe easier using the included AC power adapter. (To the manufacturer's credit, it's one of the slimmer, lighter wall-warts that I've seen.)

4. The flash drive mount is practical (but not unique). Now I can finally use that old Sandisk thumb drive that formerly was taking up the space of two USB ports.

5. The individual port lights are on all the time and, unlike most hubs, are not indicative of the presence or absence of a USB device.



In conclusion, it's a reliable performer and a convenient as well as eye-catching device--providing you go for the vertical look. If I were to suggest one design improvement, it would be to "fatten up" the tower so that it would be wide enough to permit horizontal insertion of USB devices with the hub in vertical position. Doing so would assure unforced accommodation of all your USB plugs, even the most space-devouring ones. Biggest "gripe": the vertical design is not real stable. The hub is easily dislodged from the base and bounces around quite a bit. If I had to do it over, I'd look at the heavy, dome-shaped Kensington.



[Revaluation after almost 3 years: I tried the Kensington. It was no more stable but less reliable. So I returned to the CyberPower, but without the base or vertical position. I velcroed its back side to the wooden surface behind my desktop machine, with printer and two 500GB storage drives inputted to the rear, one USB cable from the front side to the USB of my iMac, and a flash drive connected to the top side of the hub. Absolutely no problems. This item continues to rise in both popularity and price because it's so good. Should it ever fail, I doubt there's any other hub available that could surpass it. Forget the "cuteness" factor; this thing is all business.]

I was having issues with my (non-powered) USB hub sucking too much energy off my laptop. This puppy solved those problems, which has me VERY happy. It was easy to set up, the plugs are arranged nicely, and I like how it's set up for both vertical and horizontal usage. It does have some glow at night, but it's nothing that bothers me at all.



Highly recommended. - Usb 2 - Usb Hub - Powered Usb Hub - 7 Port Usb Hub'


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Pretty In Pink - pretty in pink, stapler


I love my stapler and stapler remover very much, however, don't use it for too much paper because it won't work. This is a good stapler for small jobs, such as no more than seven pages. Everyone in the office loves it though and now my boss wants to order one of her own! Stanley Bostitch Pink Velvet AntiJam Stand-Up Desktop Stapler Plus Pack with Push Style Staple Remover and 1,200 Staples (B326-PP-VLT-PNK)

Got this for my wife, quality is OK, nothing over the top impressive. There's better for the money.



Pink is the most important feature to her. The smile and kiss she gave me when she opened the box was 5 stars all the way.

I like: the color, the grip, how it stands up

I don't like: how terrible of a stapler it is! It doesn't completely "close" the staples on the back, even when I am only stapling 3 or 4 sheets of paper!!

:( I am very disappointed, because I really like the color & grip.



However! The staple remover works great (not sure how you could mess that up) but at least I can still have a little pink on my desk!

I bought this stapler for my granddaughter for her eighth birthday. She loves to play office, and asked for a stapler for her birthday. The stapler is easy for her to use and she is ever so pleased. I was such a happy camper to find not only what she wanted, but also in her favorite color.....pink of course!

The stapler is smooth and so pretty in pink! I love using it, and it is able to staple quite a number of pages, certainly nothing too extreme. The remover is awesome as well, very easy to use!



I'm very happy with both of these :) - Cute - Bostitch - Stapler - Pretty In Pink'


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Best Gps For The Money - gps, portable vehicle gps


I have this unit for 10 days now and overall I am very happy with it. For its mainstream feature, navigation, it is excellent. I had a Garmin 350 before this which I loved but it was stolen from my car. I had a Magellan after that which was crap. The price on this unit was great ($247 - Amazon).



I chose it over the 1390T because I opted to not get bluetooth. It is the only difference between the units. I felt the bluetooth quality would be poor based on other reviews of bluetooth in general on GPS units. The main reason was in the way most people use bluetooth. In a typical day I am in and out of my car often. I always need my bluetooth immediately in case I get a call. I don't always need my GPS. And since my previous unit was stolen, and theft of these units is a big problem everywhere, I keep the unit hidden or sometimes remove it from the car. So if you are like me but you get this unit for bluetooth, you will need to stop and mount your gps everytime you get in the car whether you need it or not, just to have blue tooth capability. If you forget and the cell phone rings, you have no bluetooth. So I purchased a separate bluetooth speaker phone from Jabra (very good unit# which is always attached to my visor, pretty good quality, and always there when I need it. I saved about $75 by opting for the 1350T over the 1390T.



