Thursday 31 March 2011

Pogo Stylus - iphone stylus, touch screen stylus


I tried several different iPhone styluses and this one is by far the best. The rubber tipped ones are not responsive enough and require too much pressure. This velcro-tipped Pogo stylus works great. You don't need to push hard on the screen and the size makes typing more efficient than using your fingers.



There are only two drawbacks - the price is very high, but you do get what you pay for and the cheaper styluses are not as good; also the clip only works on the base unit, so you can not clip the stylus to your iPhone if you have it in a case. They shoud make an adjustable size clip so it will fit over a slim case. Ten One Design Pogo Stylus for iPhone 3G, 3G S (Black)

If you are used to the Palm Pilot Stylus, then you might have to take some time getting used to this thicker diameter stylus. The tip is made of some sort of "styrofoam" and the diameter is similar to that of a pencil erasure. The diameter itself is what takes time to get used to since it's more clumsy than precise. Overall, it's pretty effective and much better than any other stylus on the market for the iPhone. If you have a screen protector, this stylus will require a lot more pressure to use. I would say that 80% of the time it works fine, the other 20% you will need to re-press the affected area... when used with a screen protector. There is a break in period. At first use, the tip of the stylus doesn't slide as well along the iPhone screen, however, after a couple of weeks usage, the tip becomes softer and smoother to use, making it a lot easier to slide on the screen. So give it a chance and you will be very happy using this stylus. Still wish it came with a narrower tip and was much heavier. It's very light since it's just a hollow piece of aluminum. The pogo also comes with a couple of iPhone Stylus holders that I find is much more effective than the competition that use a "pen cap" approach of keeping your stylus attched to your phone. Hope this helps a few.

Well this stylus is made for the Iphone, and Ipod Touch (why not call it the Itouch?...guess that could be taken the wrong way), but me being such a maverick bought this little beast for my Ipad.

I know what you are thinking, "This kid is nuts!" well hang in there, I am going to blow your mind with this......"It works WONDERS!"



Sick of finger prints on your screen? Sick of Steve Jobs telling you that writing with your finger is possible when we all know he is completely insane? Well break away from the pack and buy one of these! You could of course make your own stylus out of a pen, conductive material (aluminum foil, anti-static bag) and maybe a touch of happy thoughts, but if you like your $700 investment like I do, spend a few bucks so you don't scratch your screen.



Break Down:

Pros:

1)Super small, Super simple, It is a Stylus and that is it, don't expect it to make you breakfast or anything.

2)Soft Soft Soft - You never have to worry about scratching your screen, I am hoping they design a chair out of the stylus material, this stuff is amazing.

3)It just works, when you use it on the screen it is just like as if you use a finger, no more, no less.



Cons:

1)Super small...I guess this can be a Con as well because I will most likely lose it, but for the price I can get a few more for safe keeping. If I am not mistaken they make a larger one specifically for the Ipad, although it did not fit as well in my case.

2)Don't expect to draw a Picasso, It is a stylus but for those who aren't informed, the Ipad will only accept something that is near finger size as a touch input device and therefore you cannot use anything fine point. ALTHOUGH: Some people have mad skill, I do not, I have seen some amazing drawings done with these but for your normal pencil artist this won't cut it.



Final Thoughts:

I really enjoy this, and I feel you will as well, like I stated before it is a stylus, and it works as such.

Something that most reviews don't say (that I saw) is this: The pogo is great for art on applications like Colors! or Brushes. It's hard to see how this stylus would be useful, with its flat tip. I didn't understand until I got it myself. But it's not that big around, so the tip is kind of narrow anyway, because the whole thing is narrow, which is a plus for painting. It works pretty well. Here's a painting I did with it using Colors!: [....]



Also, I didn't think I would use the stylus holder that it comes with, but I decided that I didn't want to risk losing this small, expensive stylus. The holder is quite nice.



I really love this little stylus, and highly recommend it.

After purchasing two Stylus pen for my iphone at 7.00 bucks ea. that didn't deliver, I was recommended the Pogo Stylus. I hesitated at first because of it's cost. I know I'm bound to lose it, but till I do, I can only say it's almost like using your finger - and I say almost, cause nothing is more precise than your finger. However, the Pogo comes very close. It slides with ease and you DO NOT have to press hard on the screen which was my experience with the prior two I wasted my money on. This is definitely a good buy.

I purchased 2 of these, 1 for myself and 1 for my 13 year old daughter. They work pretty good. You have to hold it upright, it doesn't work if you have the sylus held at an angle. So that is one thing you have to get use to.



The pen is also pretty bulky, not like your normal smaller stylus pens. I have a hard time figuring out where to put it because it will not fit in the case. You can't use the clip that comes with it if you have your ipod in a case.



All in All the product does a good job and really does what the description says as long as you hold it correctly. I'm glad I purchased them but not sure that I will use it much. My daughter uses hers alot more. Maybe its an age thing, not sure. - Stylus - Iphone - Iphone Stylus - Touch Screen Stylus'


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Ipod Fm Transmitter - fm transmitter, ipod car kit


Over the years I've been through about 15 FM transmitters. This one is by far the best quality I've had. You may hear a little high pitched noise at high volumes, but that is a small price to pay for the amazing amount of clarity provided. The remote control is pretty flimsy and has to be held almost directly next to it to work but that's not the reason I purchased it so I was hardly disappointed. I really don't think you'll find a better product on the market. LCD Screen Display,New FM Transmitter/Car charger/Holder/Car Mount For all iP...

I bought this to replace my Griffin iTrip after it shorted out. I was worried about buying a different brand (or a non-brand, as a case seems to be), since the Griffin is able to be set to international frequencies (and I was never able to receive a clear signal without setting it below 88.1).



So far, however, the signal has been A LOT clearer at 88.1 than it ever was on my old transmitter. I live in Phoenix and I've had no trouble with signal interruptions so far; I even get a clear sound in parking garages and around strongly broadcast signals, like in shopping center parking lots. The sound quality is also pretty decent for an FM transmitter, especially one that cost less than $20 to buy and ship. I also love the cradle and the flexible neck that allows me to dock my iPod within easy reach.



The remote seems to be a bust, but I don't really care as I can't see a reason to use a remote when my iPod is docked right in front of me. Your mileage may vary, I suppose. And for all I know this might short out in a few months just like my Griffin did, but I'm holding out hope!

I obviously knew that for 11 bucks SOMETHING would be wrong with it. i read some positive reviews, and decided to give it a shot. BAD idea. It did however ship fast. I opened the box, and was surprised that the product actually seemed like decent quality. so i run to my car, and plug in the transmitter. First off..this thing is huge. It kind of gets in the way of the shift stick of the car. I plug in the transmitter, and it doesn't turn on. I had to push it in hard to finally turn on. I plug in my iPod, and the quality actually surprised me. Two minutes later..the transmitter just falls. I guess its just too heavy. I wasn't even driving, and the transmitter tilted. After driving for a couple of minutes, it is obvious the thing does NOT stay in place. Not only that, but it also broke my outlet!!!! Now i have to fix it and it cost more to fix it than what i spent on this worthless fm transmitter.

Audio is good, but it has MANY MANY flaws!!! i dont even know if i can get a refund now. stay away from this product and purchase a different one!!!

A great product. My other adapter was stolen and I didn't want to miss my favorite tunes so I purchased this to replace it. Wow! This is much better anyway. Easy to use, even includes a remote if that is important to you. Stays on station, doesn't drift like my previous one. i love it!

I like this device:

Nice:

- Cheap FM Transmitter

- Phone Charger

- Phone Holder

- Can be used with other devices

- Tested on iPhone 4 - like a charm

- and best of all, all at the same time - yes, you can charge and listen to music at the same time!



