Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Ipod Charger - usb charger, usb
Like everyone else, I hate Apple's not including an AC adapter with the iPod and then charging $30 to get one. And, like many here, I was hesitant to buy a $3 charger since it might ruin my $250 nano. But it isn't a $3 charger. It's more like a $6-10 charger when you add in the "shipping" -- roughly $7.50 for one and $10.50 for two, which is really shipping, handling and profit. Even at those prices, it's much better than Apple and I like the design even better (roughly half the size and one third the weight. Given the small power output, that shouldn't be a problem and is better when traveling. Apple's adapter is almost as big as the one for my iBook and that uses many times the power of an iPod charger.
Someone expressed concern about the lack of a "charge completed" indicator, but I don't see how that could happen. To my knowledge, a USB port (which this charger replicates so far as charging is concerned) does not know when anything connected to it is done charging (or even if it is charging vs. operating) so all the charge control would seem to have to be in the iPod, not the charger.
I gave this product four stars instead of five only because of the company's misleading shipping charge. Paradoxically, they might sell more if they charged the true price and a more reasonable shipping charge since a lot of people are likely to be scared away by a ridiculously low price, out of fear they will damage their iPod. I wish Amazon would require its affiliated sellers to adhere to a reasonable shipping cost policy. Amazon's charging reasonable shipping is a big reason I tend to come to their site, but situations like this are making me look elsewhere more. USB/AC for MP3 Players - White
I've bought three of these on separate occasions - one for me and two as gifts. Each arrived very fast by mail and all work perfectly. The charger is very small and has a built-in folding plug. It can charge any device that uses USB for charging. Simple, elegant and even with shipping it is less than 1/3 the price of the Apple version - highly recommended!
Charger FRIED our iPOD video first time we used it. iPOD was burning hot and is ruined.I've sent 7 emails to Cemtronix-NO RESPONSE! Can't find Cemtronix phone no. anywhere-includ Amazon CS and internet search. Want reimbursement for new iPOd $265.19 plus 6.00. Very upset and disgusted that Cemtronix won't respond and Amazon won't provide phone number or address of Cemtronix.
READ THIS!!!
Cemtronix responded to my evaluation by writing: Seller Response: ""NOT TRUE" Item was tested and was not defective at all. This buyer was looking for a free iPod "SELLERS BEWARE"" Date: 3/13/2007
THIS IS NOT TRUE!! Cemtronix NEVER contacted me or tested the product. I still have it. I was NOT looking for a free ipod. Mine worked fine before using the charger.
DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY. THEY DO NOT DESERVE ANY BUSINESS!
Just what the doctor ordered. It's robbery what Apple charges for their chargers, considering that if you buy one of their $300+ video ipods, it doesn't even come with one! Just what you need for on-the-road charging, and it weighs next to nothing.
I just received the USB adapter and attempted to charge my Ipod Shuffle. When plugging the charger into the wall, it sparked and shot out of the wall. The left side of my room lost power. Black smoot was all over the USB charger. I do not recommend this product to anyone unless you enjoy watching your house burn down. The $30 one from Apple will be well worth the extra cost.
This charger fried 2 mp3 players, both less than 4 weeks old. A new Ipod touch stopped powering up after the first charge using this item. A cheaper mp3 player died after about a week of use. It worked for a few charges, then after plugging it in one day, I noticed the charging light on the player did not come on and it was extremely hot.
Advertisement indicates that this charger is for iPod Shuffle, Nano, etc. I ordered the charger, and after 3 weeks (which is another story), I received the device, but it did not charge my iPod Shuffle. I sent several e-mails to the company (inspiretech), and they finally agreed to send a replacement, and asked me to retract my negative rating. I recently received the replacement, and it also does not charge the Shuffle. After numerous attempts to contact inspiretech, no response. I guess they are done with me. Watch Out!!! THIS WILL NOT CHARGE AN iPOD SHUFFLE, regardless of what the ad says. - Usb - Usb Charger - Charger - Ipod Accessories'
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Casual Socks
I've been buying Gold Toe crews (and the occasional knock-off) for 40 years. I started in college, when my socks kept riding down my heel, into my loafers. If you have that problem, these sox are the cure.
All my older GT crews were mostly cotton (with lycra) - they shrank some and lost their softness, but not their usefulness. I have some that may be 20-25 years old.
These particular sox seem to be the 22% acrylic blend - they have a flecked appearance, probably "heather". I got 5 packs, and after several washings, they seem to be holding their size and fluff better. I expect the acrylic to be a little warmer, which should be an advantage with winter almost here. Not sure about the summer.
Had I noted the acrylic content, I probably would have passed, but these seem to be as good as the old mostly-cotton crews. Time will tell.
UPDATE 7-20-2008 (original 11-25-2007):
These socks were a joy over the winter, but are too warm for summer. Also, by April, the foot of each sock began to lose its shape, making folds or collections of fabric likely. (The shank retains its shape.)
I probably wore each sock seven to ten times before the problem developed. My old cotton socks are a little frayed at the heel, but are otherwise fine after many years. I can no longer recommend these acrylic-content socks.