A few minor disappointments. The Lane Assist feature works great but is not available everywhere. I used it around NYC and it was helpful. I drove through Pennsylvania and upstate NY and it was not available. Marketing material hypes this feature but they neglect to tell you this one point. But when it is available, it is a great feature. That brings me to traffic. Same story here. I was driving through PA and hit a 1 hour traffic jam. No warnings from the traffic feature because it was not available in that area. When I got to the Scranton, PA area the traffic alerts started working. It alerted me of a major traffic jam ahead and it even rerouted my trip automatically. The reroute would have been a significant addition in miles but would be worth it to avoid the traffic, right? I decided to ignore the re-route just to test the unit to see if the alert was accurate and I was willing to endure the traffic. As I drove my original route, no traffic anywhere. So had I listened to the traffic alert, I would have driven 50 miles out of my way for nothing. Bottom line is, don't let the traffic feature be a deal breaker for the unit you choose. But then again, I got the 1350T for about the same price as the 1350 #same unit without traffic). Updating the map was more difficult than it should have been. I consider myself a very technical person with computers and gadgets but the map update did not go smoothly and took me several tries. I could see where many people will have difficulty with this if they attempt to update the map. Garmin nĂ¼vi 1350/1350T 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic

Overall, I am very satisfied with the Garmin nuvi 1350 but I do have a couple of minor complaints.



First of all, I do recommend that owners/potential buyers visit the Garmin web site to read through all of the product information and to review the FAQs. Some folks have made an issue of Garmin not including the USB cable with the device but this did not matter to me. The required cable is a standard type "A" to mini "B" USB cable. Many other devices use this same cable and I already own a couple of them. (I also heard that if you contact Garmin customer service, they may send you a cable at no charge.) Other reasons to visit the Garmin site: to register the product, to download the full PDF manual and to install the "my Garmin Agent Plugin" for web updates.



Next, my quibbles:

When the 1350 is plugged into a charging device (PC or vehicle), there is no way to determine when the unit is fully charged. This is very inconvenient. To view the charge level, you have to unplug the device and turn it on. Only then can you see the battery level. According to the Garmin FAQs, charge time is about 4 hours using the vehicle cable and 8 hours using the PC cable.

One of the features of the 1350 is the speed limit display. However, I find this to be of limited value. The speed display is frequently 5 to 10 mph too high compared with the actual posted speeds on the roads being traveled. As a result, this throws off the estimated destination arrival time.



Finally, why I am impressed:

When driving with the 1350, I never had any doubt where I was at any given time and I never had any doubt what my next maneuver would be (and isn't this the bottom line of any GPS?). The voice commands have plenty of volume, are easy to understand and they also give you adequate lead time for upcoming turns. The commands will also repeat but the voice is not annoying. Several times, I deliberately missed a turn to test how the 1350 would respond. It quickly calculated a revised route based on my current location.

I also found the screen to be clear and easy to see while driving (in bright sun, shade and at night).

The full manual states that a PDA type stylus can be used for the touch screen. I found this to be convenient (I'm actually using a stylus from a Nintendo DS.) While you can certainly use your finger on the screen, this will leave fingerprints and smudges on the screen.



Other notes:

I have the 1350 sitting on my dash with the Garmin "Portable Friction Mount" - highly recommended.

My 1350 came with a free case - the Caselogic MGPS-2. This case adequately protects the 1350 when it's not being used.



Overall, this has been a great purchase for my business travels and I would rate the unit as four and a half stars.

I've used this GPS for several weeks now and when it is fully charged it is absolutely great. The voice is loud and clear, the maps are accurate and detailed. It acquires satellites quickly, even in less than optimal circumstances with trees overhead or tall buildings nearby. It is easy to program and the onscreen menus are convenient. It is thin and reasonably light and portable and the screen is big. But it has one major problem: the cigarette-lighter charging system does not supply enough current to charge the GPS while it is turned on. It is unbelievable that Garmin would allow their unit to be sold under these conditions.



