Electronic Shop: September 2011

Friday 30 September 2011

Dvr Expander - esata, external hard drive

eSATA offers greatly increased speeds over USB or Firewire. When I gleefully purchased my 1TB Fantom G-force Greendrive Esata/usb 2.0 I did what I always do - bought an inexpensive generic cable for it. I've never had a problem with other types of cables when trying to save a few bucks, but I learned the hard way that for eSATA, all cables are NOT created equally. Learn from my mistake and do NOT waste money on cheap eSATA cables; if they work at all (cheap cable #1 was DoA), you will find the cable doesn't maintain a proper connection and drive access will be intermittent (cheap cable #2), which can be disastrous for data integrity.

I suspect a large part of this stems from the overall (IMHO) poor design of eSATA connectors in the first place. eSATA doesn't appear to snap as securely into place as firewire or USB, and whomever came up with the eSATA standard chose not to add screws or other fasteners to compensate for this. The problem is compounded by the stiffness of these cables, and in my case, the fact that I must use an eSATA ExpressCard adapter that causes the cable to extend an extra 3" from my laptop - making it vulnerable to being jarred or bumped. In addition, my setup requires a twist in the relatively inflexible cable to connect to my external hard drive, also adding strain.

Since I purchased the SIIG CB-SA0111-S1 3.3-Feet Serial ATA External Cable, I have had zero problems with connectivity. It works flawlessly despite the (again, IMHO) design flaws inherent in the eSATA standard. I highly recommend this cable to anyone for their eSATA needs. SIIG CB-SA0111-S1 3.3-Feet Serial ATA External Cable

Some other eSATA cables don't work with TiVo Series 3 machines because their connectors are too fat and stubby to fit the TiVo's recessed eSATA socket. This SIIG cable fits the TiVo perfectly - I used it to add a Seagate external drive to my Series 3 with no problems.

I recently purchased 2 1TB WD My DVR Expander external hard drives. My dvrs did not read the WD HDs and I tried over and over with no success. After reading customer reviews for the WDs I discovered that changing the stock cable to this cable had worked for some others that had the same problem. (yes, i too thought this seemed way too easy of a fix) But, YES it worked and both WDs were read the first time !!!

Note: One would think that a company like Western Digital would use a better cable rather than risk having problems ???

I bought this cable because it was recommended on a forum to fix the crappy connection between the Tivo and the expansion drive with the included cable. It cured my connection issues, now the expansion drive "just works".

The SIIG serial cables might be a little more expensive than the generic cables but well worth it.

These are also not as flexabile as the cheaper cables, which I now learned the hard way that they should be.

The SIIG's have moved at least 20 terabytes these last few months and have yet to find errors after verification.

I now also use then to verify if the external HDD has any errors and utility work.

Do your self a favor and bypass lower quality cables.

I saved a few bucks and lost gigs of data due to coruption and problematic connection issues with lower quality generic cables.

Trouble shooting is imposible with bad cabels.

Works fine with a 1 TB Western Digital and Segates, as long as the external and SATA HDW has decent BIOS.

I ordered this cable because the DVR expander drive reviews say that it doesn't work with the cable that comes with it.

This cable actually arrived before the drive did which was great.

Sure enough the drive did not work using the cable that comes with the drive. When I connected the cable that I bought, the Drive was immediately recognized. Everything works as it should and I couldn't be happier.

I used this cable to attach the 1TB eSATA WDG1S10000VN hard drive to my TivoHD and it has been working perfectly for over 2 weeks now. I am glad I followed the advice of other reviewers in using this cable instead of the one that comes with the drive. - External Hard Drive - Dvr Expander - Esata - Hard Drive'

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Energy Savings - motion-activate, convenience

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After finding that the three linked lights in my utility room (which I always seem to enter with a load in my hands) would not work with a light switch sensor, I decided to try this device. It solved my problem and I am no longer dropping items as I struggle to turn the lights on. I appreciate this device even more each time I carry something into my storage area. First Alert PIR725 Compact Fluorescent Bulb Compatible Motion Sensing Socket

Our old house has the old pull chains for the closet lights to turn them on and off. Well over the years several have broke and I have finally gotten sick of fixing them. So, I looked for some other way to get light in there without hiring an electrician to rewire. Then I came upon this device and thought I would give it a try. I hooked it up in our main bedroom closet - you just pretty much screw in the device and then your light bulb. Close the door and 5 minutes latter: it turns on and off by motion - That's it.

It worked so well, I installed them in all our closets and the basement tool room.

Edit: Just found one issue to let you know about. You need about 2 feet clearance going down at a 45* angle on all sides for this to work perfectly (if that makes sense). So if the light bulb is right next to a wall or there are things placed right next to it; it will have problems turning on thru motion - you will have to wave your hand to get it to turn on. Overall thou I still think it works great and only had a problem with our one closet that had a shelf high up right next to the light bulb.

Bought this motion sensor on/off light because it allowed use of CFLs. The first one worked for a week and then stopped working. Ace Hardware learned of the defect through an email I sent the company and right away agreed to replace it. I've had the replacement in for about five days and so far, so good.First Alert PIR725 Compact Fluorescent Bulb Compatible Motion Sensing Socket

I like the main garage light to turn on when I enter the garage without me (or especially my mother-in-law) hitting the wrong switches among the set of switches that control the garage doors and the other lights. And for it to turn off without needing absent-minded ones to remember.

I had the old style motion-sensitive light, such as First Alert PIR720RN Motion Sensing Light Socket, which works ok for old 60w incandescent bulb, but not for new, low wattage fluorescent bulbs.

