Guy Low Price Electronic: 2 Feb 2009

Monday, 2 February 2009

Professional Development - debbie diller, reading

Educator Debbie Diller reveals her thirty years of experience as an educator, including classroom teaching of children in grades PreK-10 as well as teaching in small groups and independent work, in Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All, a practical guide to the teacher's role in small-group instruction. An in-depth resource packed with tips, tricks, and techniques, Making the Most of Small Groups particularly focuses upon instructing small groups in the five essential reading elements: comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary. Packed with tips, tricks, and techniques for organizing one's time and space as well as the nuts and bolts of teaching, and rounded out with black-and-white photographs, sample lesson plans, reflection questions for professional conversations, references, and much more, Making the Most of Small Groups is an invaluable guide for reading teachers of young students everywhere. Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All

This book will definitely be a productive resource used over and over again to help me decide what each of my reading groups will be doing each week. The book gives charts for the different areas of teaching reading and what type of activities to do to strengthen these areas. This will be a huge organizational help to me and time saver on a weekly basis, k teacher

Diller is terrific. This book is an easy read with great ideas for small groups and organization. Diller writes specific lesson plans for each area, with details so you can visualize using it in your own classroom. Best for grades 1-3

In this book Debbie Diller does a wonderful job simplifying small groups for reading. Her ideas are practical and easy to apply. It is an easy read! I read it over and over!! Use this with her other book, Literacy Work Stations and you're set.

Debbie Diller has written another fantastic resource for reading teachers. This book is full of helpful ideas for teaching each of the five areas of reading and give tips on organizing. Well worth the money--one of the best resources I have seen in 27 years of teaching.

Debbie Diller shares lots of tips to help you get organized for small group instruction. Also, there are lots of lesson plans and examples of how to teach various skills in small groups. I am an experienced teacher, but still got a lot of very useful information from this book. It is a book that I am sure I will use often.

Loved this book. Great resource for the new teacher since it's packed with across the grade level details for elementary school teachers. This book made me want to check out other books by this author. - Reading - Ideas - Kindergarten - Debbie Diller'

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Cordless Electric Mower

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We have an earlier generation of this mower (CMM1000) and recently got the Toro. I've studied the specs and this is probably the only other one I'd consider seriously. Perhaps it's buyers remorse or the grass being greener on the other side of the fence but as much as I like the Toro, I wish I'd taken a closer look at the CM1936. For those who want to get local and not risk shipping damage, it appears this is sold nationwide by a blue big box store (as opposed to the orange big box store)

<COMPARO>

I've put a quick guide of the most popular models on Amazon. All info reported by manufacturer. Amazon won't let me put prices in my review, sorry!

MOWER............Path/Volt/Watt-hr......WT............COMMENTS

Neuton CE5.3............14"/24V/240......48#....Plastic deck, Removable batt.

B&D CM1836..............18"/36V/NA.......64#....Plastic deck

Greenworks 25092......18"/24V/480......95#....Self Propel, Removable Batt

Worx ECO WG780.......19"/24V/408......80#....Removable Battery

Haussmann CLM46NU...19"/24V/NA........94#....Haussmann who?? Metal deck

B&D CMM1200.............19"/24V/432......76#....Update to our old CM1000

B&D CM1936...............19"/36V/360.......72#....Plastic deck, Removable Batt

Neuton CE6................19"/36V/360.......69#....Plastic deck, Removable Batt

Earthwise 60120..........20"/24V/480......92#....Metal deck, Removable Batt

Toro 20360.................20"/36V/432......77#....Metal deck

Solaris/Epic EP21H........21"/24V/NA......106#....Rmvble batt, self propel, steel

<FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS>

>>Why SHOULD I get a cordless electric mower? They are super quiet, clean, and convenient. No fumes or exhaust- because gas mowers don't have catalytic converters, they can pollute as much in a year as 43 cars!!!!. They aren't necessarily cheaper than a gas mower since they cost more up front but there is basically NO maintenance. (We spent $80 over 10 years for a set of replacement batteries.) Corded electric mowers are a cheaper but having a cord is a pain.

>>Why SHOULDN'T I get a cordless mower? They weigh a LOT more than gas mowers so if you have a hilly lot or have difficulty with physical exertion, forget it. They don't have as much power as gas and re-fueling means charging for a few hours so if your lot is over ½ acre you may want to reconsider.