UPDATE (7-12-2009):
Well I got another season out of these socks, and I'm liking them much better. I simply pull them on hard. The heel of the sock comes up over my heel, may stick out of the shoe some, but that doesn't bother me, and they do not bunch up underneath.
UPDATE (6-6-2010):
Another season completed, still fine. Gold Toe Men's Casual Crew 3-Pack, Black/Black/Black, 10-13
Comfortable and Durable with nice business casual colors. Allow your feet to breath in those leather shoes. These sock are slightly thicker than normal dress socks but not so thick that your toes feel cramped in the shoe. And they still look like dress socks. I paid more than twice the price for a couple of pairs of similar socks of another brand at local stores. These socks are great. I originally purchased the black versions of these socks and was so impressed I logged back into Amazon and found and purchased the same socks in multiple colors. The colored socks have a slightly different make up in material percentages, presumably for the color, but are just as comfortable and hold the color just as well. the next time I need socks, which will probably be a while, I will look for the same socks.
I was struggling with the correct socks my husband should wear with casual khakie and cargo pants. In the summer he wore sandals with them, but now he's wearing them to work and needs to wear regular shoes. I hated white athletic socks with them, but dress socks were too polished. These worked perfectly.
Perhaps for the average person, these socks are okay, albeit expensive, but for someone with a small foot (size 8 shoe)like myself, I found that the foot part of the sock is too long and too big around. Additionally, the elastic on the upper part of the socks is way too tight, leaving deep impressions in your leg after wearing them for a day. They do appear to be well made, but overall for my use I found them unacceptable.
Oh man. Oh lord. These socks are the bees knees! When I got my first pack, I threw all of my other socks away. I said to myself, "Man, F those old socks! F 'em all!". I only wear these socks now.
These are typically wonderful gold toe socks. I would have paid much more at a department store. The colors are great, the fit is fantastic and they feel good on my feet. I wear size 13 shoes so that is not always the case but these fit great. I am buying more and I would highly recommend these socks.
These socks are great for day-in, day-out wear. They stay up well - no sagging in boots! And after six weeks of washing, they are just as dark and soft as they were out of the package. We'll see how they hold up over time, but for now they are my husband's favorite socks.
I've used Gold Toe socks for decades and prefer cotton. The Fluffies are my favorite but wear out fast. These are a nice compromise as they wear well. I'm not fond of socks having large polyester content (like the ones sold at Costco). These have served me the best.'
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Classic Horror - comedy, bruce campbell
Confused by all the Army of Darkness DVD releases (some in print, some out of print, some lingering halfway between)? I know I was. But I've done some research and figured it out, and here's how it breaks down:
1. The original DVD release-- was the original theatrical version of the movie with few extras. Good picture, good sound, S-Mart ending. If you just want to watch the best available version of the movie, you might get this one (if you can still find it; it's out of print now). It also has the familiar movie poster cover with an overly muscled Bruce and the hokey "Low on gas" slogan.
2. The director's cut-- with the silly Molly Hatchet cover and the original ending. There are many minuses: key lines are changed (not necessarily for the better). Much of the footage looks really horrible, including the entire concluding battle. All the deleted scenes have the feel of an eBay-purchased bootleg. Bottom line: AOD fans will like to see the material, but this is hardly the movie's best presentation. It's still circulating but they're not making any more of them.
3. The special edition-- probably the best DVD release of the movie to date. The 2 disc version (which, like the director's cut, is nearing the end of its availability) is great. It features both the watchable theatrical version and the borderline-unwatchable director's cut. It has commentary, unlike every other release, although the commentary is only available when viewing the director's cut. It has a making-of featurette.
The single disc version (now the primary version of AOD available) is only a slight downgrade; basically, it's the theatrical release, lookin' and soundin' fine, with the original ending as an extra, and the making of featurette also included. (The commentary is sadly missing.)
In summary: You can't go wrong with the single disc special edition or the even better double disc special edition. Avoid the director's cut unless you already own the original DVD and just want to see all the new footage in all its grainy glory. The original DVD is a fine purchase if you just wanna watch the movie, already.
2009 edit: to clear up some confusion in comments on this review, I wrote this eight long years ago. "Army" probably has five new DVD editions since then, and I'm sorry to report that I don't care enough to keep buying and comparing them. My experience so far has been that they keep releasing new versions with little regard for what people really want. In my eyes, a definitive version would be:
1. The main feature would be the theatrical version, fully restored and anamorphic.
2. Deleted scenes and the alternate ending would be cleaned up and well-presented as extras - I know this is possible because I own an Australian DVD of the movie that has them looking a lot cleaner than I've seen on all the older American versions. It would be also great if they had a menu option to watch the theatrical cut with some of the deleted scenes added back in - in particular the longer (and more cohesive) windmill battle with the mini-Bruces should never have been trimmed down; I'd love to see that in full as part of the movie. There's a cut that plays on some TV channel (AMC maybe?) that includes this scene, but unfortunately other parts are changed to their detriment - not a great trade-off. I think most fans of the movie prefer the original version of the movie - the S-mart ending, the original one-liners, etc. - but don't mind seeing some additional scenes thrown in.