Cons:

-The stick to hold it is short, on my 95 camry, it had hard time using it and its pushing against my dashboard

- shakes a lot while driving

- seems to inter fer with Google maps GPS - the maps work, but the orientations easily gets out of sync, and keeps saying move the device in the figure (8) motion

- i used it with MapQuest - MapQuest did not seem to interfere - so not sure if its Google Maps, or the iPhone

- FM Transmitter is weak - it works, but not loud, and does not have much power. While driving during the city, about 90% of the time its clear, and maybe 10% or so not clear (has static) - so its not bad, unless you like your music flawless

- I dont think the holder will last - it looks cheap - but so far its holding, lets see for how long

- I think this is an iPhone issue, but I cannot hear the calls on the speaker - so its problematic if you need to remove it from the holder each time

- With a case on the iPhone4, its fit is tight in the holder



Trick to use it to charge and listen at the same time:

- Do not use the extra cable from the iPhone to the device, only use the charge cable!

- place the music on speaker mode, the connect the charge cable - and you are done - it charges AND music works from the same cable!

If you keep the extra cable on the top, the you wont hear a thing!





Why 4 star:

- static FM, not very loud voice

- cannot hear the calls on FM while driving (maybe an iPhone issue, not the device issue)

- cheap holder and stick very short

I have looked everywhere and tried all sorts of music transmitting solutions for my iPhone in my car. All have been disappointing. But this one works very well for my needs! It holds and charges my phone and the reception quality is great! i don't use the remote, but that isn't something that would keep me from buying it. I do wish the charging cord on it was longer, so that I could use it while talking on the phone, otherwise, I have no other complaints. It holds my phone steady in the holder and the music sounds great! - Iphone Fm Transmitter - Ipod Accessories - Fm Transmitter - Ipod Car Kit'


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Blu-ray Players - blu-ray player, blu-ray disc players


First of all, I really hate the saying 'WiFi Ready' Which says to me... it is ready for WiFi.. all you need is WiFi. Of course that isn't the case. It just means that it has a USB port and some on board drivers to help you part with $80 for the WiFi adapter. Save yourself some aggravation and check out the NETGEAR Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (Black). It is faster than WiFi and will work with your next Blu-Ray player too. Not to mention your xbox, networked TV, etc.



Anyway.... When I first hooked up the player the first thing that naturally occurs is the setup. Wow... it was grainy and horrible looking. I was worried. Of course this was hooked up to a brand new Panasonic VIERA TC-P42G25 42-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV, and I had not refined all of the Brightness, Contrast, Color, Tint, etc... settings yet. So I put in a BD and things looked good. Not great. But good. After a couple more days of tweaking the TV I came back to do some more hands on testing of the BD and Viera Cast functions. My kids watched the Cars BD, and it looked FABULOUS! Of course that disc always looks good, even on an old broken TV. Wasn't sold. Then that evening my wife and I had rented The American on DVD. This is when I got really impressed. The DVD up-conversion was truly amazing. If I had not known better, I would have thought this was a BD. Then I resumed looking at the Viera Cast apps. I haven't looked at Netflix since that is on the Panasonic TV, but I was truly impressed with VuDu. The full 1080p and Dolby Plus 5.1 signal was great. The picture was stunning, and it starts streaming QUICK. With no artifacts that I have seen. Rental prices were a little steep, but regardless I was impressed.



Other things important to potential buyers. It loads fast. There are options to reduce startup times too. This is great, because when I use my other BD player to play a movie for my children, they have lost interest by the time the player loads the film. Another nice feature is the VieraLink. This makes it work well with at least Panasonic sets. When I turn on the player, my TV switches to the correct input automatically. Very nice. When I turn off my TV, it will automatically power down the BD player. Also very nice.



I haven't tested any 3D content on the disc player yet. So I cannot comment on that. But I imagine it will be stunning since it handles other BD content well.



Cons: This is really a con I guess, but more of a CONcern. The front fascia, is a big plastic door. I just have a feeling that one day a child will rip it off. Won't be the end of the world, but it just seems a little unneeded. But I guess if it protects the buttons from peanut butter etc.. for a while it's really a plus. We'll see. Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Wi-Fi Ready 3D/2D Blu-ray Disc Player

This Panasonic DMP-BD110 is the fourth BD player that I have purchased in since 2007 (my first being the Panasonic DMP-BD10A, second a Sharp HP20, third a Panasonic DMP-BD60). As you can imagine, the last thing I really needed was another BD player, however, I just got a great deal on a 3D tv and, well, you know how it goes. :)



I am giving this product a qualified 5 stars, with this caveat: for most people, it would be well worth it to spend the extra money to purchase the the next model up (the Panasonic DMP-BDT210), which includes the wireless-n wifi dongle. These two players are essentially the same with the exception of the dongle, some cosmetic differences and the motion sensor that opens the BD tray (not something I care for to be honest). For those purchasing the BDT110, if you do not have access to an ethernet connection for internet, you will be stuck buying a dongle for Panasonic's exorbitant price (since no other dongles work). This is a big knock against this player that has been pointed out by other reviewers. For my purposes, however, the BDT110 is just splendid since my router sits right behind my tv and I have it hooked up using an ethernet cable.



BD Playback Quality: To be fair, with the current line of players from all the major brands have excellent BD playback and they all upscale dvd's well. The technology has improved and there is no bad one in the bunch in terms of video playback. Some players are faster at loading BD discs than others, with the Panasonic being on the fast side of this equation. 3D performance is also excellent, although I can't say whether that is attributable to the TV (Panasonic L37DT30) or the player or some combination of both. I can say that the player is very responsive and I have had no issues in two weeks that I have owned it. Whatever problems the player had last spring have been fully resolved by firmware updates (which come regularly).



Viera Cast: The Viera Cast suite is terrific. My tv is equipped with viera cast as well and you would think they would be the same. Surprisingly, they are not. The version used on the BD players is MUCH better. This is particularly true for the Netflix application. The Netflix application on the BDT110 provides a search feature that allows you to search the entire Netflix database. You essentially have the same access and control over content as you would on your computer. The Playback is smooth. Movies and shows, including HD content, load quickly and require little if any time for buffering. You can skip scenes and the interface works similarly to the one on the Roku XD box--excellent. It doesn't look as sexy as the interface on the Apple TV, but it is more functional. Also available is Amazon Instant, including free streaming for Amazon Prime members (like me). Excellent quality as well and you have access to the latest movies and shows. The YouTube app is also outstanding, giving you access to your subscriptions, videos is essentially a more complete than most apps you'll find on mobile devices. I haven't really used the Fox Sports App or played games on the player, but the Viera Cast system has a lot of potentially and it's quite impressive.



The Remote: The remote is well thought out, with a dedicated netflix button (NICE!). The buttons could be a bit bigger though and less crowded. This is pretty typical for BD players these days, which have definitely cheapened the quality of the remotes.



Playback of pictures and videos from an SDHC Card or USB drive: Again, a big improvement over the version on panasonic tv. The files are layed out in an easy to search manner, line by line. The player is able to crunch through all the usual formats, including: .mkv, .mov, .mp4, .avi, .xvid, mpeg-2 etc. This player does stumble a bit on high bitrate .mkv files in 1080p, but many media players have some issues with these files (some can't play them at all). Most of us will use 720p .mkv files anyway, and those are no problem at all. Photo playback in .jpg are no problem, photos are easy to search for, load quickly and look great!