>>Why do they all come with mulching PLUS bagging? Electric powered mowers have come a long ways but mulching still takes a LOT more power than discharging, so bagging is pretty much a standard feature.

>>What is a watt-hour? It's basically how big your gas tank is - the more watt-hours, the longer you can mow before you have to recharge.

>>Is the cutting path a big deal? Yes - for two reasons. 1) The first thing manufacturers do when power is marginal is reduce the blade size, so I tend to see the smaller mowers as more likely to be underpowered. Second, when you consider that you have to overlap each pass by ~3", a 20" blade now effectively cuts 13% more on each pass. If you have a larger yard, you definitely do NOT want anything under 18" Also, my measurements show most mowers overstate their blade size by 1/2" (Our 20" measures 19-5/8, our 19 measures 18-1/2)

>>Why might I want a removable battery? If you have a large yard, this means you can have a second battery charging while you are using the first. A second battery typically costs $100-$150 but it can make the difference between going electric or not. Finally, if you keep the mower in a shed that doesn't have power, a removable battery will let you bring it in for charging.

>>How long will my batteries last? That depends on your climate and usage. We had a small lot for many years and were religious about recharging right after use. We also live in a cooler climate (Michigan) so it's cooler and the mowing season is shorter. Our batteries lasted ~7 years. Most people should get 3-4 years easily but if you're careless and live in Arizona, you might be able to kill the batteries in a year or two.

>>Why should I care about higher voltage? Higher voltage = more power, PLUS you can recharge the mower faster. With the same chemistry and current, a 36V mower will charge 50% faster than a 24V mower.

>>Metal deck or plastic? Metal rusts but with minimal care it's not an issue. Plastic ends up giving you a more stuff to trim since you can't cut as close to fences, etc.

If you've found this review helpful or have questions/comments, please let me know! Black & Decker CM1936 19-Inch 36-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower With Removable Battery

This is the first major redesign of the Black & Decker 19" Cordless Mower since its introduction. I bought one of the first CMM1000's shortly after it was introduced in 1996. It worked great for 14 years, with only two battery replacements in that time. I gave it to a friend who is using it and it continues to give great performance.

The CM1936 has a customer removable battery allowing easy battery interchange for large yards with long grass. My yard is about 12000 square feet and can normally be mowed with one charge. The blade has been redesigned for longer run time. The charger recharges the battery a useable amount in 4 hours.

The height of all four wheels can be readjusted in less than 1 second. The run interlock is now a bail bar (like the original CMM1000) which is nicer than the lever on the CMM1200. I wish the new mower had the battery indicator that was provided on the original CMM1000. Perhaps it can be added as a special accessory key assembly. It is not really necessary, but is a nice feature.

Once you experience not having gasoline smell on your hands and quiet operation with no starting hassles, you won't mind having to push this mower. If you keep it connected to the charger continuously when not in use, it will give the best battery life. The battery can be charged when removed from the mower if you keep the mower in a shed without power. The CM1936 is highly recommended.'

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Makita Charger - lithium-ion, makita

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I have owned a set of Makita tools with the LXT batteries for a couple years now and I have noticed absolutely zero power loss or any other problems. I use them quite regularly whether building concrete forms, decks, remodels, etc. I can think of three things that may be happening to the batteries of those who have commented on bad performance or longevity; (1) Occasionally, batteries can be bad from the factory (I have yet to own a milwaukee tool with the new "V" or "M" series battery that holds up past a few months. I have both V28 and M12, and have had ALL packs replaced) (2) It is possible to have a bad charger which is damaging the batteries itself, or (3) Perhaps the users are taking them all the way to the point of stalling and complete discharge, and for that the batteries are truly not made to do. It is best that once you notice the battery pack is wearing down, to grab a fresh one and put the discharged on the charger to cool down and refresh. Also, if the batteries are being stored for most of their life, it is best to keep the charger plugged in and rotate batteries through it to keep everything active and refreshed. Lithium batteries have computer chips and sophisticated circuitry, allowing them to constantly be charged without damage. Ni-Cad on the other hand are not supposed to be charged over and over again because they typically have memory effects and lifetime charging limits. It is best to mostly, not completely, discharge a Ni-Cad before replacing back onto the charger. Because a consumer only has ultimate control of this last variable, it is a good idea to read the owners manual and find out what the manufacturer thinks is best operating practices. Only those who are using the batteries and tools know how they are being treated, and you may very well be doing everything right and not fall into this third category. Being that my kit is from a couple years ago, and my newest battery packs (purchased just for continued use because I have many LXT tools) were purchased last year sometime, it is possible that the newer batteries are of a lesser quality, and that would be unfortunate. What I can say is this; I own many Dewalt tools, which I have only had to replace a couple Ni-Cad battery packs in the past 5 years. (Dewalt tools are mostly made in Mexico) I have owned MANY Milwaukee tools in which their Ni-Cads held up pretty well, but their Li-Ion line is absolute crap. Several years ago when their tools were still made in the US, their quality was impeccable. Their tools are now made completely in China. (Yes, many of the Makitas are also) I own several Bosch as well, and their batteries and tools are right up there with Makita's quality. As far as Skil, Black and Decker, and any other cheaper or knock-off brand goes, I would personally never purchase them. For one, you are supporting China, and secondly you would be purchasing a tool that is undependable. Hitachi has an excellent warranty, and makes excellent air nailers, however I'm unsure of the quality you may find in their power tools, both corded and cordless. I hope this was helpful. Makita BL1830 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Battery