This works for me just as promised.

Another home problem solved.

Put it in the ceiling light socket in the garage and it's worked perfectly since the first day. The instructions state this thing may not work if it's too close to a wall or heat source. I thought the garage door opener (lights don't work on it) would cause a problem since it's close to the overhead light socket, but it works fine. The light stays on for 4 minutes once activated and that is plenty of time to get out of the car and haul stuff in the house. Real happy with this product.

I installed this sensing socket in a closet and it would not work. My ceiling is 10ft and the sensors would not turn the light on. Stand on a ladder and waive your hand by it and it would turn the light on.

Formerly we had to walk down the basement stairs in the dark to physically pull the chain to turn on the cellar light. After installing the motion sensing socket, the difference was literally night and day. Walking down just a few steps activated the light and increased our safety 1,000%. Highly recommend.

This is a nice idea as you don't need to rely on switches. The fact that it is fluorescent bulb friendly is a huge plus.

Only draw back is that you don't get to have a decorative fixture attached to it. It works nice in places where a plain looking light bulb will do like in a garage or closets. So far this model is working fine. The price was good.

Bought this for use in a closet but it could not detect me entering directly below the light; sensor visibility seemed to be limited straight down. Subsequently purchased another detector with movable sensor that works perfectly for this purpose: American Tack (Hemco) OMLC3BC Outdoor Motion Activated Light Control - Motion Sensor - Energy Savings - Motion-activate - Convenience'

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Pearl Earrings - pearls, earrings

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These pearl earrings are a good size, nicely round, color matched, and very well-priced. They look quite nice on but I was more than disappointed when a pearl fell off one of the posts just three weeks after I bought them. This isn't a case where they were worn every day or were abused. Fortunately, the pearl fell off into my hand so I can Crazy Glue it back onto the post. If it had happened while I was wearing them, I easily could have only 1/2 a pair. 14k Yellow Gold 8-8.5mm Freshwater Cultured Pearl Stud Earrings

I wanted a classic pair of pearl studs without making too big of an investment, and these fit the bill quite nicely. I was a little nervous that they were described as "semiround" but they certainly look nice and round. Great value, lovely earrings.

Beautiful pearl earrings! I needed a nice pair of pearls that wouldn't make my ears get infected. These are perfect! 14k yellow gold posts are gentle to the ears and the pearls are great for everyday wear.

I felt very comfortable ordering these pearl earrings sight unseen, after reading other reviews. I am very happy with the quality for the price. They are beautifully shaped and fit securely on the studs. I'm keeping my hair short just to show them off!

The pearls that I purchased are very lovely,just the right size.I would recomend these to everyone. I bought these for my wife, she said they are the perfect size, not to small or to big,lots of gold on the posts. bree1943

These pearl earrings have great luster and are substantial in size. The gold is substantial as well (the earring posts have adequate length and the buterfly backs fit snuggly on the posts). They are a great value for the price!! - Earrings - Freshwater Pearls - Pearls - Jewelry'

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Cheap Ipod Charger - ipod car charger, ipod accessories

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guys,

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

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

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

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

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

Great product to have for you ipod.

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

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

so stop looking around and buy this.

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

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Gluten Free Cereal - cereal, gluten free cereal

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So, you're gluten free and you can't eat oats, and maybe there's a corn allergy and or incipient diabetes and all the gluten-free rice cereals have huge amounts of sugar, and what the heck can you eat for breakfast?

This.

It's truly gluten-free, has no sugar, it's not gross, and it's cheap.

Also, being a non-oat eating celiac without incipient diabetes I was looking for a base for homemade honey peanutbutter breakfast bars because gluten free things like Lara Bars cost $1.50 each. I think I may have found the missing ingredient. Very cool.

This Crispy Rice cereal is good but not quite like Rice Crispies. I bought them to make rice crispy treats and they kind of smooched together and weren't crispy. But if you aren't going to use them for that they are great!

I was eating Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal, Gluten Free for a long time, using it in my granola and also my go-to dish when I'm starving (this is often the case when you are gluten free) which is warming some almond or peanut butter in the microwave and stirring in the cereal. The Nature's Path is much better and doesn't get soggy like Erewhon.

Nature's Path Organic Crispy Rice Cereal is a product that is VERY nutritious----it is made with BROWN RICE which is much more nutritious than white rice and is gluten free It has a crunchy texture, and kids are sure to like it. Using honey or agava nectar for a sweetener in place of granulated sugar makes it even more nutritious. Nature's Path Organic Crispy Rice Cereal, 10-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

My 4 year old son who has celiac likes them a lot. Not as much as another brand that tastes like chocolate though, who can blame him. I like that they do not contain too much sugar, but wish they stayed crispier longer and a few added vitamins would be nice. Not complaining though, since this is a SAFE GLUTEN-FREE cereal. :) - Gluten Free Cereal - Better Than Sex - Cereals - Celiac - Wheat Free - Cereal'

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Network Laser Printer - wireless printer, brother

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The Brother HL-2270DW is the follow-up to the immensely popular HL-2170W. The 2170W was popular for it's amazing value and print quality. It was also wildly popular because of a neat toner trick to get it to print more pages out of the toner, even when the printer claimed the toner needed replacing. The one big knock of the 2170W was the difficult wireless setup and for being only able to use one network connection at a time-- either Ethernet or WiFi. The 2270DW adds an automatic duplexer and also improves performance.