Word of Caution: Please be aware that if you are buying this player to play 3d Movies and content and you do not have receiver (AVR) that is HDMI 1.4 compliant (in other words, 3D ready), you will have to run the HDMI cable directly to the tv and then run a toslink (optical cable) to the receiver for sound. This means that if you do not have a 3d ready receiver and are using this player for 3d content, you will not be able to play 3d content through the receiver. Moreover, being limited to the optical cable for the audio feed means that you will not be able to use the lossless audio formats on the disks (i.e., no Dolby TrueHd, DTS-MA etc.). This is not a big deal for my set up, but some people will surely be disappointed. Panasonic does have a solution. The BDT310, which costs around $200 on Amazon, has two HDMI outputs, one for video to the TV and one for audio to the receiver. If you have a non-3d receiver and must have 3d and hi-def audio, this is probably your best choice (or you can buy a new receiver--which will cost a lot more than the BDT310). Just some food for thought. Please also note that this is an issue with 3d playback through HDMI 1.3 receivers and is not unique to Panasonic. It effects ALL 3D BD players--so no stars are going to be deducted. If you do not care about the 3d playback and just intend to use the player as a regular BD non-3d player it will function like any other BD player and you can run the hdmi straight to the AVR as usual and get lossless sound formats--so for you people who have not yet adopted 3d technology, you can ignore this paragraph.



In short, this is an excellent choice in BD player, particularly if you don't need wifi included. If you do need wifi access, the BDT210 is the better value. With that caveat, I give the BDT110 five stars.



EDIT 6/22/11: I have been using the BDT110 for a couple of months now and I continue to enjoy the player immensely. I have only watched 15 or so BD disks and a handful of DVDS. I have had no issue at all with playback and the image and sound quality have been more than satisfactory. I am continuing to enjoy streaming apps from Netflix and Amazon, probably for more than an hour or two a day. Both apps have worked flawlessly. I have also been using the player to view home videos of my 11 week old that I shoot with Sony HX9V cameras in fully 1080p at 60fps in AVCHD format (28mbps). This profile is beyond bluray, which limited to 1080i at 60fps at 24mbps (or 1080p at 30fps or 24fps). Again, I have had no issue at all with playback. I am extremely impressed with the image processing power of this player. If I could give this line of players from Panasonic a sixth star, I would. - Blu-ray Disc Players - Blu-ray - Blu-ray Player - Hdtv'


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Rechargeable Batteries - charger, rechargeable batteries


Why should you get this charger instead of some other charger?

5 words: CHARGE, DISCHARGE, TEST, REFRESH and LCD!





CHARGE

Choose the individual charging rate for each battery, (200/500/700/1000/1500*/1800*mA).



Why choose the charging rate?

If you're rushing, charge fast and hot. If you're charging overnight or over dinner, charge more slowly. Slow charging is almost always gentler on the batteries, giving you a longer useful life.



Why set the charging rate individually?

You want this ability in case you have batteries of different capacities, partially discharged batteries, mixed brand/quality or any number of other reasons.



* Note

1500/1800mAh only available in Charge mode and only when charging 1 or 2 batteries in terminals 1 and/or 4.





DISCHARGE

This mode discharges the battery down to 1 volt then recharges to full capacity using Delta V measurement, at a user-selectable charging level*, of course.



Why discharge then charge?

This is the older technique developed to avoid capacity-robbing memory effect encountered when recharging NiCad-based batteries (which by the way are compatible with this charger, unlike the Maha mentioned below).



Why Delta V?

This is the modern measurement adopted by most "fast/rapid" chargers. While not quite as accurate as simultaneously using Temperature measurement and/or detecting Zero Delta V, as the Maha/PowerEx C-204W can do, it should be enough to prevent battery damage and insure complete, consistent charging.



* Note

Discharge rates are 1/2 the selected charging rate (max 1000mAh charging in this and other modes). Some batteries can take discharge rates this high, others can't. Most electronics don't drain batteries this fast continuously, so most batteries won't be any "healthier" if discharged too fast. Since this mode will probably take several hours to complete, do it overnight at the gentler 200mAh or 500mAh charging modes (and corresponding 100mAh/250mAh discharge modes).





TEST

Did you think that those little power strips on alkaline batteries were a good idea? I did, who doesn't want to know how much juice is left in a battery. The problem is the indicator bars weren't very meaningful and couldn't measure voltage too accurately.



Now, this charger can tell you more accurately the voltage output of your batteries (which you may interpret as an indication if it's fully charged > 1.40V or discharged < 1.20V). Still, that's just an indication of charged capacity. Why not a direct measurement?



The Test mode does just that. It measures the capacity of each battery and reports it. It initially charges each battery, discharges it (simultaneously measuring the mAh) and then recharges it, leaving you with full batteries and a record of how much juice it discharged during the test.



Why Test?

You ever pull open a drawer, find a rechargeable, wonder if it's "still any good," recharge it and then use it just to find out? This baby will do it all for you, giving you the answer for each battery as it finishes.



Another good reason is to verify the capacity of newly bought batteries. I'm using it now to check each battery in a brand 24-pack of Lenmar 2000s. It's found some clunkers which I'm saving for the next mode, which is...





REFRESH

If you're thinking this mode refreshes batteries, you're right. I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but you know I will. I've got some great candidates too, brand new clunkers from Lenmar, some good old "state of the art 1400mAh" Sanyo and Nexcell NiMH's and even some older NiCads (it may be cheaper in the short term to return them to service than to dispose of them).



You can't use this charger on alkalines or rechargeable alkalines, so don't even think about "refreshing" those in this charger.



One thing about the Refresh mode. Refreshing NiCads manually may take several cycles of charging and discharging. Not only does this charger perform the charge/discharge cycle as many as 20 times, it measures the capacity of each discharge cycle and stops refreshing when the capacity of each battery isn't improving anymore. With other chargers, you're probably overcharging some of the batteries just to get the others back up to snuff.





LCD

One thing the Maha doesn't have is an LCD readout (though their C-777 model does, maybe next year?). The BC-900 has an individual LCD readout for each battery, which you can set to alternatively display any of 4 different measurements (hours, volts, mA charge/discharge, mAh), in addition to continuous displaying the particular mode each battery is in. The LCD readout retains it's reading (e.g. tested mAh) until the battery is pulled out, making overnight "tests" possible. The LCD makes all the other charger modes informative and practical.



Shame on those other chargers that have LCD indicator bars but no numerical display (some even cost more than the BC-900).



Understand, as great as all the different modes and options of this charger are, without an informative LCD display, they would be "shot's in the dark". With the individual displays, I'm happily recharging batteries, checking the quality of each, refreshing some while storing the "truly" fully charged ones.



With the LCD, I'm getting an idea of just how good a pack of batteries (and hence brand) is.





ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT



Transformer

The current power brick is oriented so that it may block adjacent outlets, so put it on the end of a powerstrip or AVR/UPS unit. My Nokia phone charger has the plugs on the edge so it's really low profile on the outlet.



While the transformer is thankfully a bit slimmer than most external units, it is also a bit longer than most (about 1.75in by 3). It is however Autovolt from 100-240V, although another reviewer mentioned the 3V DC output was sort of a pain.



I wish this charger had a built-in power transformer and a retractable cord.





Cooling fan

Batteries get hot from charging, they'll read hot too. A built-in cooling fan would keep the batteries cooler during charging and probably give a more accurate "just-charged" reading on the LCDs. Some other high end chargers have fans built-in, so I'd hate to see this "ultimate" charger get upstaged by lacking such a common-sense $1 feature.



Free Bag

The unit comes with a free bag which is much roomier than necessary. I could fit my Casio Exilim camera, dock & transformer for the Casio, backup compact film camera along with the battery charger, C/D-cell adapters and 24-pack of batteries in the bag. While I feel sort of silly mentioning a quirk about a free item, the bag is hardly usable as a belt bag since it is so ... baggy.





CONCLUSION

If you ever invest in rechargeable AA/AAA technology, you'll multiply your investment by getting this charger.







UPDATE 7/6/2005:

I've REFRESHed about 8 clunkers so far, 2 NiCads an officemate brought for me to work on (about 2 years old) and 6 Lenmar 2000 batteries.