Really, these batteries provide seemingly endless power. They hold their charge for weeks with very little loss. I can use one battery for drilling and driving throughout an entire (moderately sized) project. They are extremely lightweight and charge in twenty minutes or less usually (in hot weather it takes longer). All three of mine slide on and off easily, with no issues of binding or falling off. With all the praise comes a VERY important caveat. DO NOT run these batteries into the ground. The instructions state that as soon as you notice a loss of power, stop and charge. If you over-discharge Li-Ion batteries, you can seriously degrade the life of the battery. These batteries are 1/3 cheaper on Amazon.com than at the home centers, so buy from here! Also, only the cells themselves are made in Japan, all other parts are made and final assembly is in China.

I love the drill but the battery life is a real problem. I had both original packs replaced under warranty when the charger reported them bad. Now one of the replacements is flashing bad on the charger. These have been cycled maybe a dozen times. I'll be complaining to Makita and also reporting this on the various woodworking groups I support.

I replaced a 14.4 Milwaukee NiCad with a Makita LXT and noticed that my old Milwaukee NiCads outlasted these in terms of longevity. Run time is solid, but lifespan is short. Two dead after one year, I'm only a homeowner. I've only done a few lengthy jobs such as putting cement board down in a 10x20 room, and building a deck with these, in addition to the other basic tasks of drywall, and other light construction needs. Love the light weight though. Now, I need new ones. Somewhat disappointing.

I went ahead and invested in a pair of these batteries despite the mixed reviews, figuring I'd at least get a year out of them with the warranty. So far, they've performed just fine, even on tools that are supposed to only use the BL1830. I mostly use them on the BHP454 drill (note: this is one of the tools that's keyed for the 1830 pack) and BTD141 impact driver when I'm not going to be using them for long, so the decreased runtime doesn't bother me. I also use them on the angle grinder and recip saw (after removing the little tab on the tools) for light work in tight spaces. I wouldn't want them to be my only batteries, but they're a great addition to a couple of the larger batteries if you have a few tools that can use them.

These slim packs are very handy on the drill, impact, and flashlight- the lighter weight and smaller size are noticeable, especially with the smaller (BDF/BHP452) drills. However, buyer beware when it comes to using them on the 'heavier' tools, as they are keyed for the larger batteries because they can draw more current than these smaller batteries can provide without damaging the cells. So you probably shouldn't slap one of these on your circular saw and go ripping 2x12s all day, or you'll kill the pack very quickly. Makita isn't trying to screw you into buying more batteries, they're trying to make sure you don't kill your batteries.

Another note, considering how many complaints of defective packs there are: don't run these batteries down to nothing, and try not to store them fully charged. Running them into the ground is a sure way to damage the cells, and I've read estimates of up to 20%/year capacity loss for a fully-charged pack, compared to as low as 2%/year for a pack stored @ 40% charge.

And of course, like any cordless tool/battery purchase- shop your options before buying batteries separately. I got the BHP452HW kit for only $50 more than 2 batteries. That's a cheap, easy way to have a spare drill or driver and charger for around the house, or to sell to recoup the extra cost.

