Wednesday, 11 March 2009

Surge Protectors - surge protectors, surge protector


The most interesting feature of this product is the flat plug. It is very thin and allows us to use contacts that would otherwise be obscured by furniture. Other than that, it is a power strip and it serves its purpose.

We purchased the 8ft cord version to use behind a couch and we were very satisfied, so we decided to order another one to use behind a bookcase. The cord didn't need to be that long, so we ordered the 2.5ft cord version... oh surprise!.. this one does not have the flat plug (which was the whole point of the purchase). It has a regular plug just like the powerstrip we wanted to replace. Of course, we are returning it but I wanted to warn other people ...The website description is somewhat misleading and the fact that the picture for the 2.5ft does not show the plug, does not help.

Beware.. the 8ft version has a flat plug, the 2.5ft version does not. Belkin 6-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector with Rotating Plug and 8' Cord

Rotating flat plug is excellent, you can pretty much accomodate any need without blocking plugs, and it really is quite flat. This is just an inexpensive power strip and that's great. I probably have 10 power strips around my house, and who wants to pay a lot for them?



I notice a reviewer complaining about fried equipment. If I had anything expensive to plug in, I'd put it on a Cyberpower or APC UPS with AVR. I don't expect any power strip to do much to protect against big power spikes. Even a high-priced power strip is still just feeding you raw power out of the wall with some sort of switch-to-ground in case something spikey comes along. With the Automatic Voltage Regulating UPS you can get clean power and even Pure Sine Wave output but you won't get that in a cheap little power strip.

Well, it looked great, nice and compact, BUT within one week, a fishy smell developed in the corner where the outlet was. When I researched fishy smells in houses, surprisingly, electrical problems came up. So, when I pulled out the plug (where the surge protector plugs into the wall,) the plug was melting and burning, and, in fact, left its metal prongs in our outlet! So, by unplugging it, our house didn't burn down (a good thing), but now we have an unusable outlet until we get an electrician in (a bad thing.) Buyer beware! Btw, we've used Belkin surge protectors for YEARS in the same outlet with NO PROBLEM; I think it's just this model/design that's faulty.

I will let my pictures do the talking. The Belkin surge protector was plugged directly to the wall outlet. I bought it for the flat plug and was left in the same position since day 1. I do not think over-rotation is the issue. I will also contact Belkin as this is a safety concern.

We were using it in one of our kitchen outlets. We were only using 4 out of the 6 outlets and not even on very high-powered appliances, and after only 3 months of use we noticed that one of the metal prongs had melted into our wall outlet. We almost couldn't pull it out! Luckily all our appliances were ok, but it took us a while and a lot of hassle to have to re-trip our circuit breakers to get the power working again. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!

I love this design except that there isn't an easily accessible on/off switch. So if you use power strips to turn on/off groups of things frequently, I'd probably use a different model. The flat plug is great though. - Snug-plug - Power Strip - Surge Protector - Surge Protectors'


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Gloves


This is the Harbinger you need unless you are going to be power lifting only then I suggest you look into the 12xx series but they are for very quick lifts and not for wearing more than ten minutes because they are like wearing boxing gloves. If you want to spend time in the gym lifting say the big three like squats, deadlifts and bench presses for a couple of sets then the Harbinger 140 Pro WristWrap Glove is exactly 100% what you need. I would never, and I mean never, buy another glove again simply on the bases that every other type of glove I have used has split within two months of use while Harbinger just lasts through deadlift upon deadlift upon deadlift and looks as good as the day I bought them. The wrist strap is a really nice touch, very long and wraps around and around to keep those wrists nice and firm for the big lifts. You go to the gym and you want a pair of gloves that will support you and last longer... look no further. Buy them. Harbinger Pro WristWrap Glove (Black, Large)

I wish I was able to compare this and the WristWrap Classic before I bought it. I most likely would have gone with the Classic. Since I have a hurt wrist, I really need the support. The Classic has a wider wrap, and is also more flexible. The Pro wrist wrap is canvas and a bit inflexible. I need the wrap to be snug to give me maximum support.