3. Commentary, making-of featurette, etc. all included. The track record of this stuff on previous releases has been very spotty.
4. And finally do it right - put this version (probably a 2 DVD set) in print and get rid of the other ones, and KEEP it in print. Fans are tired of re-buying this movie just to find out that it's the same damn thing with a line or scene changed... if that. Let's tie a neat bow on this thing and be done with it. I'm as big a fan as they come and I stopped buying the new DVDs a couple versions ago.
2011 edit: Go to this page for a detailed look at all the notable Army DVD editions, including the ones I have not covered (be they Boomstick, Screwhead, or whatever else Anchor Bay/MGM/whoever has decided to foist upon this movie's beleaguered fanbase): [...] Army of Darkness (Screwhead Edition) [Blu-ray]
For the sake of clarity, I just want to say that there is no way I could review any version of Army of Darkness without giving it five stars. It is a modern classic which I can watch over and over again. Seeing the Tiny Evil Ashes take on Ash causes me to laugh out loud with every "My fair lady."Having said that, I can't imagine why they are releasing yet another SE DVD set of it. I own the 2-disc Limited Edition which came out a few years ago. I can't find anything different about this new "Boomstick Edition" that isn't on the old Limited Edition. Both have the original theatrical release and the director's cut with 15 additional minutes of footage. Both have the Men Behind The Army featurette. Both have the Raimi, Campbell, Raimi commentary. The only thing I've noticed so far is that the Boomstick edition comes with some kind of 10 page collectible book which my LE set didn't have. But unless they made some drastic changes to either the video or audio to clear up imperfections which I never noticed in the first place, I couldn't justify buying this new edition. But if you don't yet own Army of Darkness, don't be a primitive screwhead. Click on the Buy It Now link and get it.
Ok, for those who are wondering, this "bootleg" edition is simply the Director's Cut version without the Limited Edition numbers on it. Don't worry, it's not an illegal copy, more like an "Official Bootleg". It was done so that fans who missed out on the Limted Edition can still get the DVD and all the extra goodies. I for one am glad they did so because I happened to miss out on it myself. The cover is done as if someone made an illegal copie and used a brown paper back to cover up the liner. It has handwriting-like text on it in what appears to be a few notes from Bruce "Don't call me Ash" Campbell. The actual DVD inside is done up like a DVD-R (Not Really Recordable) and is very humorous. It contains the exact same movie and features of the LE in the exact same quality. The commentary from Sam, Bruce, and Ivan is hilarious as was their commentary from the other Evil Dead DVDs. That in combination with the deleted scenes and the original ending make this a must have for those who want the whole story. This is the version of the movie that was originally done before they were forced to shorten it to 81 minutes and alter the ending. So if you missed out on the Limited Edition DVD then this is for you. This is definatly one for the fans out there. - Horror - Bruce Campbell - Army Of Darkness - Comedy'
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Abu Garcia Fishing Reels - abu garcia fishing reels, great price
Im getting ready for the northeast fishing season so I decided to purchase a new rig. I am a schrewed shopper and I found this "lefty" at an unreal (no pun intended) price. I was so impressed with this reel that I immediately researched the Vendetta rods and picked one of those to complete the package. The construction is solid, the drag system is top notch, and as for casting this thing is tops. Very little backlash in practice mode and when I dialed it in - no backlash what so ever. I own Diawa, Quantum, Pfluger, Fenwick, Pinnacl and this one is the s*&%. Now I just have to wait for the seasons to change..... Abu Garcia Revo Fishing Reel (SX-HS-L, )
If you are looking for a higher end baitcaster this the way to go. The Revo is silky smooth casting and the drag is amazing. I am a long time curado lover and I still love the curado but same lure on same rod the revo out casts the curado by 20 yards easy and the revo is $40 less than the new curado e series
buy it you won't be sorry
i got this reel in the winter and have not had a chance to fish it yet but i was able to practice at the garage i work at and without a doubt this is one of the nicest casting baitcasters i have owned it is smooth and with the right amount of tweaking to the drag system it will cast a mile, i'm not sure why anyone would shell out the money for a 2011 model when the 2009 model as far as i can tell is just a different color perfect reel as far as i am concerned. - Abu Garcia Fishing Reels - Abu Fishing Reels - Great price - Abu Garcia'
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Creative Writing - vocabulary, spelling
My 6 year old daughter who is weak in spelling, actually likes this book. Along with the write the word exercises, each "unit" also has an activity such as a crossword puzzle, word find, fill-in, or free-form sentences for the words being practiced. This last page of the unit is definitely her favorite. The different write the word exercises are effective and she does know how to spell the list words by the end of the unit. She is even retaining how to spell the words which is refreshing. There are 14 5-8 page units which only take less than 20 minutes each to complete. She likes this book A LOT more than Spelling Workout A by Modern Curriculum Press. Spelling & Writing, Grade 1 (Master Skills) - Vocabulary - Spelling'
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Home Theater Speaker - wireless home theater, home theater system
I bought this dvd home theater for my little corner of the house. We already have an expensive Sony 5 disc home theater for the family room, so I bought this mainly because of the price.