I'm knocking off one star because Makita doesn't do a good job of letting people know that these slim packs only work on certain tools- and not very many, either. That's been a complaint for years now, and it's still not mentioned anywhere in their literature or website- even my local Makita dealer didn't know they weren't compatible with all LXT tools. It's not like it's standard practice- Bosch's and Milwaukee's slim packs fit their entire lineup, AFAIK. - Lithium-ion - Battery Packs - Makita - Lithium Battery'

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Rechargeable Batteries - panasonic, panasonic battery

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I, unlike many other people, did some research about which battery I should buy before I went and and bought it. This is the right battery for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20.

With that said, this battery is an authentic Panasonic battery. It is different than the battery the camera came with, as in it lasts longer than the original. If the number on your original battery is (CGA-S/106B), than this is the right battery for your camera. I do not suggest that you buy a 3rd party battery, I know the prices are convincing, but it's not worth it if the battery doesn't work, which is likely to happen. If you buy this battery than it will probably replace your original battery as your main battery and your original will become the backup since the DMW-BCF10PP lasts longer.

This battery is your best bet, even if 3rd party batteries did work. Panasonic DMW-BCF10PP Battery for Select Lumix Cameras (Retail Packaging)

This battery does NOT fit the Lumix model ZS7.

The battery for the ZS7 is DMW-BCG10PP. Notice the "G" instead of "F" being the difference between the product numbers.

I had a lot of difficulty finding the correct battery for the ZS7, so I'm hoping this helps other customers to avoid some confusion, delays, or returns.

I, like others, purchased this battery because the photo of the battery clearly shows the EXACT, HARD-TO-FIND battery my Panasonic DMC-ZS3 camera takes.

The battery shipped does not fit these cameras.

I returned to the site following spending $10 MORE DOLLARS to ship the product back to Amazon.com.

I dug deep into the vendor's pages on the site, finally finding "This battery DOES NOT FIT DMCZS3 or DMCZS1"

three pages deep into the technical specs.

LOTS OF WASTED TIME AND MONEY SPENT on this purchase!

BUYER BEWARE!

This is the real thing; a bona fide Panasonic brand camera battery. It is more expensive than the off-brand replacement batteries, but it should work seamlessly with all Panasonic cameras that use this model battery. I previously purchased a much cheaper off-brand battery, Maximal Power DB PAN DMW-BCF10 Secured Digital Camera Replacement Battery for Panasonic DMW-BCF10 (Black), but my Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 2.7-Inch LCD (Yellow) displayed "THIS BATTERY CANNOT BE USED" message after 4 seconds or being turned "ON". Apparently, the Panasonic cameras will recognize off-brand batteries and will not accept them in an effort to protect us, the dumb consumers, from fires and explosions caused by off-brand batteries.

I am not happy that I have to pay a premium for this brand-name battery, but it seems to be the only battery that will work with my Panasonic camera (unless, of course, you hack the camera's firmware).

Battery INCLUDED with DMC-FH20 box:

MODEL NUMBER: CGA-S/106B

VOLTAGE/CURRENT/POWER:

3.6V / 740mAh / 2.7Wh

TYPE: Li-ion

REVIEWED battery described in this listing:

MODEL NUMBER: DMW-BCF10PP

VOLTAGE/CURRENT/POWER:

3.6V / 940mAh / 3.4Wh

TYPE: Li-ion

Both batteries are recognized by the Lumix DMC-FH20. I just got the spare battery. My guess, based on the current-hours and power ratings, is it will stay powered longer than the original, included-in-box battery. - Panasonic - Camera Battery - Rechargeable Batteries - Panasonic Battery'

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Mechanical - mechanical pencil, 07

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I first purchased one of these mechanical pencils when I was in elementary school and it has been my favorite pencil ever since. It's the only pencil I use now that I'm in college. I suppose different designs suit different people, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like this pencil.

It has a metal tip to allow precise writing and the tip retracts into the pencil when not in use to ensure it doesn't stab you through your pocket. The only problem with this pencil is that the cap over the eraser can be easy to misplace, and without the cap the button on the back can be difficult to press.

I should mention that I have not purchased this product through Amazon. I found it at a small school supply store on my campus and paid about $1.00 for a single pencil. The current price on Amazon is $3.10 which isn't bad considering this pencil is somewhat uncommon currently. Pilot G2 .7mm Mechanical Pencils, Black Barrel, 2-pack (31100)

Sturdy construction, ergonomically satisfying, nice cushion grip.

Pressing the protective cap over the erasure caused a thin metal sheath to protrude from the plastic tip; a second press causes the lead to start coming out.