When I received the unit I completely charged the battery (by connecting it to my computer using a USB cable which Garmin does not supply, but I happened to have one anyway). Then I used it in my car, always plugged into the cigarette lighter. It turns on automatically whenever you start the car, and it turns off automatically when the ignition switch is turned off. However, over this two week period the battery slowly discharged (without my knowledge) until it reached a point where the unit would no longer turn on, even when plugged in to the car charger. Assuming the unit was defective, I called Garmin and (after 20 minutes on hold) learned that the car charger is not up to the task, and that the GPS will slowly lose its charge when it is turned on, even if you have it connected to the cigarette lighter adapter. I believe this means that if you have a long drive, perhaps 8 hours or more, then the unit may not even remain operational throughout the full trip. Other people have made similar complaints about some of the other Garmin GPS units.



The tech support people explained how to recover from the low battery situation: you do a "soft reset" which simply involves holding down the on/off button for 10 seconds. Then the unit will turn on, but the battery will need recharging. I was told to do this by connecting it to my computer using a USB cable, which Garmin does not supply with the GPS (fortunately I already had one), but I assume you could do the same by connecting it to the car charger and making certain that the unit is turned off while it is charging.



What a shame that Garmin has produced a superior product with a fatal defect. I will keep mine for now, but I'm going to investigate other charging solutions. Perhaps after reading this review, the wizards at Garmin will redesign the charging system for this GPS.



Update (Aug 1/09): I discovered the reason for these charging issues: In the User's Manual, under "Troubleshooting", Garmin states that the Nuvi will not charge if it is in direct sunlight or if the temperature is more than 113 degrees F (45 deg C). Since I had my unit attached to the windshield, and since I only drive during midday, it is always in sunlight. This charging rule applies to many other models as well; for any given model you can download the manual from Garmin, turn to the Troubleshooting section, and see whether or not they describe a similar charging rule. (The rule is meant to avoid overheating the battery: lithium batteries can occasionally catch fire if they are severely overcharged or overheated.) I think this explains why some people have encountered charging problems and others have not: it depends on whether or not the unit is always in direct sunlight while you are driving. Some people use the friction mount and their Garmin sits on the console. Others drive later in the day or at night. - Widescreen Gps - Portable Vehicle Gps - Gps - Garmin Nuvi'


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Iphone 4 Charger - iphone 4, phone charger


This is an upgrade from the $3 charger I got from Amazon that broke within 6 months. So far so good, but it's only been a month. The plastic and build does seem to be of better quality than the cheapy $3 one, BUT it still feels cheap - cheaper feeling than the $10 ones that Walmart sells.



There's also a noise/buzz interference that bleeds through when I'm playing iPod music and charging at the same time.



is it worth the $7-8? Not to me. If I were to do it over, I would fork out a few extra dollars and get a reputable charger. Car Charger for Apple iPhone 4 (Black)

This charger won't stay connected to my phone. Perhaps it's not a big deal if you don't have your phone in a case. But, with my casemate case I can't get this charger to stay connected to the fun. Waste of money for me.

I set out to buy a cheap but functional charger when I purchased this one, and in that respect I am quite satisfied. The only downside to this product is that the connector is not *quite* long enough to charge the phone while the case is on. I have a relatively thin Belkin cover on my phone and I had hoped to be able to use the car charger without removing it. As it is, I just pop the bottom half of the phone out of the case and plug in the charger when needed. Otherwise this charger works perfectly! All in all, a good product with one small inconvenience.

I am always leary about buying aftermarket parts for Iphones, especially car chargers. One mistake in wiring and you can easily brick your phone. But this one has worked flawlessly for 2 weeks now. No problems with the cigarette lighter connector or phone connection although sometimes it takes a little wiggle to insert it into the phone. I have a Speck case on my iPhone 4 (one of the 5 Apple recommended when they had their antenna problem) and there is no problem of interference. So far this one is a winner.[...]