I have it hooked up to a 42in LG Plasma tv, and with the HDMI hookup it upconverts the dvds nicely. They don't look blu-ray quality, but still they look better than normal.
The sound quality of the system is pretty good for a small room. I wouldn't suggest this system for a big basement or living room, but for what I bought it for it sounds great. The volume goes from 1-100 which is a little weird for me, I really only like it to go from 1-50, because I feel bad listening to it at 75.
I have a TOSLINK optical cable running from my tv to the system so I can use it to listen to the tv as well. I does a pretty good job with that. It also has a little tray that pops out for an ipod, but I only use my ipod for jogging, so I doubt that will ever get used.
Hooking up the system was pretty easy. Just hook up the hdmi and toslink cable to the tv and the back of the player and you're good to go. The speakers are all marked which they are and the ends of the wires are color coded to ensure you hook them up right, so they're pretty dummy proof.
The center speaker looks different than it does in the picture here on amazon. It's more of a rectangle than the others. The 2 side and back speakers are little squares just like in the picture. The subwoofer is a tad on the small side, but it serves its purpose well.
Overall I'd recommend this system for anyone looking for an inexpensive home theater for a smaller area. Panasonic SC-XH150 5.1 Channel Cinema Surround Home Entertainment System
1.) Works like a charm with my Pansonic Viera Plasma TV. Wish it came with an HDMI cable but I bought one separately for only a few dollars. The ARC (Audio Return Channel) means that only one cable is needed to send video/audio from the DVD player to the TV, or to send audio from the TV to the surround speakers. The HDMI cable also sends data... so when I turn on this system, my TV knows to turn its internal speakers off and the volume control for either remote controls the speaker system. Also, the remotes work well together since they're both Panasonic (i.e. TV power button on the remote for the speaker system).
2.) Price is right... This is significantly cheaper than most stereo receivers or blu ray players, and it comes with all the speakers. I have Netflix on my TV and an HDMI cable running from my computer so no real need for a Blu Ray player.
3.) Setup was really easy. The speaker cables are all color coded, and have ends that easily snap into the receiver one way, so it was really easy to set things up.
4.) And speaking of the speaker cables, they're of pretty decent length. I thought I was going to need to buy additional speaker wire but the included cables were more than adequate for me. Obviously this depends on your setup, but generally speaking they did a good job of providing enough cable length.
5.) I've tried with Netflix, cable TV and Pandora, and I'm very satisfied with how everything sounded for the price. I'm not a huge audiophile but I've worked in TV production my entire life, inevitably acquiring a sense for how good audio should sound, and I've played the cello for 12+ years... and this system satisfies my ears.
This home theater system is simply the best you can get at this price point, feature wise and of course SOUND wise.I was originally in the market for a sony system, but soon realized that for my living room which happens to be a meager 17*8 that would be too much and too price. Bottom line THIS is the system for you if u need ok sound for a small space.
I have installed this system in my small commercial gym. I didn't want to spend a load of money on something that might be banged around a little. It's not a heavy output system, but the sound clarity is awesome. It's perfect for my members because it's so versatile and easy to use. They can come in, click on the radio, put in their own CD, or (best of all) they can pop their ipod into the dock and listen to their own choice of music. Very cool. Wise buy! I think I'll be getting another one of these for my living room ... and maybe bedroom ... bathroom?? Just kidding.
I have a small family room and this system does everything I expect and sounds nice in the room that it is placed in. I have one complaint and that is regarding the iPod functionality. The main reason I purchased this is for the iPod dock and to play my iTunes purchased/non-cd music. Perhaps I can't find the directions or am stupid but I can not find a way to use the iPod without turning on the television!!! : This is an issue for two reasons. First of all, I have a large screen, backlit, LED television and that is a lot of electricity to burn just to be able to navigate the iPod menu! Secondly, I see no way to page down the menu it displays for iPod navigation. This is an issue if you want to list artists for instance and want to find and select something at the bottom of the list. If I could use the iPod menu, navigating to U2 for instance is pretty quick. Using the interface provided, I have to "down arrow" through each artist until I finally arrive at the "U" artists (alphabetic order). Please,somebody tell my I am missing some feature here or not using the remote control correctly!
This is a good basic system with HDMI-ARC. HDMI-ARC allows you to use this with a few of the new TV's who don't have regular audio outputs. ARC stands for Audio Return Signal. This system, however is NOT a powerhouse. You will not shake the floor. In fact in a larger room, it might not be enough for normal volume. I will keep it and use it, since it was very inexpensive, but will soon replace it with something with more power. This is the 3rd Panasonic "packaged" system that I have bought. On of the other is now with a nephew, and the 2nd was stolen. Both of them were much more powerful. - Home Theater System - Home Theater - Wireless Home Theater - Speakers'
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Electric Pencil Sharpener - stanley, electronics
I bought this pencil sharpener for use at home. We are a large homeschooling family, so as you might imagine we go through pencils pretty quickly.
Unfortunately, the sharpener only worked on about half of the pencils I tried. The others were all sharpened so unevenly that they were unusable. The wood went all the way down to the point. I tried 20-30 pencils of all different types, including quite a few brand new ones.