When finished, holding down the cap and pressing on the lead/metal sheath causes both to retract into the plastic body for protection.

Overall a good mechanical pencil.

Pilot G2 .7mm Mechanical Pencils, I like these pencils they come 2 per Pack, I found them at the Studio that I work for, and I'm glad I did. I like the rubber contoured grip it feels comfortable against my fingers and not that big around, I like the thickness of the lead .7mm and it's always sharp and ready and I haven't had any problems with the fitting of the cap, nice and tight! Great Pencils! Thank You - Mechanical Pencil - G2 - 07 - Mechanical'

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Vase Fillers - vase fillers

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The Pearl Beads are Beautiful and unique in the different sizes. Great statement for a table centerpiece. The service was excellent. I recommend this product for vase fillers for table centerpieces,wedding centerpieces (my friend is interested in purchasing the Pearls for her wedding centerpieces)and gifts. Unique Elegant Vase Fillers - Oversized Black Pearl Beads and White Pearl Beads - 1 Pack - Wholesale Decorative Vase Filler Gems

This is an excellent product, very unique. I used them for a friend's bridal shower and got many compliments. I saved them and am using them for another event. The gel beads worked well to give the illusion of floating and I saved them and even after a year they work fine. This is a must buy for any centerpiece for any event.

Received these a few weeks ago and will be using them in my May wedding :) They look just like the picture and are true to size. I tried them yesterday with the aqua gel beads and am even more excited now!! Thank you for the great product :) - Vase Fillers'

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Memory Card - 2gb, sandisk

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i acquired a remarkable old fuji s602 zoom camera .. while this is a great little machine of its day, it needs a 2gb CF card that is compatable .. many brands dont work .. some that used to work, now dont because of changes in their internal controllers (same problem with some nikons) .. i couldnt find anything that would work for sure today .. so i just guessed at one that looked good and ordered a couple .. the sandisk ultra II is really overkill for this camera (speed wise) so i doubted that it would work .. i was so happy that i turned cartwheels when the ultra II worked perfectly .. it allowed the camera to run at its maximum speed and really improved its high quality movie mode .. it looks like sandisk has retained its compatability thru generations of development.. good job sandisk Sandisk 2GB ULTRA Compact Flash CF Card (SDCFH-002G, Static Pack)

Very fast, very secure, very good product. I have the 2Gb and 8GB versions and use them first always when shooting portraits and commercial work. My RAW files are 50MB each, and I can load the camera's buffer to the manufactures max 12 frames in 3 seconds without a hitch. With the other camera I can shoot 8.5 FPS for 40FRAMES (More with Jpegs)! No issues. Read/write times are just what I need, fast.

We had searched all over local shops for a 2GB memory card, but no one carries this small size anymore. That is the upper size limit for our animal cam, and we had given up. Then I happened upon this card while shopping Amazon for another product. Was surprised and pleased at price. Ordered immediately. This supplier met our needs in a timely manner, and the card is just what we needed!

I bought a few of these to use as cheap flash storage in a few Nokia IP130 firewalls for running M0n0wall. They work great for my intended purpose and seem to be reasonably fast, they are much faster than some of the older 512MB & 1GB CF cards I have. I haven't used them in a camera or anything but they work great for lightweight firewall distros like M0n0wall & PFSense.

I gave an older digital camera to one of my friends and realized I had misplaced the 256MB (that's right, MB) Compact Flash card. Decided to replace the card rather than go digging for it. This card has eight times the storage and cost the same or less than the low capacity card. It works great and with the quality of the camera it's being put into, my friend may never have to erase a picture again. Packaging is minimal, but card is new and works perfectly. - 2gb - Photography - Sandisk - Compact Flash Card'

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Free Mp3 Download - avalon, mp3 download

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Avalon has changed a couple of their members over the years, but their music remains awesome. The vocals are different from the "A Maze of Grace" days but I wouldn't say that the song isn't just as good as "Testify to Love", "Speed of Light", "Adonai", or "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". Alive

This is a really good song from a solid Christian band. I rated it only four stars because it isn't one of their best songs, but it has a good hook and the production is first rate. If this is your first listen to Avalon, check out some of their other songs and albums. They have great vocals and positive messages! - Free - Mp3 Download - Free Mp3 - Avalon'

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Heavy-duty Staplers - heavy-duty staplers, staple remover

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This is a sturdy staple remover made of chrome plated steel and a small part that actually gets under the staple and lifts it out that appears to be heat-treated steel, which is even stronger. It removed staples up to 3/4" without strain. It is almost overkill to use it to remove smaller staples that are just holding several sheets of paper together. I also tested it on 5/8" furniture staples that were solidly embedded in hardwood. It removed those staples with ease as well. It is strong enough however to occationaly break staples that are embedded in hardwood. Several times I needed to pull one embedded end of the staple with pliers, but I did not regard this as a problem; rather, it is a testament to how strong this devise is. I also doubt that this would ever happen with staples embedded in paper.