PROS:

- Fast, fast, fast

- Great print quality

- 3 connectivity options including WiFi

- Automatic duplexer

- Supports Windows XP/2000/Vista/7, Mac OS X, and various Linux distros

- Good looking

- Great value

CONS:

- Starter toner rated at only 700 pages

- Slight curl for duplex printouts

- Uses different and more expensive toner than 2170W

- WiFi limited to 802.11b/g

Once upon a time, I used to have an NEC laser printer, a generic scanner, and an Epson photo printer all on my desk. Well that got old and I consolidated to a multifunction printer and the last 3 printers I owned have all been color inkjet MFP's. The advantages were many but the one drawback was major. The cost per page for inkjet prints became huge, even when printing in black & white. Many color inkjet printers still use color inks when printing in black & white, thus requiring you to replace not only the black ink cartridges, but some of the color ones as well. For me, magenta and yellow frequently ran out, even though we ONLY ever printed in black & white. I'd finally had enough and sought out a solution. As recently as 3 weeks ago, I was able to purchase the 2170W for my parents for a great price and was going to get one myself but they all went out of stock or had gone up in price. Then I found out that they were being discontinued and the 2270DW was the newer model. I pulled the trigger and have not looked back.

2270DW vs. 2170W

The difference between the older 2170W and the newer 2270DW isn't limited to just the change in exterior color. Considering that the base MSRP remains the same, the 2270DW is an outstanding bargain. The 2270DW is slightly faster at 27ppm vs. 22ppm for the 2170W. The 2270DW also uses a 200MHz processor vs. the old 181MHz CPU. The dimensions are identical except that the 2270DW is half an inch taller and happens to weigh almost a half a pound more. I'm guessing the automatic duplexer is responsible for the slightly larger size. Brother also decided to get cheap and included a starter toner rated for only 700 pages, whereas the 2170W was 1000 pages or 2 full reams of paper. The 2270DW also adds GDI printing

INSTALL

The toner and drum are pre-installed but you have to remove it and prep (shake) it before use. I found the Quick Start Guide to be pretty clear and useful for all three connection methods. WiFi configuration is still a bit hokey, but it was easy enough in my opinion.

(USB)

The USB install was a cinch. Install the drivers off of the disc or download them from Brother's website, then plug the USB cable (not included) into your computer and you're good to go.

(Ethernet)

Though the printer's wireless abilities are nice to have, I prefer to use the Ethernet connection to plug the printer directly into my wireless router. This still allows me to print wirelessly from my laptop and via a hardware switch from my desktop. I also don't have to fiddle with the wireless settings and have a stronger, more reliable connection through my router. Using the install wizard, I selected Peer-to-Peer Network Printer as my preferred network print type and was off and running. I performed the same setup on my laptop over WiFi and installed perfectly. One note, I could not quickly find the MAC address to the Ethernet port so I disabled MAC filtering on my router temporarily. If you don't use MAC filtering, then you have nothing to worry about. Afterwards, I found out that you can print the settings from within the Brother print driver and find the MAC address.

(WiFi)

I think a lot of people think they need a WiFi printer to print wireless but most people have wireless routers already that they can just connect the printer to with an Ethernet cable. A printer with WiFi is really only useful if it won't be attached to your router and want it completely independent. As with the 2170W, the 2270DW requires it to be temporarily connected by USB cable or Ethernet to configure the wireless settings, unless, your wireless router supports WiFi Protected Setup or AOSS. The installation wizard on the CD-ROM is pretty straight-forward and I found the install to be painless. Although, if you are using MAC filtering and not broadcasting your SSID, you'll probably want to reverse those temporarily to configure it then switch it back. This is especially true if you are trying to configure the WiFi AFTER you've already set it up by Ethernet and using BRAdmin to do it. To find the internal wireless card's MAC address, hold down the Go button for 10 seconds until it prints a network config page that will enable/disable WiFi and also show you the MAC address. I don't really need WiFi so I only performed the install for the sake of reviewing the procedure.

PERFORMANCE

Time to print has been improved on the 2270DW by nearly 2 seconds, so less time warming up from sleep or off. The actual print speed improvement is less noticeable but 27ppm is insanely fast. I thought my Consumer Reports #1 rated, HP All-in-One Printer was pretty fast, but the 2270DW is at least twice as fast. Text output, even really tiny fonts, looked great. Graphics were also very good. The 2270DW still supports the most current PCL printer language, developed by HP. Oddly though, Brother decided to add GDI capabilities, which is also known as host-based printing and is typically used on low-end printers that put all the printer processing burden on the PC, rather than on the printer's hardware. For example, Brother's bare-bones, cheap 2140 laser printer is GDI only. The 2270DW already has PCL 6 support so I don't see any benefit to having GDI. Even if using a high-end PC might possibly achieve faster to-print speeds, I would think the extra load put on the PC would be a hindrance over just letting the printer's hardware take care of it. I would personally never buy a GDI-only printer. Lastly, given how recently this printer was released, I'm disappointed they didn't include the better 802.11n Wifi support.

NOISE

The 2270DW is noisier than the 2170W, so if you didn't like the 2170W for it's noise, then you definitely won't like the noise from the 2270DW. The fan does stay on for several minutes after it prints but shuts off eventually and then becomes totally silent. The sounds of a laser printer are a welcome change from the wonky noises that my inkjet printers made.

DUPLEXER

If you decide to use the automatic duplexer, it will add more time to your printouts, but what a convenience to not have to manually flip over sheets of paper. Brother rates the duplexer speed to 10 sides per minute. I've always liked the idea of using both sides of a sheet of paper. Save them trees! The duplexer on the 2270DW works well and I have not had any jams, knock on the wood of one of those trees I just saved. Aside from having network printing, the duplexer is my favorite feature of the 2270DW. The only downside to using the duplexer is that it has a noticeable curl. A commenter suggested that heavier paper (24 lb) as opposed to the more commonly used 20 lb paper might help reduce the curl and paper jams.