I contacted Bostitch customer service, and I was informed that the PENCILS were defective, not the sharpener! But the pencils are not sharpened symmetrically. One side is slanted much more than the other. I tried every one of the different sized holes, pushing up on the pencil, pushing down on the pencil, using more pressure, etc., and nothing worked. Customer service informed me that I could send the unit back to them at my expense, and they would send me a replacement. But as I have no confidence that another unit would work any better, I don't want to spend any more money on this, and am returning it to Amazon. Stanley Bostitch QuietSharp Executive Electric Pencil Sharpener, Black (EPS9V-BLK) - Electric Pencil Sharpener - Stanley Bostitch - Electronics - Stanley'
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Flat Screen - flat panel wall mount, lcd mount
This flat panel mount is adjustable and very cost effective, an excellent product for the money. This arm comes with all needed mounting hardware for either masonry or wall stud mounting as well as a set of 4 screws for several sizes of panel mounting screws. It also comes with a small wrench for two different sizes of hex heads on the arm and an allen wrench for one of the arm adjustments. It is at least a two man operation to attach the flat screen after the arm is attached to the wall. I mounted mine on a stud in the wall. For stud mounting you use two of the six mounting hex head lag screws that come with it. It doesn't say exactly in the directions but you should use a 1/4" drill bit to pre-drill the holes in the stud. I would not recommend trying to use the included hex wrench to tighten down the wall mounting lag screws, you need more leverage to tighten it than it provides; use a crescent wrench or other longer hex wrench. I used a stud finder to locate the studs accurately. Make sure you do not have obvious pipes or electrical going through the wall at the chosen location. They can throw off some stud finders. If you want to quickly adjust one of the arm adjustment screws it also contains a replacement screw that has a slip bar top lever so that it can be loosened and tightened without a wrench. There is one optional cable management loop that attaches to the bottom of the middle of the arm. It could use one more at the wall, but that is easy to improvise. The flat panel we have is 32" and 25 lbs. and works well for the mounting arm.
I really like this product for this price. VideoSecu Articulating LCD LED TV Wall Mount for 22" to 37" Flat Screen with VESA 100 200 Mount Pattern Comes with 6" 3-Axis Magnetic Bubble Level 1XE
I was hesitant because of the price but after looking at the reviews I decided to go ahead and purchase one. This is the first time I mounted a TV on the wall so I didn't know exactly what to expect. I put a 32" Toshiba LCD on it. Mount is strudy and has good adjustments. Installed it in about 20 minutes. Works great and I would definately recommend this for a low cost alternative for mounting a tv.
I am using this mount for a 27" LCD in my bedroom. Using a swivel mount with tilt works great for almost any room layout. The black powder-coat paint matches the TV, and looks great. Adjustment and locking is easy with the included hex wrench. I would rate this "5 stars" if the mounting screws were better. Made from relatively soft steel, the screw head strips very easily. After ruining one screw, I replaced it with a large black deck screw. It might be advisable to drill small pilot holes before attempting to drive the screws.
Word of caution: If you do not drive the proper mounting screws into the center of a wall stud, if you exceed the specified TV weight limit, or if you try to get by with a really cheap swing arm mount, you may be signing a death sentence for your $500 TV (and perhaps yourself)!
I purchased this mount for my 37 inch LCD TV. Installation was easy... The trouble I encountered was due to a bad wall stud finder. Make sure you have one when you install this mount because you need to screw the mount into a wall stud or at least have one screw into a wall stud.
The arm of the mount sags after I hooked up my 37in. LCD TV to the mount. My TV is within the weight limit of this mount (less than 55lbs.) but the arm still sags due to the weight of the TV. I guess as long as it supports my TV, the sagging shouldn't be an issue. It just looks funny from the side. I do retract the arm inward towards the wall to minimize the sagging and it also gives me the warm fuzzy feeling that the arm will be less likely to break off.
Overall, for the price this mount is a great deal and works but I would suggest purchasing it for flat screen TVs less than 37 inches. I would not hesitate to buy this mount again but for a 32 inch TV at most.
Quality was excellent. Instructions were clear. It was not clear about a tilt feature, but there was enough to level it when I finished. Be careful to get the wall bracket real vertical. (I was using it for a 23 inch computer screen so I really need it to be level for reading.) Everything I needed plus lots of extra hardware for different situations.
I mounted this in my RV and it holds a 26" LCD TV / DVD combo. Installation was very easy and the mount works GREAT! I was prepared to pay 5 times the price for a mount that would work as I wanted. I couldn't be happier.