The only potential problem occurs when you are first using it. Sometimes extra force is necessary to push down on the chrome plated handle which can be a little slippery if you do not apply the downward force without gripping the handle with your fingers curled underneath it to provide stability. If you just use your palm to push down on the handle, your hand can slide off and the remover may slide forwards away from you. This happened to me twice before I realized how to use it properly. It did not cause any injury, but I imagine it could be a source of minor injury in rare occasions to new users.

The product does what it is supposed to do in an almost effortless manner and with the quality of its construction, it should last more than a lifetime. I am a retired executive and if I had been aware of this product before retiring, I would have bought one for my Administrative Assistant to make her life a bit easier. Swingline Heavy Duty Staple Remover (S7037201A)

This is pretty great for a staple remover. It is obviously well-built with high quality rivets, and what appears to be a heat-treated steel pointed plate that does most of the heavy lifting. I am sure it would greatly improve removal of many large staples, and it generally functions better than the old steel jaws. My only issue with the remover is that I really don't remove large staples that often and it actually causes problems with smaller staples that are only holding 1-5 sheets of paper together. I find that for smaller jobs, this remover rips/shreds the paper in the vicinity of the staple, and a few times it has actually ripped the staple apart into smaller metal shards.

I realize it is my fault for purchasing a "heavy duty" staple remover for day-to-day staple removal, but I wanted the flexibility to remove any staple regardless of size. You've been warned.

The smooth design of this staple remover makes it very easy to handle. It requires little effort on your behalf, just insert and push.

We've had one of these in our office for over five years, and its still going strong, excellent investment.

I know, like the first time I saw a Rubik's cube, I just sat and stared at this thing for about five minutes to figure out how it works. At first, I thought I received the wrong shipment: I thought this was some sort of unpopular female grooming device. I called Amazon customer support and a really smart agent, Hareesh, told me how to use it. Many thanks, Hareesh from New Delhi.

It works by gripping the staple with those jaw-like teeth, then this device gently plucks staples out of paper. Already used staples loosen their pincer grip on the paper, and fall out like thin metal whiskers from a giant robot or something. The staples, alas, cannot be re-used. A suggestion for a future version of this device would be to somehow crimp the staple when it's being withdrawn from the paper to be re-used in some fashion. That would make the device more ecologically friendly. I took a star off my rating because if even I, who has been using this now for about three minutes, can think of ways to make it better, then something is definitely wrong in Who-ville. Plus the fact that it only comes in one color, chrome. I think a rainbow of colors would be reasonable and would make this a focal point of the desktop. For instance, I would have chosen fuschia, if it was a choice.

All in all, though, it gets the job done. It takes staples out of paper. I wish it had a letter opener and maybe a Scotch tape dispenser build in...or better yet, a stapler! The pulled out staples could somehow go back into the stapler and be reused on the spot, you know, like when you put the staple in at a funny angle and you wish you could re-do it. Well, you could, if my idea works. If the manufacturer wants to take my ideas and run with them, that's fine, I don't need any money. You can just name it after me. - Home Office - Swingline - Heavy-duty Staplers - Staple Remover'

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7 Port Usb 2 Hub - 7-port usb hub, 7 port usb hub

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*** Note: Several recent comments have stated that this product no longer comes with a worldwide voltage input (100-240V) power supply. That's a shame, and I'd definitely knock a star off the review if I could due to this change on D-Link's part -- I can only imagine it was part of a cost-cutting move. :-(

(Note that this review was originally posted in 2005, so it's been a LIFETIME for an electronic device and the DUB-H7's you buy today are likely quite dissimilar insofar as their physical construction goes compared to the ones from 2005.)

Original review:

I've had one for about six months now, and it's worked without problems. One of the things I particularly like with it is that it comes with one of the newer "slimline" power supplies that doesn't block other plugs, works anywhere in the world (100-240V), and is more efficient than the old "wall wart" power supplies.