SOFTWARE

The drivers for the 2270DW include a lot of customization options for your printer, including using the Toner Saver Mode, which is similar to Draft Mode in inkjet printers. Unless you are printing a resume, the Toner Saver Mode is more than good enough for daily print jobs. Additionally, Brother laser printers have the ability to upgrade firmware. Given that the 2270DW is brand new, this is an important ability to note because bug fixes and performance improvements are sure to become available down the road. The most current version of the firmware as of this writing is v1.02. You can also install various administrator utilities for configuration and monitoring (BRAdmin). I used BRAdmin to change the Sleep time from 3 minutes to 2. Another neat feature is that you can use web based management by putting the IP address of your printer into a web browser. This is a great way to review settings and other useful information like how many pages you've printed, remaining drum life, serial number, and firmware version.

COST PER PAGE

The high-yield (2600 pages) genuine Brother toner (TN450) from Amazon is currently $46, which equates to about 1.8 cents per page. That is ridiculous! It is so much cheaper than most inkjets, which can cost between 4 cents and 8 cents per page of text. The only bummer is that the Brother drum unit (DR420) currently costs $84. At that price, if my 2270DW's drum needed replacing, I would probably just end up buying a new printer. The drum is rated at 12,000 pages, which is 24 reams of paper. A lot of factors go into when the drum unit should be replaced but given that I personally don't print more than a ream of paper per year, it would last me 24 years, or basically the life of the printer. Factoring in the cost of a new drum unit, I calculated the cost per page to only increase to 2.5 cents per page. Whenever 3rd party toner cartridges become available, the overall cost is sure to drop even more.

MISC

RE: Toner trick. I believe Brother wised up and created the new TN450 toner specifically to address the toner trick. I could not find any holes or openings in the toner or drum unit that could be covered up like the 2170W's TN360 toner. As long as I get close to the rated output for the toner, I'm ok with this. One of the reasons why the toner trick for the 2170W was so lauded is because Brother's method for measuring the toner was inaccurate. I am hopeful that they have improved their measurement method and the trick is no longer necessary.

I love the 250 sheet main paper tray because I no longer have to feed the paper tray on a monthly basis. The manual feed "slot" only accepts one sheet at a time to feed labels and envelopes. Since I use self-adhesive envelopes, I refrained from printing on them. Also, though I was very tempted to, I did not feed any of my inkjet labels through the manual feed slot. Brother does not recommend using inkjet paper due to the risk of paper jams.

I found the multifunctional "Go" button to be confusing. I think a cheat sheet card would have been very helpful to keep all the functions straight. For example, you can hold it down for various lengths of time to make it do different things like reprinting the last print job or pushing it several times in order to continue printing when the low toner warning light comes on.

The 2270DW uses more energy during printing than the 2170W, but less in standby mode.

Out of the 11 monochrome laser printers that Consumer Reports tested, only 2 garnered their "Recommended" rating. Both were Brother printers.

CONCLUSION

I can't imagine the Brother HL-2270DW not reaching the same heights that the HL-2170W did. The 2270DW performs very well, has great features, and is inexpensive to buy and to operate. If I didn't still need a scanner, my HP multifunction printer would be banished from my home. I highly recommend the Brother HL-2270DW for any home, home office or small office. Brother Printer HL2270DW Wireless Monochrome Printer - Wireless Printing - Wireless Printer - Duplex Printer - Brother'

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Wii Motion Plus - battery, duracell

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We have two small children and are constantly going through batteries for their toys. This is exactly what I was looking for. Nice bulk package of batteries that work well. Will be buying again when these are gone. Kodak BULKC12 Xtralife Bulk C Alkaline Batteries- 12 Pack

We bought these when we had our daughter. In 33 years of life, I've never had to use "C" cells. It's just not a common size, at least not in my previous non-parental life. A ton of baby toys use this size. You will need a bunch and you'll plow through them like nobody's business. The price was right, and they've stood up pretty well. Maybe not the best, but certainly not the worst.

I purchased several boxes of batteries. Two of the items were Kodak "C" cells, 12 per box. When I was installing these I noticed one had leaked considerably in the box and put a chemical film on the rest. Besides the "pile" of chemicals on the bottom there was evidence of corrosion from the rest of the batteries on the lid of the box. Maybe I should just purchase those cheap, made in China ones - the batteries I have never had a problem with. There is no "use by" date on the boxes (like there is on those cheap imports) so no telling how old they might be.

I got a couple of boxes in August 2010, and they were dated with an expiration date of Oct. 2014. (I've gotten other brands in the store around this time (8/2010) that were dated to expire in 2016....some "AA's" even had '2017' as the expiration date as of 8/2010). Anyway, the voltages of these Kodaks check-out as equal to other brands, but it remains to be seen if they are "Xtralife" as they are named. It's going to be hard to beat the 'CopperTops'...which, with an expiration date of 2001 (yes; "2001"...and never used), those CopperTops sitting in my drawer still test-out at a fairly high voltage even in August 2010. - Kodak - Battery - Duracell - Aaa Batteries'

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Physical Therapy Aids - weights, wrist weights

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These weights are easy to use - they use velcro straps and can be placed on the ankles or on the wrists. I am very pleased with them and have been using them ever since they arrived. I am small-boned and often have trouble with items being too big but these have enough adjustment to make them comfortable. TKO Neoprene Wrist/Ankle Weights, 2 lb. pair, Blue

These worked great for about 3 weeks, until the fabric right next to the sewn-in Velcro began to rip and leak the inner pebbles on both weights. Unacceptable quality, they should have at least lasted me 6 months.