This is an exceptional tv wall mount. It is very easy to install. It comes with a variety of screws to match the back of the television. The mounting screws are improved and very adequate. It took longer to decide where to place it than it did to actually install the mount and television. The center of the two arms separate, making it very easy to hang and attach the television. It is a great value and a quality product. Please be sure the hole pattern options match the tv set. - Wall Mount - Flat Panel Wall Mount - Lcd Mount - Lcd Wall Mount'
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Emergency Flashlight - emergency flashlight, cell phone charger
Weather radios are sort of a hobby of mine. There is just about no place I can go on my property that there isn't one within reach somewhere. Six different brands are represented presently by what I own, including a more expensive Eton that is not my best radio. This small, (and I mean small) new line from Eton is a whole new animal to be sure. Its controls and design are very user friendly. And the reception on all channels, including the weather, is very loud and clear. Its true that the dial numbers for the AM FM are very small as some other reviewers have mentioned and can make it hard to tune accurately. But that is something common, as well as for me expected in a radio so small. What sets this unit apart from all the others I own in my opinion is its price and solar power. It is without a doubt the cheapest weather radio I have come across that is solar powered. Big, small, or otherwise. Even though one has been able to buy solar powered calculators at discount stores for less than $10 for years now, for some reason the weather radio industry has treated solar power as something still high tech and to be appreciated only in their most expensive units. My only other solar powered radio cost me over $60. The only possible down side that I should mention about this radio is that it does not take batteries. It would have been nice if they included that option. But they didn't and its either the solar power or crank. This could be a very big negative for some folks who would feel comfortable knowing they could just stick some batteries in it if all else fails. Although 90% of the time the solar power is all you should ever need, if you will routinely keep this in a rather dark place, or happen to be lost out in the savage wilderness someplace with this radio in a continuous cloud cover, be ready to do a whole heap of crankin'. All in all, its finally nice to see a very reasonably priced unit that is solar powered and of a very quality build and design as well. I highly recommend the Eton for a portable unit that can be taken anywhere easily, powered effortlessly, and gives quality performance all in one package.... Etón American Red Cross ARCFR160R Microlink Self-Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio with Flashlight, Solar Power and Cell Phone Charger (Red)
This radio is an excellent radio for the price. No, it is not a top-end emergency radio, but it should work rather well for anyone looking for a basic AM/FM/Weather radio with both a solar and hand-crank charging option. I purchased mine about a year ago and used it only occasionally for the first few months. Then I placed it on a shelf with limited light and there it sat for about six to eight months. About six weeks ago I dusted it off and it actually worked for about an hour or so with no hand-crank charging. Later that day I sat it in the front window where it would get plenty of direct sun light. A couple days later I picked it up from the window and have been using it a few hours each day since; some of those days it was used for more than six hours in the basement. I have not needed to crank it at all, but did crank charge it for about one minute total just while playing with it - for the record. Since then, I have been keeping it on the shelf out in the open where it is exposed to normal room daylight, no direct sunlight. The charging light does not light up in this setting, and I would not expect it to. I have occasionally taken it out on the front porch to sit a listen where there is direct sunlight, but only for about an hour or so each week. I really like the idea of not having to buy batteries, and the convenience of knowing I always have a charged radio.
The flashlight is minimal, but I would not expect more from an LED light source. I have my 6-D-Cell Mag light if I need a powerful (luxury) light source.
Tuning the radio is a bit sensitive and can be difficult to fine tune. I would consider this to be a SIGNIFICANT problem for an elderly person or anyone without the use of fine motor skills in their hands; but for me it is a minor hassle I am willing and able to deal with. I have considered getting the Eaton FR600 for its digital tuner. The reviews for that model suggest the battery life is pretty bad, so I have decided to wait for an improved model. For now, my FR160 is just fine. I would consider giving this 5-stars if the fine-tuning was much easier.
The USB charge does work, but know that it will not charge an iPhone 3Gs. This is more a problem/restriction of the iPhone 3Gs (a widely discussed complaint across the Internet for many-many generic charging devices) and is not because of the radio. Charging my old Samsung phone was not a problem.
The weather bands do pick up a signal, but to be absolutely honest, I have not used it much to provide any real opinion.
The hand-crank charger feels solid enough (I wouldn't abuse it) and tucks away securely when not used. I have found the manual crank-charger will provide about 25-30 minutes of radio time (at about 1/4 to 1/3 volume) for every minute of crank-charging. I average about 2 cranks per second or about 120 rotation per minute. Now I just count to 120 or so instead of watching the clock. This play-time per craink-time yeild has been very acceptable for me. After two minutes of crank-charging my hand does begins to tire a little, but just a little. If I leave the radio in a place with good direct sunlight when not using it, changing via the crank is never even needed.
In short, it works for what I want - a radio that that can be charged by sunlight or by hand-crank when absolutely necessary. If you want the construction and feature-set of a $100+ radio - buy a $100+ radio. But, for $30 (or less), I am pleased with the FR160.