Let me address some of the other comments here:

1) For the guy with the Lexar data card... it is a blight on D-Link's reputation that their technical support was clearly incompetent (this is sadly true of many companies today -- being pushed there in part by the relentless "drive to the bottom" by consumers who often care more about price than quality and support), but I doubt that even a really good company could have helped much. Although the hub may have somehow been at fault, it's also possible the Lexar card had problems -- even if it worked fine in other hubs. For the record, I've used a handful of USB drives with this hub without problems... although not a Lexar brand.

2) Regaridng plugging in a USB 1.0/1.1 device and slowing the hub down -- this doesn't actually happen, at least in the hub I received, but what D-Link is doing is hedging their bets (hence the word "may" -- which unfortunately these days many manufacturers use when the word "will" is more correct!): Inside the hub you'll find a VERY generic hub IC (actually, two of them), and D-Link has a lot of freedom to use different vendors' ICs based on price, availability, etc. All of them are USB 2.0 hubs, but ones without so-called "per port transaction translators" will drop to full speed (12Mbps) if any of the ports have such a device plugged into them. Happily, ICs like this are pretty much extinct today (when USB 2.0 first came out they were around). In any case, your solution of just getting two hubs certainly still applies. I agree this should be a little bit more prominently advertised, but so should a lot of things about USB, WiFi, etc. -- the oft-touted data routes of 480Mbps and 54Mbps (respectively) are pure fantasy, for instance, in real world applications. D-Link DUB-H7 High Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub

The product is and does what all the descriptions say. Looks good, nice and small etc. etc. It is, of course, backward compatible with USB 1.0 and 1.1, but I got a nasty surprise when I opened the box and read the "Quick Install Guide". Under the "tips" section, they state: "Connecting USB 1.1 devices to the DUB-H7 may cause all USB devices connected to the hub work at USB 1.1 speed. To ensure 480Mbps throughput for your USB 2.0 devices, do not connect USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 devices to the hub at the same time." Maybe this is common knowledge to a computer expert, but to me it wasn't! I have 1.1 and 2.0 devices which I want to connect, and now I have to start unplugging and re-plugging devices constantly? That's why I bought a hub with 7 ports in the first place! If I had known this, I would have bought two 4-port hubs: one for my USB 1.1 devices, and one for my USB 2.0 devices.You can download the Quick install guide I am talking about at Dlink's website: http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=149 and click on "Install Guides" for the PDF format download.

I was excited to have this 7-Port USB 2.0 hub until I discovered that it cannot handle more than four devices reliability and it cannot handle any high power devices, such as an external hard drive at all. I tried USB powered externals (Seagate 100 GB) and external hard drives with their own power supply (Western Digital 250 GB) It just doesn't recognize these. My Seagate 100 GB external started making that funny noise it makes when it is not getting enough power.

I also had trouble with my Linksys transmitter for my wireless Skype phone. It worked fine when plugged directly into one of the computer USB ports, but would not work at all with the D-Link Hub.

I would think the unit was defective, except that the mouse, Cruzer USB drive, and keyboard that I have plugged into it work fine.

This device has its own power supply, but it doesn't seem to be able to handle the load. I would not recommend it. I plan to replace mine with another brand.

I have a multitude of accessories for my computer including a scanner, printer, memory card reader and an ipod. The hub only works with accessories that have their own power sources. If I plug in any of the accessories without their own power sources (like the ipod or keyboard) I get a low USB power notice and cannot communicate with the attatched accessory. Even though this hub has its own power supply, it only alots a certain amount of power to each port, thereby decreasing the amount of power each accessory can use. I would not recommend this product and would return it if I could. - 7-port Usb Hub - 7 Port Usb Hub - 7 Port Usb 2 Hub - D-link'

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Tomtom Xl 340s - tomtom, gps

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just received my new GPS today, plugged it into my mac, and installed tomtom's mac version of their home software. everything has worked well so far and the free map update installed fine. there are two main things that purchasers need to know:

1) space is very limited on the device. there is only 2 GB of internal flash memory and out of the box there was less than 50 MB free. the very first thing you should do is to delete voices in languages you don't use. this will free up a couple/three hundred MB. they can get backed up to your computer so you could always put them back in the future. once a bit of space is freed up you'll be able to update the device without issue. after removing spanish and french voices, running update which installed a new dave voice, and then installing the free map update i was left with 89 MB free. when i tried to run update before removing the voices, the unit warned me about lack of space and aborted without creating any further problems. maybe the mac version of home is more robust than the windows one in this respect.