The results?

NiCad

1 rated at 700, first TESTed at 256, REFRESHed to 677.

2 rated at 700, first TESTed at 344, REFRESHed to 741.



NIMH - done REFRESHing.

1 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 448, REFRESHed to 1507.

2 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 527, REFRESHed to 1820.

3 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 680, REFRESHed to 1488.



NIMH - still REFRESHing.

4 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 435, REFRESHed to 1270+.

5 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 436, REFRESHed to 1713+.

6 rated at 2000, first TESTed at 349, REFRESHed to 1813+.





More Room for Improvement?

Charging Rate Limit (wrt Terminal 1)

The charging rate selected for Terminal 1 (1-4 left to right) is the highest rate you can select for each of the 4 Terminals. I didn't think this would be a big deal, but when you REFRESH batteries at the gentlest rate (200mah charging, 100mah discharging) and the cycle may repeat as many as 20 times ... well, you do the math. I know I didn't have to set it at the gentlest rate, but I figured I shouldn't stress already marginal batteries.



Now, when the battery in Terminal 2 read full (as in Fully Refreshed), I took it out to charge one of the other batteries I had already used up. Enter the Charging Rate Limit. I am limited to 200mah charging (the current setting for the still REFRESHing battery in Terminal 1) and it's driving me nuts! I wish each Terminal had it's full 200-1000mah charging rate available independent of the settings on the other Terminals. La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger - Charger - Nimh - Battery Charger Aa Or Aaa - Rechargeable Batteries'


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Ge Z-wave Lighting Controller - internet thermostat, home automation


Bought the 3-way set and NOT happy with it. I like it's simple style and price point. I actually like the primary switch, the relay is QUIET compared to the noisy Intermatic switches. I find the blue LED a cool nightlight color. As a single-pole switch, I think it's probably good.



However it's NOT a drop-in replacement for existing 3-way switch setups. You will end up having to make some changes, tying the line+load together at switch #1, and providing neutral connects at both switches. Not a huge problem, but this one is:



THE AUXILIARY SWITCH HAS A DISTANCE LIMIT!



Try as I might, I could not get the auxiliary switch to work because it was "too far" from the primary switch. The signalling over the traveller wire is apparently not reliable over longer runs. If only it had mentioned on the box about a distance limit I might not have spent the last 3 hours trying to get it to work. Oh well, off to find a more reliable switch setup.... GE 45614 Z-Wave 3-Way On/Off Switch Kit

Quick Review:If you're converting your 3-way light switches to z-wave controlled ones but want to use fluorescent bulbs, this is the answer. Installation is easy enough once you understand how the switches and light fixtures are wired together. Get them for around $50 here on Amazon.Full Review:I decided to start switching over my home to use z-wave for home automation and needed to find light switches to use around my house. After reading some of the reviews for the 3-way dimmer version of this switch, I opted to go for these to convert my home. I already have fluorescent light bulbs for almost every light fixture and being able to dim most of the lights was not a priority for me.This product is just a GE 45609 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch packaged with an auxiliary switch (GE 45610) so that you can have it control a 3-way (or 4-way, you'll need another aux switch) circuit. It's meant to replace and EXISTING 3-way circuit without any new wiring required. I used these instead of the GE 45613 Z-Wave Technology 3-Way Dimmer Switch Kit due to the fact almost every single light in my house is florescent.To wire the primary switch, you need to have ground, neutral, line (hot), load (to the light), and a travel wire leading to the other switchbox where the aux switch will be located. The aux switch only needs a ground, neutral, and the travel wire that leads back to the primary switch. Now you should be able to check your wiring and verify you have all the needed wires before tearing everything apart. For me, all the neutral wires were bound together, capped off, and shoved to the back of the box.I have installed a total of 3 of these sets now. The first one I installed was one I had ordered from Amazon's warehouse which had been opened and returned (I'm cheap, I'll save $5-10 every chance I get). I spent the better part of 2 days trying to figure out why I couldn't get it working. Finally the idea dawned on me to see if the primary switch worked properly on it's own. Nope, it was DOA, so back to Amazon it went (No that's not the reason I took away a star). Next up, a brand new one. So the brand new one went in as did the aux switch and worked perfectly. Total installation time for the first switch? About 9 hours of me wanting to break things because the first (used) switch was broken and about 30min to install the second (new) switch along with the aux switch. The next 2 sets of 3-way's I installed only took about 15-20min each now that I had the wiring down. I'm not a professional electrician but I'm sure if I kept at this, I could have them installed in about 10min.I think the directions could be expanded to include a few other ways a 3-way circuit can be wired as they only have a diagram showing one of the ways it could be wired. Lack of proper documentation for products is a major annoyance to me and the reason I docked a star. Seriously, pay someone for the extra 2 hours it would take to be thorough for your documentation.Another thing I feel need to mention because I've seen it in other reviews on here is the distance limitation between the switches. One of my switches is about 18 feet apart straight-line distance across the room. This doesn't account for the extra 4' on either end to get up the wall to the ceiling or the fact I have a vaulted ceiling it has to cross. The shortest my wiring can possibly be is ~30'and my aux switch has no issue turning the light on and off. Quick hints:

-Wire in the primary after removing both switches from the old 3-ways and make sure it will turn on and off the light. Then you can move on and install the aux switch.

-Mark the wires as you take them off the switch!

-Check and double-check you're hooking up the correct wire to the correct spot on the switch. You'll feel stupid having to undo it all when you mix up the line and load wires.

-If you have 2 or more of these installed next to one another, you'll need to break off the tabs on the side so they can fit close enough together to put the decorative plate over them. Only break off the ones you need to get them to fit.

-For double- and triple-gang installations, I just daisy-chained the neutral (same with the hot/line) because it was just easier than pulling out the whole bundle for me. (No idea if this follows local wiring code but it's working just fine.)Other Thoughts;The blue LED isn't extremely bright and doesn't bother me. By default, it is ON when the switch if OFF and OFF when the switch is ON. It can help someone unfamiliar with the light switch location to find it in the dark. If you have an advanced remote, you can switch it so the LED is ON when the switch is ON. You can also install the switch upside-down and flip it to the correct way using an advanced remote. I haven't tested either of these because the default is what I needed.I have paired these switches to a couple different types of remotes and it has worked fine with all of them, A Go Control panel, one of the basic GE remotes, and a Intermatic HA-07 remote. Hurray for interoperability!You can hear the relay in the switch click when your turn it on and off. Not really a big deal because my old switches clicked when I flipped them on and off. I think you might notice it a lot more if you use the remote to turn the lights on and off. I've gotten used to it and barely even notice it anymore.These take up a lot more space in the electrical boxes but I didn't have any issues with not being able to get them to fit properly. - Zwave - Internet Thermostat - Home Automation - Vera'


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Small Animal - rabbit, alligator


My Ferret, Benny, used to spend all day playing. So when I saw this sweet beret I thought Benny would love it. I was right. When I first gave him the beret he would run about and model his new found hat. Eventually he started becoming more lethargic.



Now he spends his days in front of a blank canvas doing nothing. I can only imagine he is trying to spark his creative vision. I used to have a playful little buddy, now I have an out-of-work aspiring artist with a cute hat. Marshall Ferret Cap, Pink Knit

I was very worried that my ferret wouldn't fit in on the streets of Paris being an American weasel. Once I placed this well made beret upon his little head, he was treated just like a Parisian native and they even forgave his accent. A must for the ferret going abroad in these dangerous times!

My ferret Jacque has quite the wardrobe - plaid golf shorts, 2 tuxedos, a smoking jacket, and a seeming-endless supply of tank tops. He always mentioned that he needed something to capture the true essence of Jacque, however.