If you're looking for something to add a little more heft to your routine, skip these and spend a bit more money on a product that will actually keep up with your workout.

My wrists and ankles are very small, but I had no trouble fastening these around my ankles with the velcro straps. The only complaints that I have is that they are too bulky to really be worn on the wrist and that if I wear them too tightly, the metal hook cuts into my skin and leaves a bruise so I have to wear thick socks or wear two socks at once to make sure that doesn't happen.

These weights are very comfortable, but that's about all they have going for them. The material the weights are made from is very thin and tears very easy. My weights lasted about 2 weeks before one of them started to leak sand. You'd be much better off buying a set of more expensive, adjustable weights as the time these last just makes them not worth the purchase.

These are definitely not dainty weights...but they hold strong and in place through rigorous runs and plyo workouts. I've tried other brands made especially for women and they didn't hold up (velcro came loose, wiggled around) I have fairly small ankles and they fit snug. I would not recommend these as wrist weights as they're too bulky. - Fitness - Weights - Exercise - Wrist Weights'

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Razor Blade - razor blade, wiper blades

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The concept of wiper blades that leech Rain-X is brilliant. They clipped right onto our Corolla, we wiped down the windshield with the activator wipe and let them run for 3 minutes (per the directions). We then went out into the Seattle rain and watched and the water beaded up and rolled off the windshield. You barely even need to use the wipers. My one negative is that I wasn't entirely happy with how they handled snow. Since the snow isn't as wet the windshield wipers squeak and stick to the windshield a bit when trying to get powdery snow off. It did it just fine, I just hate that sound. Rain-X Repel Premium Bracketless Wiper Blade - 24"

These were exactly what I expected for the first 2 months. Now, just out of the return period, they need replaced. Both wipers only clear a portion of the windshield. The drivers side leaves a football size patch directly in front of my face. It is hard to see, even in a very light rain. I bought a similar wiper blade made by Bosch several years ago. I still have those blades on another vehicle, and the work almost as good as the day I installed them. Both vehicles are the same, the only difference is the wiper.

I would not recommend these.

These blades started streaking two days after I first installed them. One month later they are so bad that when it is raining heavy, I have to pull over on the road so I can see. I feel really bad I wasted so much money on these. Next time I'm going to try and find another brand. Other blade brands I've bought at a much cheaper price have lasted between 6-12 months.

I used the Rain X website to install these on my Volkswagen Eos, after the originals started streaking. After reading the instructions carefully and looking over the adapters I can tell you with confidence these simply do not work on a Volkswagen Eos. I saw another review for a Jetta, and the wipers are the same I'm sure.

I'm giving this 1 star because both the Rain X website, and this page said they fit. And they are lying. Looks like I'm off to order the crumby stock ones again.

I got these to replace my usual traditional blades for the summer and rubber coated blades for the winter months - to keep the snow and ice from making the summer blades useless. it's nice to have one set of blades.

These blades do a great job in the rain, and the snow too, until the ends that clip the whole thing together fell off, nearly letting the whole item come apart. Luckily it stuck together under the pressure from the arm and i got where i was going.

Also, the clip that connects the blade assembly to the wiper arm, this also came apart a few times while i was cleaning snow off of the car. so there i am with gloves off blowing on the connector to get snow out, and trying to get it to click back together. the blades i replaced these with have a diffferent style of arm connector, hoepfully it holds up better.

I replaced them with the new teflon SHIELD blades, which are also suitable for any weather, but aren't held together with the flimsy clips that RAIN-X and other beam-style blade manufacturers use.

This is one of the first wiper blades I have found that actually works great on my 2005 Equinox LT. I took the time to clean my windshield, then use the preparation wipe before installing a set of these. I have had them for a few weeks and they are still working great. I live in Pennsylvania, and we have lots of bad weather, lots of salt in the winter, etc. So far, I really recommend these! The price is steep but I think the quality more than makes up for it. Installation for my vehicle took minutes!

The Rain X wipers worked very well with My 2010 Hyundai Sonata and 2010Kia Optima. Installation for each wiper was done in less than 3 minutes from removing the old one to snapping bon the one.

The blades clean the windscreen smoothly and the rain runs off the windscreen perfectly.

I live in upstate NY and got sucker punched by the early snow storms this year. Like everyone else in the area I ran out last minute to get winter blades. These were the only blades left claiming to be winter ready. I got a 22' and a 24' for my eclipse. The 24' broke one day in. Wal-Mart was awesome with taking it back and helping me out, but two days latter the 22' also broke. I wrote rain-x and they never responded. These things are double the price of other blades and made with half quality plastic products. They cant deal with cold weather and the company they are made by doesn't believe in customer service. DO NOT BUY! - Wiper Blades - Razor Blade'

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Laser Pointer

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I have always used laser pointers in my classroom. They're such an efficient teaching tool to direct attention. I'm very pleased and excited about using this particular laser pointer this school year. The color of the laser is fabulous! It demands attention because of the strong, unusual color. The quality of this laser pointer is very nice, as well. It is sturdy and comfortable to hold. Shipping was quick, which is much appreciated. High Quality Violet Purple Blue Ray Blue Laser Pointer Pen

This laser is the best laser for the price. Sadly it doesnt come with 2 AAA batteries but that's all you need to get it working. You can easily see the beam and you can feel heat if you shine it on your hand / face. This is a great product and i highly recomend getting it!!