2) the device only supports USB 1.1 transfers which max out at a bit over 1 MB/sec and can be slower. so doing a full backup or a map update will take quite a while (1-2 hours) and this is normal.

for me, those limitations are more than offset by the large, bright screen, text2speech capability, crowd-sourced map/route updates, and cheaper southern africa maps (we're moving there soon). especially given the cheap sale price i found. i will provide updates as i put unit through paces on cross-country trip and then intercontinental move..... TomTom XL 340-S 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)

I'm pretty tech savvy and have used different GPS devices in the past. I chose Tomtom over Garmin mainly due to tomtom HOME support, better user interface: tomtom has more info on the screen including the street name you're driving on.

Most negative reviews here are from issues updating map which is larger than the old one (about 5 Mb larger) and causes error.

but it's simple to go around it.

1. connect to home computer. turn the unit on. select Yes to connect. Tomtom Home will install on your computer.

2. on Tomtom HOME menu, go to "Manage my ONE XL". On Items on Device, click voices. you can back up then delete all foreign computer voices (recorded voice files are small, so doesn't matter). just keep DAVE, and Susan computer voices( you need at least one computer voice for spoken street names). You should free up about 130 Mb (much more than you need)

3. now you can update new map with no problem. it does take a long time. after you're done, you still have 125 Mb extra to download customized items, map corrections in the future. customized car symbols are really cool, as are start up and shut down images. these customized items and map corrections are so small: tiny to 0.5 Mb that with > 125 Mb free, you can keep updating for years to come.

Pros: 4.3 inch screen, great routing, advanced lane guidance (it does work well), IQ route (faster route based on historical traffic data), very quick GPS fix <30 sec (but you need to connect to computer at least every 7 days so that a GPS file can be updated to help fix signal quickly), a little longer for a cold start or if you forget to sync with your computer more than 7 days, but it's still around 1 minute or less to fix the signal. also very strong signal, almost full bar inside my house. Text to speech (for spoken street names) is computer voice, so it's OK. recorded voices are nicer but unable to do text to speech. the included Easyport mount is great, simple, stable.

Cons: the screen brightness at 100% is still not as bright as I want (I also use Tomtom Navigator 6 on my smartphone with better contrast, brightness) but you still can see fine on a sunny day. The computer voices for text to speech are not as clear when you drive and play music.

In summary, this tomtom has a lot of great features for the price. if you don't need bluetooth (for hands free call with your cell phone, which is not good anyway because your volume always appears tiny to the other end), FM transmitter (which is not practical if you need to play your CD in the car), or live traffic receiver (which is spotty based on the info I've read), This 340S is the one to get. most people own smartphones these days with internet, so they can get live traffic, up to date points of interest from Google map, play mp3 and pictures. So you don't really need those features from a GPS device (which is more expensive)

This is my 3rd Tom Tom and i always buy them refurbished beacuse they look and work new (Comes with a 6 month warranty) ! I got the unit out of its box and immediately hooked it up to my computer. After a few seconds the unit started and connection was made ( if you never had a tom tom unit, it will download the software for you) i immediately clicked on "latest map guarantee" and it told me that there was a new map available and it was free for me to download ! It took me afew hours to do the download and get the new map and now i have a brand new map in my refurb unit :) I turned the unit on when i was in the car for the first time and it took 5 seconds for the unit to find where we were !

The screen is very big so it is very easy to enter address and do the settings. The lane assist feature is great now i know where to stay on the highway and never miss a turn. I used it under the train tracks( Bronx NY) and just like my older tom tom never lost any signal and kept up with my speed and turns. IQ routes are great it knows where there will be traffic (gets this info from mapshare not live traffic but uses historical data) and suggests other routes for you to take. Map share is great so even if your map gets old you still get updates from other drivers so it is like getting free maps everytime you hook the unit up to your computer.

Update 10/3/2010

I have been using this device for about 7 months and i am still very happy with it and not willing to upgrade or change it to another yet ! My rating is still 5 stars because this unit never failed on me ! did it give me 1 or 2 bad turns ? yes it did but this is acceptable and it was minor. Battery is still great gives me over 1 hr without the cord. Everything works perfectly so as i said before don't think twice just buy this refurbished unit ! - Car Gps - Tomtom - Gps - Portable Vehicle Gps'

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