The Marshall Ferret Beret was just the ticket.



It comes packaged nicely, with a generic brown box, which hides the true treasure within. Although Jacque was asleep when it arrived (he spends 14-18 hours a day asleep and only really gets up around the hours of dawn and dusk...as most ferrets are prone to do), once he awoke, he was quite surprised. In fact, I would describe his reaction as "knocked for six."



The only problem I found is that this hat is not really "one size fits all". As we all know, ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. Jacque being a mister, means this domepiece barely fits on his noggin...please, begin making this hot beret in male and female sizes.

Finally a way for my sweet ferret, Vincent Van Stanks, to express his truly artistic nature. He only bit me a little when I put it on. Also looks comical on the dog, for whom I also purchased one. He simply looks at me wearily whenever I make him don it. I make tiny baguettes and bรขtards to place in the tiny baskets on their tiny (and tinier) bicycles. Brrring brrring!

My ferret, Dusty, had been exhibiting signs of hob pattern baldness, and was having no luck finding himself a "jill." His sexual frustrations became my frustrations, as every soft, slightly elongated object in the house was used for Dusty's personal prison skank.



I had to do something to help him find a mate.



Then, I chanced to peruse Marshall's pet hair and head product line on Amazon. Eureka! The Marshall Ferret Beret, black, $5.99 would make him the Arthur Fonzarelli of the weasel world.



It was not long after placing this fine head wear upon his cranium that Dusty was strutting down the sidewalk a-la Tony Manero. Oh, the confidence. Watch out Sylvester Stallone. Dusty's in the mix, lookin' tight, yo. Although, given the fairly strong anti-French sentiment that's become somewhat pervasive in our neighborhood, Dusty gets cheese and wine thrown at him from time to time.

It is verry cute on my ferret. He dose not like it to much. If u want things like this for ur ferret i would suggest u get them when ur ferret is still a baby or plan on spending a lot of time geting ur ferret used to it or they will do whatever they can to get it off.

this is for people who want to embarass their ferrets by making them wear a goofy looking hat (that would be us) cannot think of another purpose for this item. weasel isn't too crazy about wearing it but for the pics we got it was well worth the price and effort. - Pets - Pet Pen - Rabbit - Alligator'


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Panasonic Lumix - panasonic lumix, panasonic


Purchased camera for an upcoming trip. Wanted a point and shoot that was pocket sized and took good pictures. I was going to get a Canon Powershot but then started looking at Panasonic. I feel like I got more for my money. Maybe because Panasonic is not yet a household name in cameras. A few clicks online will reveal they are "joined at the hips" with Leica.



Using the iA mode delivered great pictures everytime. Did not take a bad picture yet, the smarts built-in really work! Focusing time is short, but you have to let the camera focus before pressing all the way. Zoom is great for such a small package, but image stabilization is a must without tripod. Also has wide angle lens which is a plus, not readily available in competing models. Have not played with any of the scene modes, I let iA handle that. And when I'll need the manual modes, I'll be reaching for the dSLR where I can play with buttons.



Played briefly with the video mode and was happily surprised. It is not a camcorder replacement, but it is better than expected. Sreen is large and bright under all experienced conditions so far. It does have a mode that adjusts LCD brightness to ambient light automatically. I do miss the viewfinder but I would trade a bigger LCD for a poor viewfinder anytime. Great point and shoot camera so far, good optics, it does what it should. Will probably look for a second battery soon, but I am a little confused at moment on which one to buy. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Red)

First off. I'm not a professional photographer. I'm an average joe that loves to take pictures.Before I left on my trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming I knew I wanted a point and shoot camera. So, being a Nikon man, I looked at the Coolpix but when I started reading all of the great reviews on the FH20, I decided to give it a shot. The battery life, the 8x optical zoom, intelligent auto, 14 megapixel all make this camera remarkable. But it's the ease of use (I never opened the manual) and the fact that there is abosolutely no shutter delay.I shot with this camera 10 to 12 hours per day and still had juice left at the end of the day. To give it to you in a nutshell.This little camera that I carried around in the front pocket of my trek pants for 6 days, packs one hellava wallup!!!...Panasonic has done it!! And the FH20 is by far top of the line in point and shoot. I'm completely sold. Get this camera and I promise you will come back here and rave about it!! I just wish that I could somehow attach a couple of pics that I shot with this camera so as to show you just how stunning your pics will be.

I've used a Canon for many years, recently bought the ultra compact Canon SP790IS. My original Canon was slowly giving out. Did research and checked out the FH1,FH3, FP8 and the FH20 along with the Canon 790. Received this camera several days ago, this FH20 rocks. Pictures are really very, very good. I couldn't believe it. The size is great, ease of use is beyond belief. I'm an artist and use my camera to take pictures of lighthouses, old barns and interesting buildings. This camera gives me what I'm looking for and more. So glad I took the plunge. As the first reviewer said she read a test of the FH20 by a pro photograher, I read the same article and it's all GOOD. I'd receommend this camera above all others. Thanks Amazon, once again you came through for me as did Panasonic.

There are a lot of good things about this litte camera.

1. It's little. I purchased this for a hiking trip to California, so I needed it to be easily stowable. It is.

2. Ease of use. My previous camera was a Cannon, and I did not find there was any learning curve in adapting to a different menu set-up. I love the quick menu- it is incredibly convenient.

3. Ability to switch between file sizes easily. All on the quick menu.

4. Very good picture quality. I've been spoiled by Cannon, but Panasonic did OK.



My biggest complaint: the zoom. I wanted to upgrade my zoom from the 4x I had on my Cannon to something with a little more...Ooomph. I figured the 8x would be great. Except for the fact that this camera can't seem to be able to focus between 3x and 6x. If I'm set to one extreme or the other (either zoomed all the way back or all the way in), it's fine. But as I zoom in the camera can't seem to find a spot to focus on. I've tried pushing down the button slightly, getting the zoom box and trying to show the camera where I wanted it to focus on, but that doesn't work either. I've tried other cameras with high zoom and have not run into the same issue. As the camera zooms, the focus stays true. The FH20 starts off focused, gets blurry, and then focuses again. Pretty disappointing performance when you're trying to shoot landscapes, and everything seems to be in that middle range.



All in all this camera was an OK purchase. I like the burst shooting and the video recording, although I think it would have been better to add the video feature to the quick menu.

Ordered the camera and did not realize it did not come with a memory card. No big deal as it has 40mb of built in memory. Took it for a weekend trip to Dumont Dunes. It took 8 photos (at max resolution) and I simply loaded them on my MacBook, deleted, and took more. Great pictures, fair video (with limited memory we had to take short ones)but overall a great little camera. The "automatic mode" makes using it a snap. A great value, in my opinion.

We got this camera and took it to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. My daughter took hundreds of photos in the castle, which was nothing but low light situations. She also took hundreds of the village in the evening. Again, low light. I can count on one hand the pictures that didn't work out, and those happened solely with attempts to photograph 3D holograms. Everything else came out perfectly.



I bought an extra battery to be safe and it wasn't necessary - one battery took us easily through a full day of picture taking.



The camera is idiot proof: put it on intelligent auto, point and shoot, and you will get gorgeous photos. At this price, this camera is outstanding! - Panasonic - Panasonic Lumix - Lumix - Digital Camera'


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Data Cables - samsung, galaxy s


I ordered these cables on Amazon after pricing them all over the web. They arrived in just over four days, well in advance of the estimated delivery date. The cables are Samsung OEM stock, exactly as advertised. Data transfer and charging works just fine on my Samsung Vibrant.



From one of the posted reviews I knew the cable would be considerably shorter than the cable that came with my cell phone, and it is. I measured it at 30" which is actually quite shorter than you might think. Consider where you will be charging your phone from, or where you'll need to place your phone in relation to your computer or DC plug in your car and make sure 30" is enough. But for $1.29, you can't beat it.