Just got my package today and was very pleased with the delivery time. it worked as i expected it to. its bright can see it from very far (about 3 full blocks). it could have been packaged better but my overall rating is i give it a 5 and will be ordering from this company again.

Having just received the laser today, I had to immediately play around with it(Who wouldnt?). The beam is quite bright, much better than any red laser. Distance is amazing, ability to see the dot over 2000ft easily. I can definitely say I will be purchasing more of this specific laser in the future.

Shipping speed was also quite amazing, got 2 days before estimated arrival date.

This is an absolutely good pointer for presentation. I put it in my briefcase all the time, and I like it very much. My boss even asked me where I get this. He seems to be jealous that I have this small baby.

Anyway, I love it.

this laser pen comes in a cool colors. because when it is on different surfaces color comes up differently. So times it is whitish, blue, or purple. also the laser is fun to use and you can entertain your friends and family. another cool thing is that when people imagine a laser they imagine a dull red color but not with this laser!I would recamend this laser pen.

Okay soo I bought this laser because my boyfriend bought one from the beach, he paid 25 dollars for it, and they "said" that laser was origanily 90 dollars, psssh thats a rip off. This laser is the SAME exact one. The color is simply AMAZING and insanely bright. COMPLETELY worth the price. I ordered it sunday and got it wednesday and I used the slowest shipping. ITS WORTH IT BUY IT!!!'

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Thursday 29 September 2011

Photography Instruction - photography, digital photography

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I have owned many photography books over the years and Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Photography Field Guide" will be the book I pack with me from here on out.

The book is organized into the 11 chapters detailed below and each chapter is organized into smaller sections which help you seek out the specific topics you want to review.

1) A Few Digital Basics - Chapter topics range from file format and shooting in RAW to a gem of a section on white balance that explained better in 2 pages how this setting can really improve my photos than anything else I have come across in the past.

2) Exposure - Topics in this chapter include exposure explanations, the photographic triangle, creative exposures, and more. Bryan is a master at de-mystifying exposure and you will improve your photography with this chapter.

3) Aperture - This chapter does much more than just explain the effects of proper aperture settings, Bryan teaches you how aperture helps you tell the story you intend to with the photo.

4) Shutter Speed & ISO - This chapter offered one of the best explanations of how ISO effects your photos I have found since being introduced to digital photography and I find the section on "motion in low light" to be very good. Bryan also explained the relationship between apeture and shutter speeds in an easy to understand and apply in the field format.

5) Learning To See - This chapter covers a lot of ground on lenses and selecting the right lens for the right shot. Advice sections such as "shooting up" and "looking down" are helpful if you are looking for new ways to shoot but the photos included throughout the book are the best way to get new ideas for framing your shots.

6) Designing A Striking Image - This chapter is the largest in the book and covers more than I can go into. Suffice it to say that this chapter is all about composition, choosing your subject, getting creative, etc. These kinds of chapters have always been inspiring to me because the photos are amazing and Bryan does not let you down here. If you aren't motivated to get up and grab your camera after reading these sections you should probably put it down for good.

7) The Importance Of Light - This chapter covers a lot of ground from the best light, to low light, to backlight, etc. I found the material on exposure settings for various light conditions helpful and I was surprised that HDR exposure was covered in the detail it was...though not enough to start shooting HDR in my opinion. It seems as though you would still want to buy an HDR book to get into that in earnest.

8) Close-Up Photography - This chapter is a pretty good introduction to macro and it did answer many questions I have had. I have been flirting with getting more into macro and this chapter has helped me get just a little bit closer to making the investment.

9) Photographing People - This chapter is really about being a more professional, courteous photographer when people are the subject. This is the smallest chapter at just 7 pages and Bryan uses most of them to play armchair psychologist at getting people to like you taking their picture so you can get the best photos possible.

10) Unconventional Techniques - This chapter covers various "tricks of the trade" such as "making rain" or unusual ways to mount your camera and it will only really be useful on a lazy weekend day when you can't find anything else to do or photgraph. Fun info here but basically a bonus chapter.

11) Useful Tools - Here is the chapter that every photo book has and it basically feeds the gear addiction...tripods, filters, and more...

It is impossible to get into all of the details that you will find in this book, and at 400 pages you will not be short of info to learn from and grow as a photographer.

A couple other comments about the book itself...it is very high quality with good, heavy, high gloss paper that make the photos really pop of the pages. The book is very well built too and I can see that it will last for many years to come being lugged around in my camera bag and on trips. Also, this has to be the most compact and small 400 page book I have ever seen which is great because I do want to carry it with me when I go.

And the photos...they are simply spectacular. I have found myself just flipping through the pages to look at the photos and that can be just as instructive as the text in my opinion. Bryan has selected excellent examples to demonstrate his topics/lessons and all of the photo captions have detail about the photo's exposure settings which I like because it helps reinforce the lessons being taught.

I do not think anyone will be disappointed with this book and unless you are a seasoned pro already you will learn and grow as a photographer when you read and re-read this book's thorough chapters. Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

As the title indicates, this is a great book covering a range of topics on photography. If you haven't read any of Peterson's books, this is 5 stars. However, if you have read his other books - particularly Understanding Exposure, Understanding Shutter Speed, chapters of this book are almost identical, though not as deep, as those books, and you'll probably be a little disappointed if you were looking for new material. Same pictures, examples, and information - which is why I am only giving this 4 stars. It really should be a "compilation of/best of" Peterson's photo books.

It is intended as a "field guide" and if you want something to carry around, this does cover most of the important topics and techniques - though it isn't exactly pocket-sized.