So I'm a little disappointed.

Nonetheless, they still give me MUCH more support than when I would work out without them.

I've only used these a couple of times. I'm not in love with the wrist straps, but I'll get used to them. The gloves do what they're supposed to do, which is protect the sensitive, baby-soft skin of my hands from developing calluses and getting irritated by the weights.

This is my first review of anything on amazon even though i bought plenty of things on this site before. I had a ganglion cyst removed from my wrist and kept injuring my wrist every time i lifted. These give me really good support and they are very comfortable as well. Highly recommend them.

If you suffer from wrist injuries, or weak wrists, (I have bursitis) then these will really help with your lifting.



These wraps are a good buy. Alot cheaper here on amazon than at the store. My only gripe is the stitching on this pair is done poorly. That could be just this pair, or it could be that the manufacturing is now in an even poorer country, either way, my last pair lasted 2 years, this pair might last one if I am lucky.

I highly recommend these gloves to anyone who is needing more suppport than the gloves they're currently wearing provides. They come high enough up the wrists to not only offer the right amount of support but the fact that they remind you to keep a proper position in regards to how much you want or don't want your wrists to flex at any given time. The length on the fingers is just right as well and the padding is sufficient even with some of the heavier dumbells. The black color is also good for women, the overall look not too masculine. The price was great - almost 50% cheaper than any local or even online retailer.

I've been using this pair of gloves for the past 3 or 4 months, about everyday (split routine). I've used them with both contoured handle (VTX-PRO) and hex dumbbells (generic cast iron). They're very comfortable gloves with heavier weights, like 20+ lb dumbbells. Also, the wristwraps actually keep my wrists straight.



Grip is only an issue when using heavy contoured handle dumbbells, like 30lb and 35lb pairs. There is definitely too much slippage to maintain correct form.

Very good glove i love the wrist wrap it has helped my weak wrist. i also feel my wrist getting a lot stronger. I on the other hand have been using these gloves for weight lifting and they are great i get an excellent grip of the bar. They are also pretty comfortable. would recommend! wouldnt expect anything less from HARBINGER.

So I had read all the other reviews, and many of them had mentioned that these run too small. I'm 5'8" and have pretty small hands for a guy and somewhat thin fingers, but instantly ruled out the small size based on the reviews. I got the Medium (and my hands are in no way Medium), and lo and behold, it is too small, a struggle to get them on, and doesn't allow me to grip well, so I'm going to have to get large! Just absolutely ridiculous. If you could see my hands, the idea that I could be a Large in gloves that are presumably not sized for children is pretty much inconceivable. I don't know how it's possible to screw up the sizing this badly. The sizing chart is not accurate. I can't emphasize this enough: 1 size bigger at the least is essential, but if in doubt, go 2 sizes bigger.'


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Dewalt Replacement Batteries


I own/run a low voltage company in St. Louis. We pre-wire houses for phone/TV/networking, install intercoms, security, and central vacuum systems, and home theatres as well. We currently have 20+ DeWalt 18volt cordless tools and at least that many batteries. We are constantly asked by carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and competitiors how the tools hold up.



We can drill 100+ 3/4 holes on one battery every day with no problem. We can drill 10+ 2 1/4" holes with a DeWalt self feed bit on one battery. The recip saw, the circular saw, the angle grinder, and the flashlights all work flawlessly. We even have the vacuums so we can clean up after ourselves.



Now the old batteries (all black) last about 1 year for regular use. We have a few new batteries (yellow top) that are a little over a year old that show no sign of slowing down.



We have found that when it is cold they do not last as long. Also the charge needs to be in a semi warm area (not in a garage). Also, the battery needs to be drained most of the way before charging. Repeated recharging of a half dead battery dramatically reduces the life. But any battery manufacturer will tell you that. DEWALT DC9096-2 18-Volt XRP 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Pod-Style Battery, 2 Pack

I'm hearing a lot of complaints about the batteries. Face it, the batteries are based on NiCad technology. NiCad are not known for infinite shelf-life, has a memory, and absolutely hates to be placed on a charger for extended periods of time.