One very positive note. The cable was priced at $1.29, with shipping stated to be $3.98. I bought four cables but was not charged $3.98 shipping for each cable. Instead, I was charged $7.96, which would be for two cables. I'm sure weight had something to do with it. Place the items in your cart and carefully view the shipping charges before placing the order. Samsung Replacement USB Data Charging Cable for Samsung SPH-M330, SCH-R100, SGH-T939, SCH-R850

I ordered two of these cables and while the price is right I really wonder about the quality. Both cables appear to be OEM stock, but one is only 30" while the other is closer to 58". While the individual wrappers for each cable had the same barcode, the actual product numbers on the cables themselves differ. The product number on the 30" cord matches that which is advertised here while the product number on the other cable did not. It really seems that what's being sold here is second-hand stock.

I wanted to have a second sync and charging cable at my office so I don't have to carry one around. This cable is packed with a Samsung label so it's not a no-name product.



It's half as long as the cable that came with my phone. That's great. The original one is too big to carry around and there is less clutter on my desktop from excess wire.



It's less stiff than the original -- again, better for transporting.



It does both sync and charging for my Samsung Focus Windows Phone 7.



The price was fair and I like all of its qualities.

Here's the deal folks: This seller is more than likely getting overstock from various companies, and they sort them out and resell. They don't list the length of the cables for this reason. I ordered 4 and two of them were 2ft, and the other two were 4ft. All four of them were the original Samsung OEM micro-usb cabled though, so I did receive the pictured products. These are official "Samsung" branded cables.



Be aware that you may get different sized cables, but I would request a refund for any cable that isn't the OEM connector. I use these for my Samsung Captivate phone, and they work perfectly (other non-OEM connectors did not have a good fit since the plug area is recessed into the phone). If you phone is like this, then get these cables!!



Some of the reviews posted here are in the wrong place, and belong in the "seller feedback" section. If the seller sends you the right cables, then they are perfect! On a side note... To those that need more than 2-4 ft of cable, Why don't you just buy a USB extension cable? [If you get an extension cable, I would recommend keeping the total length at 6ft or less due to signal attenuation.]

Not a Samsung Replacement for Galaxy S, does not fit into socket. Not the Item in the picture. You can hold it in place if you are in a pinch, otherwise, this thing is useless. I'm going to try and shave the housing and see if i can get it to click in.

Affordable charging cables that fit the very tight micro USB socket on the Samsung Captivate as well as working fine with my Nook and other micro USB devices. At these prices, I am very satisfied because my mobile lifestyle demands that I have a half dozen short cords plugged in here and there.

This genuine Samsung data / charging cable is the same one that came with my Sprint "Moment" cell phone. Cheap price, genuine brand name, micro USB -- nothing more need be said. Grab one with confidence if you need it! - Data Cables - Galaxy S - Captivate - Samsung'


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Iphone Earphones - iphone, iphone earphones


I needed a new headset after my last one gave out to my foot (Yep stepped on it). I bought this headset to take calls and what can I say? It does what it says fine. The vocal quality is decent. I wasn't expecting much and I felt I got a decent bargain out of it. I wouldn't recommend these if you are looking for a music headphone replacement but for taking calls, these are better than any of the really crappy stuff you find in your local Riteaid, CVS, Savon or Walgreens. High Quality 3.5mm Black Color Stereo Handsfree Headset with Answer Button for Apple iPhone - Iphone Earphones - Headphones - Iphone - Earbuds'


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Htc Evo Shift 4g Case - htc evo shift 4g case


This case is awsome for the HTC EVO Shift! It covers the phone perfectly and it also secures the input plugs by being covered and the covers being flexible to remove to use the plugs. Also what I like about the case is that it has a perfect cushion inside of the case to protect the phone if dropped.

Ofcoarse there is always a down hill to things...when you put the case on your phone. It will be alittle difficult for you to open your phone freely to text or for whatever you use your qwerty key board for. But since I got it I'm enjoying the otter box case very much :-) OtterBox Commuter Series Hybrid Case for HTC EVO Shift - 1 Pack - Retail Packaging (Black)

I just received this case after a long backorder from Amazon. I have owned Otterbox cases and loved them on several previous phones, so I had very high expectations. I was a little concerned on opening up the package to see it in 3 pieces, one thin plastic front, a heavier plastic back, and the rubberized middle. It was the thin plastic front and the flimsy way all the pieces felt on opening that really caused concern.



After finding the directions (printed on the inside of the cardboard packaging), I put the case together on the phone. It was pretty obvious how they all went together, but the order is important. I was very pleasantly surprised how well the case clamped together and hugged the phone. Another worry was how the case would accommodate the sliding keyboard. Thankfully, there is no issue with the keyboard, it slides smoothly but with a nice firmness.



After final assembly and immediate testing, it performs as well as my previous Otterbox cases. It seems to provide excellent protection, covers all the inputs with easy to remove rubber covers (that remain attached, of course). All press through buttons such as volume and power press easily through the rubber. The ONLY gripe I have is the rubber around the top side (speaker side) of the phone seems a little loose. I mean very little, almost as if there is just a hair too much rubber. It does not effect the use of the phone, its really just a minor fit/finish issue. This is the only reason I have it 4 instead of 5 stars.



I will continue to swear by and purchase Otterbox products in the future.

This is the premiere case for the HTC Evo Shift. I spent a month or so trying to use a cheaper one that I found on EBay and I am so thankful I spent the extra coin to get this sucker. This is my first Otterbox case, and I can safely say that its reputation for making a quality product is completely justified.



Pros:



(1) It's solid. It doesn't budge when you slide out the keyboard and it just feels like it's a quality product that will last the life of your phone and then some. Other cheapo cases cannot live up to this standard.



(2) It doesn't add to the weight or thickness of the phone to an unreasonable extent. Some "heavy duty" cases can make your phone seem like it's from the 1980s because they add so much plastic to it, but this case is streamlined and uses its materials in an efficient manner.



(3) It works seamlessly with the phone components. You can tell Otterbox took their time getting everything right, because the way the ports and the camera line up with the case make it seem like the case is actually part of the phone. Takes about 30 seconds to snap on, and then it feels like it will never come off after that without the use of a crowbar (I don't mean this is a con, I just mean it to say that it won't budge during use).



Cons: Nada.



Buy this product, it's worth the extra money and you will not be disappointed.

OtterBox lives up to its name and reputation with this product. It's nearly flawless and I'm very happy with the money I spent.



Pros:

-Easy to snap on the unit, including the screen protector (comes with a handy applicator tool)

-Case looks and feels like it's part of the phone, adding just a little bit of bulk (which I actually like a lot after having another HTC phone with more heft - the Shift just felt flimsy)

-Access to all ports is simple and easy

-Case actually stays on and protects when the phone is dropped, unlike every other case I've had from the phone company stores



Cons:

-Slide-out keyboard's top row of buttons are annoying to touch. I'm still adjusting to the added bulk of the case in that area. I use the slide-out keyboard a lot - it's the primary reason I purchased the Shift rather than some of the other slick phones from Sprint. I think I'll adjust to it soon enough, but I have tiny little fingers. I can't imagine what it'd be like if you had wider digits than me!



Meh:

-Rubber part of case loves lint and dust and moves almost too easily. It's great for the port access - so easy to flip up - but not so great for pocket storage. I just look dirty sometimes when I pull out the phone.