This is a fine book. But before you plunk your money down, be aware of a few caveats.

First, the book is written by an experienced professional photographer for people who have digital SLR cameras. The author strongly emphasizes manual controls, interchangeable lenses, etc. My advanced digital compact camera doesn't have an f22 or even an f16 aperture setting, nor a depth of field preview button, nor a variety of lenses and filters.

Second, if your camera - whatever kind it is - doesn't have full manual controls (aperture, shutter speed, iso setting) much of the information won't apply to you. The book cover touts how to shoot "with any camera." But there are very few references to point-and-shoot cameras - even today's sophisticated models and much of the technical data and camera settings just don't translate.

Second, the author speaks exclusively to outdoor photography using existing light. If you want help for any inside photos of children's birthday parties, family dinners, or the kids basketball games, you won't find it here. And there is precious little reference to use of flash in any setting. Some advice even works against indoor photography - like the advice to set your white balance to "cloudy" and leave it there. Try that inside and everything turns out red.

Having voiced those concerns, this is still a wonderful book. The concepts and ideas do indeed apply to all photography and any type of camera. They just need some translation for less sophisticated equipment. Peterson is obviously a superb photograper with a passion for his craft honed over many years. He is also an engaging writer with a personal and easy style which makes the reading a pleasure.

The book itself is about the size of an 8 x 10 photo, thus reasonably portable, and very well made. The binding is very solid, the paper is heavy and glossy, and the wealth of color photos inside is superb. I don't mean to overemphasize the caveats above. This is a very sound, well-written, and readable book containing a lifetime of wonderful information. Just be aware of what you're getting. - Digital Photography - Creative Photography - Photography - Photography Book'

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Skeleton Automatic - automatic movement, kenneth cole

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As of May 2009, I've owned this watch for a month, and I'll be interested to see how well this watch holds up over the years. It cost me around 100 bucks, and at that price, I don't expect perfection, but I'm hoping if I take care of it that it might last a decade. It certainly looks like it is of solid construction.

I spent two weeks researching skeleton watches on Amazon and other sites, and this watch stood out as being stylish and refined without being too expensive or too large, as others can be. Some other models have 2 or 3 extra dials for date, hours and minutes, but I really focused on enjoying the cleanest display of the inner workings, and this watch rose above the rest.

The outer number face is a handsome, brushed ring that looks elegant and manly, and leaves lots of room to enjoy viewing of the inner works. Unclear in the pictures, the backside of this case is glass, so you can see all the way through, which really pleased me. The front viewable works is 31/32", and the back is 3/4". I was very pleased with it's size, very similar to digital watches, just shy of 1 5/8" diameter.

The band is a wonderfully soft leather padded affair, even though my experience with leather is that it doesn't age well and ends up odorous no matter how careful you are with it. Yet it really does fit the overall look and I may begin a new policy to replace it exactly when it does expire.

It seems that the automatic winding works very well if you wear it continually. If you take it off you have about 40 hours before the spring unwinds, but you can't expect any more from mechanical movements.

My only criticism is that the Kenneth Cole signature is printed on the glass front, slightly obscuring the spring winding. It just ever so slightly blemishes the perfection of the face.

For me it's the perfect watch, a wonderful fit for dressier occasions, without being overly precious. The gunmetal face is wonderfully masculine and understated, while the movement is shiny and captivating, with one gold wheel drawing your eye with its accelerated movement.

An exceptional watch that perfectly bridges the gap between casual and dressy. I look forward to re-reviewing this watch in a year to see if it holds up to my expectations. I sincerely hope that it does. Kenneth Cole New York Men's KC1514 Automatic Gunmetal Dial Leather Strap Watch

I bought this for my boyfriend's birthday. He loves skeleton watches so I search every store and all over the internet, everytime I saw this watch I had to stare at it. Especially when it arived it took me forever to wrap it because I couldn't take my eyes off it! He loves it. He was really impressed with it and gushes over it everytime he shows his buddies. I highly recommend this watch, and for this price, its a steal.

Got one as a Christmas present. Fully wound it and wore it but it intermittently stopped & lost ~30 minutes a day. Took it back to the store for a replacement, ran fine at the store but then the second hand ran but the hour/minute hands didn't. Got my money back. I liked the looks of the watch.

I like the style of this "skeleton" watch quite a bit. It's simple and to the point functionally but getting to see the inner workings is definitely eye candy for a guy. Unfortunately, this watch has several severe faults that have made me question my purchase.

First, this is listed as an automatic movement watch, but that's being a bit generous. Though it does have a pendulum power generator mechanism in it, you cannot expect it to power the watch for very long. Essentially think of this watch as a mechanical watch. If you let it sit unworn for more than 24 hours, the power runs out and you have to set the watch again. This, thankfully, is a simple and quick process, but it's annoying to have taken it off the day before and find that 36 hours later the watch has completely stopped for lack of power. While you wear it, it will continue to work fine, though, so that aspect of automatic is acceptable. My Seiko, though, will run for months on stored power from a single day's wear, and it cost about as much as this watch. Fortunately, you can wind the stem (10-15 times) to get it going right away rather than having to shake the watch around for a while to generate power.

Next, as one other reviewer mentioned, "Kenneth Cole" is emblazoned in white script letters on the face of the watch. It is over the skeletal area, so it's not as obvious to a casual glance, but upon looking at the watch and admiring it, it's very poorly placed and way too large to the point of obstructing the view of the mechanicals. Somewhat defeats the purpose of having a skeletal watch.