The reasons this Eton-manufactured emergency radio is the ideal emergency radio are: 1) small, compact size, 2) shock-absorbing case, 3) sensitive AM/FM/NOAA Weather tuner picks up weak signals, 4) handy 3-LED flashlight on left-hand end of the radio's case, 5) Earphone jack under dust cover on the right-hand side of the case, 6) USB port under same dust cover on the right-hand side of the case, 7) All radio bands will run 4-5 hours at low volume on full charge of the internal NiMH battery, 8) Solar panel on top of the radio's case is strong enough to power the radio indefinitely (as long as the solar panel is 'seeing' daylight), 9) the internal NiMH can be re-charged via the solar panel during daylight hours, an external transformer or the hand-cranked dynamo. You get all of these features for the low price of $30, plus free 'Super Saver' shipping from Amazon.Com. You can pay a lot more for an emergency radio and get a whole lot less! - Cell Phone Charger - Solar - Crank Radio - Emergency Flashlight'
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Emergency Flashlight - emergency flashlight, cell phone charger crank radio Emergency Flashlight - emergency flashlight, cell phone charger
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Looking for a tv can be a long and tedious process. You want to make the right choice. You pour over reviews and develop a list of pros and cons. Atleast I did. It is easy to get bogged down the nitty gritty. You can go on forums and read all the pros and cons written by well meaning people, if not a tad geeky. They may point out things that you would never catch in the 1000 years. Fluctuating black levels? Oh NO! But, don't let that scare you from taking the plunge. First off I worried about the shipping. My goodness, how are they going to shipped this delicate tv from Japan to the Midwest? I never bought anything this costly and this big. What do I do if it is damaged, yadda yadda yadda. Well it came in perfect condition, not a scratch on the box. Always a good sign. Well I will save you all the boring details but the delivery and set up went way beyond my expectations. Totally satisfied. I have no regrets about the process of buying/shipping through Amazon. The TV is amazing. The 3d is worth every penny. I watched the NBA Finals last night through DTV and ESPN3d. The clarity was unbelievable! I looked at Samsung and LG and I think Panasonic is just a pinch better made and has a better picture overall. I glad I bought it and I would buy it again. I just wish it could play AVI files through Viera Link. The 3d works great even at a distance of 16 feet from the TV. Don't let the 3d scare you that is is just a fad, yeah it's early, but its coming and Panasonic delivers 3d in true HD. Something that you will want. 100,000 hours will give you 11 years at 24/7 tv on or 22 years at 12 hours a day. I have no connection to Amazon or Panasonic. Panasonic VIERA TC-P65GT30 65-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV
After having spent literally a year doing research on the "big boys" with 3D capacity, reading a half dozen reviews and blogs, I finally purchased the Panasonic 65" GT30. The money was serious for our family budget, so I wanted to make sure we were happy with the investment. I ticked off, one by one, the competitors for "in store" demos, literally looking at dozens of models.....then I made the leap...and haven't had the first regret after two weeks of viewing.
I have some pretty serious, state of the art LCD/LED TV's in my home already (Sony, Panasonic, et al), with their eye popping bright colors, razor sharp pictures, etc....but this is much more a movie theater type of viewing experience, with subtle shades and deep rich colors, fluid motion without pixelation....and the 3D is the best I have seen anywhere...every time we put in a blu ray movie or view the premium services (HBO and Showtime) my jaw literally drops....WOW...if you can muster the bucks, there is no way you won't be totally taken by this set. I know the Samsung sets are quality too, but they can't quite measure up in my estimation. The concerns about glare are certainly a consideration, but for the most part, even though my viewing area has several windows that can be shaded, they do not diminish greatly the watchability of the set....it seems brighter than most plasmas.
If this jewel has any shortcoming at all, it would be in the sound quality of the set....so plan on at least a soundbar or an audio system, ideally. I can't imagine spending this kind of money and not finishing it off with that component. Because our space allowed, I went for the 65", trying to simulate the 3D/theater viewing experience. Although the additional cost is not proportional to the bigger size (you pay a premium for the upscaling), it was worth it to me, bringing the adjective "awesome" to mind.
Truly the greatest TV I have ever owned. Panasonic Viera TC P65GT30 is by far the best TOTAL PACKAGE 3D PLASMA LARGE SCREEN MADE TODAY! Sharpest picture (contrasts, colors, detailed images without shadows in 3D mode) and the THX feature a TRUE PLUS! Sitting approx 9 ft at eye level is optimal for this great 65 inch Panansonic 3d Plasma TV. The wireless WIFI is great too. 10Watt speakers not bad either but do prefer my surround sound. 3D Glasses a little costly but you do get what you pay for today. Once you have previewed and watched programs/movies/games on this Panasonic...well no going back!!! Looked at others, SAMSUNG, SHARP, etc but this one was the BEST BANG FOR BUCK AND QUALITY WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD. THis PANASONIC 3D IS AS APPLE IPAD 2 to TABLETS. A VERY PLEASED PANASONIC CUSTOMER!
I would have given this TV 5 stars because the picture and features are awesome. But the sound system is quite "tinny" sounding and I am going to have to find an external sound solution to truly enjoy the experience. I will probably purchase a sound bar and subwoofer. I was playing a well-known YouTube clip on it (you can access YouTube directly from the TV if you have it connected to the internet). The clip (Captain Jack Sparrow with Michael Bolton and the SNL guys) has a high pitched background track that almost completely drowns out the singing voices when played on this TV. Likewise, watching concerts produces poor sound quality. I tried adjusting the audio settings and no luck. I suspect it is a similar problem as notebook computers - trying to get quality speakers into something so thin.