Overall, I love it. The slide-out keyboard is not seriously compromised for me, but I would think others might want to think carefully about how much they or the person they are getting this for will use the slide-out keyboard, and finger size would make a big difference in how it might or might not work out. Since I think that the Shift touch keyboard is pretty awful, I assume a lot of people would find themselves wanting to tap actual keys. - Htc Evo Shift 4g Case'


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Screen Protector - accessories, clear


I wanted to make sure I didn't mess up my iPod cuz I'm not a fan of paying alot of money for something and then it gets messed up. So I ordered these and am very happy with the product. It went on smooth and there aren't any bubbles at all. I'm writing this review from the iPod and I'm not having any trouble at all! It's smooth and perfect. This is a great screen protector; and I recommend it to anyone who wants to protect their iPod screen. splash 3-Pack of Masque Screen Protector for iPod touch 4G (Clear)

I ordered my Splash Screen Protector on October 31st from BlueHarborOnline and I received it on November 4th; fast shipping and the screen protector showed up in a normal envelope.



As stated, the product comes with 3 screen protectors, a cleaning swab, cardboard application card, & instructions. Its application is truly simple. You have protective plastic on both sides of the screen protector with tabs to remove the protective plastic.



Clean the iPod screen thoroughly and start the application process in a room with a low possibility of floating lint in the air such as a bathroom. When you're satisfied with the screen, take the included swab and cover the screen to prevent any floating lint from attaching while you are removing the first tab on the protector.



As soon as you remove the first tab, take the swab off the iPod and apply the protector at an angle, not all at once. Do not wait once you remove the first tab or floating lint may attach to the adhesive that you just exposed. When applying at an angle, if an undiscovered piece of lint shows up on the screen you can quickly remove the protector, swab it off and continue. The protector will create a bubble around any piece of lint so be careful. The cutout of the front-facing camera is overcut so if you line up the home button, the camera will definitely line up as well. You also have a little overcut on the home button so it doesn't have to perfect.



Once all sides of the protector are on the screen then it difficult, but not impossible, to remove it should you need to redo the application with an second screen protector. There is no residue left on the screen if you have to try again. Push all the air bubbles out with the cardboard while the second layer of protective plastic is still on. Don't worry if you see scratches on the protector, those are on the out most layer of protective plastic. If you have applied the protector with a lint bubble, then you will have to pry off the protector and start again with a new one. Air bubbles will come out easily however. Once all air bubbles are gone and you are satisfied, pull on the second tab to remove the second layer of protective plastic. It will appear that the screen protector was never really applied. The only way you'd be able to tell is by looking at the overcut of the front-facing camera.



It personally took me 3 tries to get this right. This was, however, my first time applying a screen protector and I suggest you follow the preceding instructions with detail.



Overall, I'd recommend this screen protector to anyone because its so easy to apply and relatively cheap for its quality and a pack of three.

I was amazed at this product.

As soon as you finish applying it, it DISAPPEARS. like a ninja.

You can't tell it's there!



To those people who rated this 2 or 3 stars, disregard them.

Applying this is SIMPLE.



They send you three. You'll only need one.

The key is to peel off only the top, and apply that firmly before proceeding to apply the rest.

You cant peel it all off and then apply it. That'll be harder.



The holes are a bit bigger than the camera or the home button, respectively.

And aligning them perfectly will be an arduous task, but fear not, it's still simple and still looks good.

This is a really good product for the price.



My only complaint was that the cleaning cloth attracted more dust than get rid of it.

Luckily I was able to remove all the dust and create ZERO bubbles.



I'm more than satisfied. I recommend.

This is one of the better screen protector products I've seen. The application is VERY simple. The protective covering that applies to the screen comes between two stiff plastic applicators. You peel off #1 and then apply the protector to the Touch. This stiff plastic allows the actual product to remain true to its form and not curl up, fall over on itself or bend. You can hold it by the edge and therefore eliminate fingerprints on the sticky side. After you get it lined up, it falls nicely in to place without massive bubbles. You then peel off #2 and you're done.



It comes with a cloth so that you can clean the screen before application. This is the most important step, because even one little speck of dust or dirt will get trapped. You get 3 screen protectors per package so if this happens, you have backups.



I highly recommend this product. - Ipod Touch 4g - Screen Protector - Accessories - Clear'


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Monitor Stand - lcd monitor stand, 2009 amazon frustration-fre


If you own a laptop and use an external LCD monitor or you are just looking to sneak some small peripherals or desk accessories beneath your monitor or an inkjet printer, look no further. The MetalArt Jr. is a classy alternative to molded plastic stands intended for beafier CRT monitors. I ordered the product to use as a stand for a 17" LCD monitor. Not only does it raise the monitor to the ideal height, but it is spaced perfectly to store my IBM T40 laptop and docking station neatly beneath. The perforated metal at the top of the stand allows air to flow freely and keeps both the laptop and monitor cool.The description doesn't give the dimensions of the stand, which are very important since its size is not traditional, so I'll list them here (from the manufacturer): 11" x 15" x 4.5". Allsop 27021 Metal Art Jr Monitor Stand (Pewter)

This is a terrific (and relatively inexpensive) monitor stand, particularly if your desk space is limited; the design allows things to be slid under it. However, Amazon's photo is slightly misleading. The stand is not a silver color (or "pewter" as the item description says); it's a light gray-green.

The Allsop MetalArt Jr. is an amazing laptop stand, especially considering how low the price is compared to many other laptop stands. ($50+ for a piece of bent metal? No thank you.)



I use this in conjunction with my MacBook connected to a keyboard and mouse for when I'm at my desk. Not only does it put the MacBook's screen at a more comfortable level, but it also has plenty of room underneath for tape dispensers, staplers, books, or even an external hard drive.



It's very well built and sturdy, and my MacBook has been running between 4-5ยบ C cooler, which, for a notebook, is quite a substantial amount of heat dissipation. The stand is a stylish gunmetal gray, and is sure to make any desk-bound notebook computing much more bearable.

I bought this stand to support my 15" laptop. What's important is that there is room on the underneath sides for your hand(s) to slide over and quickly grab a mouse/tablet/pen. In other words, there are no front legs to get in your way; just really long feet, FTW. With this stand I can fit my small (Happy Hacking) keyboard right under my laptop, between the feet. Unfortunately, this stand is pretty short, ~3". So hands barely fit on keyboard sitting underneath. However, the metal is just pliable enough that, with all my strength, I was able to bend the legs down ~2". Now I have 5" clearance for my hands, and the laptop (and screen) are at a more comfortable viewing height (with a dry-eraser propping the back to make level). It's also nice that now my unused laptop built-in keyboard can serve as a mini-table for documents or whatever.



This stand is probably strong enough to sit on, and I'm sure it's the cheapest you'll find for this purpose. And with a little man-handling it's adjustable to whatever size you need.

Ugh. Just got this in the mail from Amazon. As another reviewer mentioned, it is NOT chrome-plated or even painted silver. It is sort of baby-poop green. It will not match your monitor, keyboard, etc. unless painted.



Even worse, it is NOT FLAT. I put my wide-screen LCD on it, and the weight does not appear to be an issue, but since the monitor has a wide, round base and the metal of the stand is bowed, it wobbles from side to side.



Bottom line: it doesn't meet the basic quality criteria for a monitor stand. I will not be buying any more products from Mr. Allsop.

This works perfectly with my 17" flat screen monitor. It's exactly what I wanted. It's about 14.5 x 11 x 4.5. I would have bought the larger size for a larger space, but this is great with the small space I have to work in.

I bought this stand for my monitor, with the intention of putting my laptop beneath. I works great for this. My Macbook is a 13 in (space beneath is ~14'' (btwn the legs) by 10''--in case you're wondering; but your laptop could always stick out a little in front or behind). Some reviewers didn't like the color; it's not silver, more of a grey-olivey color, but it doesn't look bad by any means. (I think it just depends upon what you're expecting.) It's very stable, doesn't move or wiggle around, even if I bump my desk (which I do often). I like it very much and would recommend it to others. My computer gets plenty of circulation. Plus you can't beat the price.