Lastly, and this is the only one that can be fixed, the included black band is very short. My wrists are not particularly large, and most metal bands require 2-3 links to be removed for me to wear it. This band, though, requires me to wear it on the very last hole and even then it's a bit too tight/uncomfortable for me. Fortunately bands can be replaced. I just have to go through the trouble of finding one to replace this one with. I'm not sure why they put a ladies' length band on a men's watch (I'm guessing).

This is a light, inexpensive, and mostly functional watch that will go well with a lot of outfits, both dress and casual. I just wish they had put a little more effort into the execution.

Just got this watch and really enjoy it. I paid $100 at Macy's for it even at 25% off so the deal here is good. The skeleton workings are very neat to look at- there is a gold gear on the bottom that turns perpetually and the workings on the back are also visible. If I had to do it over again I may have opted for one of the identical models but with a larger face to make more of an impact, but that's probably personal preference. It should also be noted that the Kenneth Cole name and "New York" are printed on the glass face in black which is not directly in the way of anything on the watch but do distact the eye briefly. In response to the comment that said he had 2 that were broken out of the box even after he wound it: This is not a wind up watch but rather operates on movement therefore he either has a different watch or may have damaged in his attempt to wind it. Another customer noted the roman numeral IIII instead of IV. The "4" does appear as IIII, however this is common for watches and clocks. Arguments suggest that it gives the numerals greater balance,mirroring the VIII on the other side while some other's say it's a throwback to earlier Roman numbering, but you can look that up with a google search. - Automatic Movement - Dress Watches - Skeleton Automatic - Kenneth Cole'

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Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride - rechargeable batteries, smart charger

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The "Tenergy Speedy Box" (aka "Ni-Cd & Ni-MH Computer Controlled Smart Charger" Model BC-1HU) is, as of this writing, the best (and one of the fastest) smart chargers I've owned yet.

Likes:

* CAPACITY: it has 2 groups of charging bays. The first (located in it's upper right corner) can handle two 9v batteries. The second (under it's silver lid) can handle 4 of any combination of the following types: AAA, AA, C, D. The charger can handle both NiCad and NiMHi.

* ERGONOMICS: There's no need to toggle any switches in order to handle different types of batteries ... the charger's CPU automatically detects the size and type (NiCad or NiMHi) of any given battery placed into any individual charging slot, and it automatically adjusts the charging curve for that slot to the optimum method ... and you can mix and match different types of batteries in different cells, and it will individually charge and monitor each one independantly.

* SPEED: Because this charger is truly 'smart', it can quickly sense when a battery has reached full charge and switch that one battery to standby (the LED for that battery will change from Red to Green) ... which really helps extend battery life by avoiding unnecessary overcharging (esp when the power blinks and would otherwise trigger another full charging pass in many older 'dumb' chargers). The only battery type that takes an unusually long time is the 9v, but that's probably true of all chargers.

NITS:

* I wish the two 9v charging slots each had their own individual charge status LED (like the other 4 slots in the main bay do). Other than that, I'm very happy with this unit. Waxing philosophical for a moment - it'd be nice if someone would make a true "universal" charger that could also handle things like IPods, Cellphones, Car Batteries, etc. (each whith they own connecting adaptor), but that sort of technology convergence is still a ways off in the future.

Highly recommended - I've owned mine since early 2006.

Also recommended are the Tenergy 2600 mAh AA batteries, which have very good capacity and lifespan. I use them in everything that can handle the slightly decreased voltage inherent in rechargeables. This charger, and my batteries, have already paid for themselves several times over. Newer users will reach their break-even point even faster than I did, because this charger's price is now (as of this writing) less than half what it cost me when it first came out. BC1HU 110-240V Universal Fast Smart Charger for AA/AAA/C/D/9V Rechargeable Batteries

I bought one of these chargers about five years ago when it was a brand-new model, and considerably more expensive. Still, considering the near-constant use it has seen charging my large collection of batteries that sustain my digital existence, the investment has paid off several times over. This represents many hundreds of charges. At its current price, it is quite competitive with the handful of newer models that have digital readouts (in contrast to simple red and green LEDs,) and has the added advantage of being able to handle C-and D-cells, a feature I call upon frequently.

This is a real "smart charger." That means a microprocessor monitors the charge status of the batteries to ensure that they are not overcharged, and as far as I can tell, it works the way it is supposed to. In five years, I have only thrown out two cells, whose failure is most likely attributable to their dubious origin. Better types, like the "generic" Tenergy batteries, have worked flawlessly with heavy use; the same goes for the Sanyo Eneloops and Rayovac hybrids. //my two cents

Too good to be true, at this price. Easy test- take the recharged batteries and put them back in-- there appears to be no overcharge protection, and the batteries will begin to heat up, especially the AAA due to the high charging current.

I bought this back in 2006, and it worked well for the first year or so, recharging the batteries in the kid's toys. However after a year sometimes the charger would give a green light saying the battery was charged even after it had only been in for 5 mins or so. Taking the battery out and putting it in would fix it, but then another year or so, it would stop charging (the red light would turn off) in one of the bays, meaning I only could charge 3 batteries at a time. A few weeks ago, another bay is not working properly. I think that a charger costing this much should last longer than a few years given that it has no moving parts to fail.

I've had many battery chargers over the years and this is the best by far.

It will charge one battery or up to four batteries at the same time. If I'm having a problem with batteries not holding a charge well when charged in another charger I'll charge them in this charger and if the battery is any good it will hold a charge longer than if charged in faster chargers or chargers that don't have a circuit for each battery.

Recommend five stars. - Smart Charger - Nimh - Chargers - Rechargeable Batteries'

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