On the positive side, it was shipped and arrived in excellent condition from Amazon. There was some confusion about the delivery. We thought we had understood it included delivery and setup. The delivery guys were nice but only wanted to take it out of the box, lean it against a wall and plug it in and see the intro screen - and then leave. They refused to put it together or hook it up. I quickly got the stand out and figured that you just set it down and slide the TV down over it and put in 6 screws or so to secure it. So I talked them into at least lifting it up and putting it on the stand and I quickly put the screws in. Took a couple of minutes and it was together and ready for hookup which I had to do myself.
The picture is incredible - regular TV, HD TV and 3D. I believe the 3D experience is deeper and better than at the movie theatre. However, the poor sound quality detracts from such. I got it connected to my wireless network quickly and without problem and brought up its link features. This is a bit of a mixed bag but still impressive. Here are my thoughts on Internet connectivity:
1. It has Skype available but apparently does not work with typical USB Webcams. They want you to purchase their expensive web cam to use Skype - so we do not use this although we really wanted to.
2. There is no internet browser. Instead they have some internet based applications installed - Netflix, Skype, YouTube, Facebook, weather, a sports application, etc. You can go to an application store and download additional applications - some for free and some cost. We could not access Facebook because we could not figure out how to get a "@" character from the remote control keyboard to enter the user id which is an email address (three pretty technical people were stumped by this - must be a way somehow but we have not found it).
3. Using the remote control for a keyboard is akin to using a telephone number pad for data entry and not a pleasant experience (e.g. typing in things to search for in YouTube).
4. There are a set of utilities including an option to scan the network for DLNA enabled devices to find Photos, Music and Videos to play. DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a new standard for exposing media to a network. It is supported by Windows PCs and I have a Synology Diskstation where we store content. I had to enable DLNA on the Synology and when I entered this utility on the TV, I could view photos video and listen to music files right across the network. Nice feature. My son was even able to stream a movie to the TV from his tiny Xoom tablet.
5. There are 4 HDMI inputs and one has HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) to pipe audio back out to a device connected to such. We will probably use this for the new sound system I'm going to have to purchase for this TV. There is also a 15 pin VGA out type of connector for hooking up a PC. Given the issues described above, I am going to try hooking up a PC to the TV in order to use Skype and a regular webcam, have an internet browser with a real keyboard (I'll use a wireless keyboard and mouse), and access any other Windows based content on the TV as a monitor. I will try both the 15 pin VGA input and the HDMI input for such. I'll post more later when I try this out.
6. We got a promo kit with 2 pair of 3D glasses and Avatar 3D movie for free with the TV (I think this promotion ended on June 28th however). The 3D glasses are expensive (I believe about $150 each for Panasonic Glasses). I ordered 2 additional pair of cheaper 3D glasses that seem to be highly rated from Amazon ("Sainstore 3D Rechargeable Infrared Active Shutter Glasses for Panasonic 3D HDTVs") which seem to work fine. It's good to have these other glasses because they come with different sized interchangeable nose pads and are less bulky than the Panasonic glasses. I wear regular glasses so I like the Panasonic glasses which fit well over my existing glasses. However, my wife does not wear glasses and she dislikes the Panasonic glasses which are huge on her and fall off her nose. Also, kids will benefit from the cheaper smaller glasses with changeable nose pads as well I suspect.
7. A few days after receiving the TV we purchased a Panasonic DMP-BDT110 Blu-Ray player locally at Best Buy. We actually printed out the Amazon web price and took it in and got a sales guy to match it (which greatly upset a manager there who wanted to tack on overnight shipping charges but we talked out of). It came without an HDMI cable however and I had to go scrounge one up. This player has been great. You'll see some bad reviews talking about it lacking internet connectivity - which is correct. It's "internet ready" which means you have to purchase an additional wireless dongle to get it to work. It does have a hard wired Ethernet port on the back by the way. You really don't need the internet connectivity on the blue-ray player I believe, because it appears to have the same features as the TV does which is already connected to the internet. The only possible exception is that you might need to upgrade the firmware one time. I did this by running a long Ethernet cable to it, letting it connect and download the firmware directly from the internet and then disconnected the Ethernet cable and have not had any need to use it again. You can supposedly update the firmware also by downloading it to a PC and burning it onto a disk and inserting such into the player. This Blu-ray player is an excellent match for this TV and we are very pleased with it. It claims to have 2D to 3D conversion capability for non 3D movies which we have not tried yet. Ratings we saw ion the internet state the effect is marginal at best, but some claim it's nice.
All in all, I'm happy with the purchase experience and the TV features and quality except for the sound which I'll correct. I suspect that most of these ultra-thin TV's have a reduced sound experience compared to the large bulky TV's they are replacing so I'm not too upset about the poor quality sound.
Update: I just received a Panasonic SC-HTB520PPK soundbar Home Theatre system with wireless subwoofer and hooked it up to the TV set. Sounds fantastic! It's a bit pricey at around $350 but makes an incredible difference and solves the poor audio problem with this TV set. Very easy to unbox and setup - works with a single HDMI cable attached to this TV's HDMI/ARC jack. Using the Viera link function built into all 3 Panasonic devices (the TV, The DVD Player and the Sound Bar Home Theatre) either the TV Remote or the DVD Remote can control both the TV and DVD Player and volume. Now we have an optimal setup.'
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