I got this so I could place my 20" LCD HDTV on top of my xbox 360. The space underneth is PERFECT for this use. The dimentions are just slightly bigger than the xbox by still enough to allow plenty of air flow.



It also is quite sturdy an could hold a fairly heavy TV or monitor.



As for looks, it rather simple and not going to "go with" many decores! But works great and I would highly recommend it!

when I had an xbox 360 I used this stand for ventilation and it worked out great.. now I use it as a laptop stand and it works even bettta. :)

I want the bigger one for my monitor but.. $30... eff that man - Notebook Stand - Lcd Monitor Stand - Laptop Stand - 2009 Amazon Frustration-fre'


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Wednesday 30 March 2011

Financial Calculator - business calculator, calculator


Finally! This is a superb upgrade to TI's previous BA II product. I hated the previous model with a passion given the near "touchless" keypad (allowing for frustrating key entry). THIS is the calculator that I would want to use for the CFA exam (did I mention how much I HATED the previous TI BA calculator??).



For those thinking of the HP12C line, I had a 12C for many years and loved it. However, after it got ruined due to a playful two year old, I bought a new one and found it cheaply made compared to the one I bought in the 80's (very disappointing) and have since abandoned using it. Interestingly, I found the following calculation example from a review of the HP 12C Platinum edition to be very interesting: "If possible, I would suggest that potential users and buyers try this data set on both the 12C and 12cP before buying. Clear register. Find [i] after input [PMT]=-1458;[FV]=0,[n]=84,[PV]=103600. The HP12C would take 20 seconds "running" while the HP12cP would take about 30 seconds to give the same answer [i]=0.4059!"



How long for the BA II Plus Professional? I timed it at about one second.



As calculators go, this is a mighty sweet device -- especially given the clear HP-like display viewable at all angles!! Count me as a definite TI BA II convert! Texas Instruments BA II Plus Professional Financial Calculator

OPENING NOTES:

Just to clarify, this is a financial calculator, essentially the same calculator as the "Texas Instruments BA II Plus Advanced Financial Calculator" but with a cosmetic make-over.





PROS:

- Very attractive appearance.

- Nice "firm-touch" keypad.

- A couple of additional functions (compared to the BA II Plus Advanced).





CONS:

- Leatherette soft case instead of hard case.

- Approx. $21 more (at time of writing) than BA II Plus Advanced.





REVIEW:

This is a very nice calculator. It is full-featured financial calculator with an attractive appearance. The brushed metal face has a polished metal inset to highlight the primary financial function buttons. I like the button layout (which is the same on both the Professional and Advanced models), and preferred it over that of the HP 10bII financial calculator, which I thought had poorly-marked non-financial functions.



The calculator has a solid feel that is consistent with its metal look, and that is further reinforced by the "firm-touch" keypad. Personally, I like the feel of the firm-touch keys and prefer it over a regular keypad, as is found on the BA II Plus Advanced.



My one complaint about the BA II Plus Professional (and the reason I rated it as 4 stars instead of 5) is that it has a soft case instead of a hard case. While the soft case will help protect from superficial marring, it won't protect the calculator from impact or pressure damage, or from accidentally pressing buttons (such as "On") when carrying it. For the extra $21 more than the Advanced model, it would be nice if the Professional model came with a case that will actually protect it.





SUMMARY:

- If you plan to keep your financial calculator around for a while or will use it a lot, and want something nice, then I would recommend this calculator. (I basically think of it as an investment in something I will continue to use for several years.)



- If you think you would prefer a more firm-feeling keypad, then I would recommend this calculator.



- If you are just buying a financial calculator for a finance class and don't plan on getting much use out of it afterward, and don't need the additional functions of the Professional version (which are advertised as being "Net Future Value (NFV), Modified Internal Rate of Return (MIRR), Modified Duration, Payback, and Discount Payback"), then I would recommend saving some bucks and getting the Advanced model of the BA II Plus.

Have been a stalwart HP financial calculator user for over two decades...started with an HP41 in college with financial templates. I always admired HPs for the durable build, ease-of-use (once you got over the RPN hurdle) and displays. I finally needed to replace my over decade old HP 12C and the newer HPs simply do not impress me. Cheaper (as in WAY cheaper!) build...the HPs that came from Malaysia were fantastic calculators...solid keystrokes, superior grade of plastics, the whole nine yards. The newer HPs are made of a plastic that is a giant step backwards. The keys are now laughable, no 'HP Feel' to them at all.



I took all of this in and thought to myself, 'I guess everything is getting cheaper, nowadays...'. Then I ran a NPV calculation at the store and was downright shocked to see it ran slower than my old HP. The one thing I thought MIGHT save the purchase (i.e. cheaper plastic but faster processor) didn't happen. I tried all of the newer HPs...the one display model of the OLDER HP12 (the non-Platinum model and still made in Malaysia) definitely runs TVM calculations quicker. This is NOT how to impress old bankers with a new product.



Time to check out the Texas Instruments BA II Plus Professional. At first glance, to an old HP user, I thought it really LOOKED TI-ish; that is to say, very non-HP. But upon pressing a key or two, I was impressed that TI at least made an attempt at obtaining the old 'HP Feel' to their keys. Not as 'pretty' as HP's angled keys, but good tactile feedback and get this: If you'll hold up the TI BA II PP horizontally and sight down the keys, you'll see they are actually angled! Nice touch, TI.



Nicely laid out TVM section (my only reason for owning a financial calculator, thus supremely important to me) and intuitive to boot. Speed of calculation simply SMOKES current HPs...there is absolutely NO CONTEST. A complex Internal Rate of Return took two to three seconds. TI hasn't been simply sitting around and 'repackaging' anything; whatever is under the hood of this calculator is current and fast.



The rest of the calculator is nicely laid out...keys are pretty much TI convention, which to me is different. I miss a prominent ENTER key.



Likes: I like TI's 'CHAIN' calculation mode. It's similar to RPN without the ENTER keystroke. Remember this if this is your first financial calculator: Most financial calculations are run in CHAIN or RPN mode (and, sadly, no, the TI doesn't support TRUE RPN), not the Algebraic Operation System (AOS). To TI's credit, the calculator defaults to CHAIN calculation (for newbies, this just means that the calculator runs the operation AS IT IS ENTERED; NOT following Algebraic heirarchy of operations). But it is nice that TI recognizes how financial people enter calculations and, unlike other TI calculators, AOS is NOT the default entry mode.



Love the fact that the compounding rate is defaulted to 1, not 12 (HPs always default to 12). Love the fact that interest is always entered as a whole interest number (it divides it for you, automatically). Good, not great, manual. Battery access is very easy. Quality looks genuinely good, but time will be the only final arbiter on this one, but the product appears to be (in my highest compliment) equal to older HPs in every respect.



Dislikes? Quibbling ones to be sure, but the compounding rate mentioned above is a pain to get too; I must have looked 30 minutes in the manual to finally find it (hint: you have to use the Down Arrow key to roll through a series of selections to get it...and it's NOT the first choice). Wish for (on all financial calculators, not just TI) normal AA or AAA batteries...why the manufacturers have to insist on the round, hearing aid style battery is beyond me. I mean, really, how big is a AAA battery?



Wish TI would step up to the plate and offer some mortgage/realty functions in a financial calculator without forcing a user to own 2 calculators. Wish it were programmable, which is just a follow-on to the mortgage/realty/specialized functions.



If TI offered this same model with enhanced functions, programmability and a normal battery, HP could give up the calculator market.



As it stands, a worthy heir to the older HP calculators. I'm sorry to see HP cheapen the product so badly, but TI will gain market share on this one. A solid keeper. - Calculator - Finance Calculator - Cfa - Business Calculator'


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