I recently purchased the I phone 4 car charger. After my initial use, it charged my phone for a total of 2 minutes. After a message with an exclamation point informed me the charging accessory was not supported by my device. The description of the item definitely matched my phone. I believe it was a defective product as I tried numerous other Tries all failing me . My biggest dissapointment was the lack of concern or response to my email inquiry of the seller. I would never recommend purchasing from this seller again. - Iphone 4 - Phone Charger - Usb Car Charger - Iphone 4 Charger'


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Digital Photo Frame - digital picture frame, photo frame


I think this frame is great, it's a great little gift for someone that doesn't have alot of room or for an office desk. I think the resolution is great and the features are great too. It's very easy to work, I didn't need the instruction book at all. My slideshow shows every pic on my sd card so I'm not sure what other peoples problems are when they say it only holds 10 pics. This is not true. Great deal for the price! Coby DP700BLK 7-Inch Digital Picture Frame (Black)

The quality of the frame is fine. The picture quality is also fine for the price, and I like the option to store the pictures in an external SD memory card.



The frame, however, has two drawbacks. First, the controls in the frame make difficult to navigate the menus. Second, and most important, the frame has a very basic slideshow functionality that does not allow to play on random mode; thereby, the slideshow just sequentially displays the pictures in the media, which can be quite annoying if you have lots of pictures.

My husband gave this to me a year ago and I love it.

I can change photos regualary and it's nice to have home photos at work.

People waiting in our lobby love it too and always comment on the good picuture quality.

Definately buying this for those hard to buy for people.

It's so hard to judge size when ordering items unseen from the internet. This 5x7" screen is more like 3.5x5" because they are including the size of the frame so right off the bat, I was disappointed when I opened the box and saw the small size of the frame.



Anyhoo, it was easy enough to open and set up but unless I'm missing something, there is no way for this frame to store the pictures that you put on it. You HAVE to plug it into your computer or leave a flash drive sticking out of it. Doesn't seem right...



The clarity and brightness of the pictures is great but the aesthetics of the frame itself are ruined by the protruding flash drive. And they don't include a cable to transfer any photos, so you'll need to supply that yourself.



Bottom line, I should have spent more money to buy a frame that had memory, a larger size, etc. I should have done my homework better...

This is a very simple photo frame. From my efforts to load pictures onto the frame, it is hard to insert your sd card and choose the pictures you want displayed. It wants to display all of them and the directions for choosing pictures are very vague. Also, from what I can tell, you have to leave the sd card in the frame. Just hope you remember to grab it when you go out the door with your camera!



It's not a bad frame; it's just not a great frame. If I had it do over, I would pay more for a better frame.

This looks great, feels great and the pictures are very clear. My problem? It wouldnt upload the jpegs I created using Adobe Illustrator. Not sure why, but it was a bummer on the gift I had planned. Other than that, very easy to set up. I am sure if I had spent more time on it I might have been able to figure it out - so chalk it up to user error, more than likely.

Love this frame especially when there's many members of your family. This was a gift for my fiancee and he was going away for work for a few weeks, so it's the perfect gift to have in his room with not only our pics, but the pictures of our children too, all in one.

We bought two of these frames for the in-laws. Now I'm wishing we would have picked one up for us to have too. I thought the pictures looked great and it was easy to operate. However, one of the black stands didn't go on very easy on the back. But, the other one went on fine.



The in-laws LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!

I bought this frame for my father for Christmas, and he really liked it. He had no problems setting it up or loading pictures on it (using an SD card). The screen seems a little small, but considering how inexpensive this frame is (compared to similar-sized models), I can't complain. Great for setting up on an office desk.

This is a good quality picture frame for a reasonable price. At arms length, the pictures are visibly "blocky" due to the low resolution of the LCD. However, at normal viewing distances (three feet or so), this isn't noticeable, and the brightness really makes this frame shine. Viewing angles are excellent from side to side, and not bad from top to bottom. It's very easy to fill up a USB drive or SD card, insert, and power on to view photos. If you need to get into the menus to play with settings, you'll need to experiment a bit, as the manual is not very descriptive or helpful. All in all a nice little frame at a good price. - Cheap - Photo Frame - Digital Picture Frame - Digital Frame'


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Portable Vehicle Gps - gps, garmin nuvi


I actually could not decide between the Garmin Nuvi 255w or the 750 model, so I decided to buy them both for comparison. I mounted them both to my car windshield and gave them various addresses to find together. I found that both models took the same routes and announced upcoming turns and street names at practically the same time. One thing I noticed about the 255w was that it was updating my position on the road more often, I'd say about 3 times as often as the 750. This made for smoother graphics on the 255w of the vehicle moving along displayed roads, where the 750's display was more of a "jerky" movement. I also found that the display on the 255w was a bit brighter, clearer, and more vivid than on the 750 in both daylight and at night. Another feature I like on the 255w is the graphic turn indicator in the upper left corner, which the 750 lacks. This is a small arrow which shows upcoming turns and the distance to that turn. It also show things like a fork in the road, (ie: a Y intersection), and which fork you will be taking. The 750 just displays text on the top line for upcoming turns without the arrow. It's just a little extra feature on the 255w which I happened to really like. The 255 also automatically adjusts the font size of displayed text so that even lengthy text will fit.

Another feature on the 255w is a display of the posted speed limit on the road which you are currently on right above your current displayed speed. I found myself not even looking at my car speedometer as I could easily see my current speed and the speed limit of my route at a glance. The 750 doesn't have this feature. I also like how they moved the zoom in (+) and zoom out (-) buttons on the 255w to the same side of the screen which makes it a bit easier. On the 750 the zoom buttons are on opposite sides of the screen.

Now there are some features on the 750 that the 255w does not have. The 750 can broadcast it's sound over your FM radio with the supplied cigarette lighter cable, and it has a headphone jack, which I found to be nice features. The 750 also has an MP3 player and an Audio-book player, which the 255w does not. Another really nice feature of the 750 is the car locater. This is a great feature if you are parking in a really big lot, such as at an amusement park or a fair. The 750 marks your location when you remove it from the car, then you take it with you and it remembers where you parked and takes you right back to your car. The 255w doesn't have the car locater.

I also thought the the voice prompts of the 750 where more pleasant sounding than the 255w's. The 750 sounds more like a real female voice, where the 255w sounds more robotic.

Another thing to consider was that I paid $50 less for the 750 and it came with the FM transmitter cable and a USB cord to connect it to your computer for updates and downloads.

My final decision was to keep the 255w and return the 750 because I really liked the graphic turn indicator and the posted speed limit and current speed indicators. I didn't find a need for the 750's MP3 player and Audio book player, but that is up to personal preference. Since the USB cable was not included with the 255w, I purchased it on this site for $10. I also intend to purchase the MSN direct cable when it is available in August 2008. Garmin nĂ¼vi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

If you spend much time driving in unfamiliar territory, especially if you rent cars in big cities, a good portable GPS makes an amazing difference. And the Garmin 255W is the best one I could find in the $250 - $350 range.



First this thing just plain works. I haven't had any issues with mine. It was easy to set up and figure out right out of the box, and it's easy to use. It never has had trouble getting sufficient signal unlike earlier and cheaper models.



I chose the 255W for several reasons: It uses some of the newest and best maps available. It has one of the more usable touch screens for entering destinations. It's fast to acquire satellites. And Garmin almost always comes out on top in reviews--especially in routing.



Ultimately, you buy a car GPS to get you from Point A to Point B as easily and efficiently as possible. And that's what the 255W does best. If you've ever had a "Brand X" GPS take you on some strange route that adds 20 minutes to your trip, has you turn the wrong way down a one way road, tell you to turn AFTER you've passed the street, frequently loses the satellite signal, or has old maps missing streets, you know how important this stuff is.



The 255W has a really clear display that's easy to see in any light. It's small enough to use on foot. The windshield mount works great and it's easy to toss in the glovebox when you park. It even tells you the speed limit on most roads. The "points of interest" feature works very well to find places to eat by type of cuisine, gas stations, etc.



The difference between the 255W and 205W is the 255 speaks street names and includes Alaska and Canada. The 205 and 205W will tell you to "turn right in 500 feet" which isn't as helpful or obvious as "turn right on Ivy Street in 500 feet". The "W" models are widescreen which makes entering destinations easier due to having a bigger "keyboard" and also lets you see more map area while driving.



All in all this isn't the cheapest GPS in its class but it's one of the best. My only gripe is you need an expensive add-on to get live traffic data--something that's included with the Magellan Roadmate 1430 which is close to the same price. But the Garmin 255W is a better GPS in every other way. - Gps - Garmin 255w - Garmin - Garmin Nuvi'


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