Now knowing all the good and bad things about NiCads, these batteries are absolutely no different than you will find in any other system using NiCads. If you don't understand the why your batteries are dying off so quickly, it most likely can be explained by researching the things to do and not do to NiCads.



I've beat the hell out of the tools and the batteries and still manage to get an excess of 2yrs of service out of these batteries. If you open one of these up, all you find is a series of sub-C NiCad batteries in them. Count them up and just go price sub-C NiCad batteries with the same Amp-Hr rating. You will soon fine that even if you tried to replace the batteries into the existing battery case, it is still cheaper and easier to buy replacements.



Rechargable batteries of any technology do NOT have infinite life. With absolutely following standard practice care of the battery type, you can extend this life to the theoritical max. That is hard to do on the job site when you need to get the job done quick. I use the 15min. charger, which is great but at a significant cost in service life of the batteries. You are never supposed to charge the batteries while they are hot. This means if you run it down at the job site, you shouldn't be placing them into a rapid charger. You should have enough spare batteries to get you busy while letting a natural battery rotation occur that insures they are cool when you charge. Slow charging extends the life of the batteries as well by getting internal temperatures lower. You should never leave a NiCad on a charger. You should run down the NiCad battery before charging to help avoid memory.



You can mention any battery technology and there are do's and don'ts. I've had Lithium Ion batteries in a cell phone last less than 1yr.



It all depends on your battery usage habits. Once you understand what you are supposed to do to extend the batteries life, you can usually figure out pretty quickly why you are not getting the life you expected.



Good solid product. I'd buy them again without hesitation. And I have yet to see any group of cordless tool manufacture's use a standard battery interface so that you can use the same battery in different brands of cordless tools. So being locked-in to a particular cordless tool manufacturer is a given.



This is all the price you pay for being cordless. The only way around all this is to pull out the ole 50' extension cord.



IMHO

If you expect to buy these new in the package, you will be disappointed. ToolKing offers cheap prices by reselling you returned merchandise (I suspect)from their retail stores. I received my batteries used, you can tell by the brass connection points being ruffed up, and not in their original packages. One of the batteries takes forever to charge and this may be why it was returned. I also ordered a charger (not in the orig Package) where they were nice enough to place a crappy ToolKing inventory sticker over the vent holes. You know, the kind that peels off flake by flake. They dont return emails or phone calls. I was ripped off, so beware!

I wasn't going to bother to write a review for a couple of replacement power cells, until I saw some of the other opinions, here. I am very pleased with all the DeWalt equipment I use. The batteries do a fine job of powering everything except the circular saw - that one lacks guts.

I used my original power cells for a couple of years before they died of old-age and recharging. I am confident that they lasted for the number of rechargings that DeWalt promises. I followed the guidelines, and only occasionally hit the reconditioner button on the charging cycle. The people who get such short lives out of these power cells may not be bothering to use that feature of their DeWalt charger.

Yes, I am pleased with these replacements. They work well, and are the genuine DeWalt parts. Yes, I've had a really good experience with these power cells. Yes, I'd recommend them.

I have used Dewalt 18 volt tools for several years and a 24 volt saw for the last 3 years. Out of 5 18 volt batteries only one died after 2 years of use and it was used when I got it. The 24 volt saw has only one battery and it works as good as the day I bought it. These tools are used almost daily and I dont do a good job of taking care of them.'


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Flash Drive - flash drive, kingston


The best thing USB flash drives have going for them is their price, which has been in a free fall for several years and about to go below $1 per GB at the time I'm writing this review. In addition, if your goal is storing data independently of any specific piece of equipment - camera, reader, music player - their size/bulk is an advantage because it's so much easier to lose or break an SD card once it's out of its host.



Briefly, this is what it's worth knowing about this item:



- I can't see that I've had a big problem with losing caps but the 'capless' design is quite innovative and it does not hurt.

- It's fast enough to support video transfer but, of course, it does not come close to the theoretical 60MB/sec max I/O speed that the USB 2.0 specification allows.

- Installs itself and does not require any software to be recognized as a 'drive' on a Vista or XP computer. Can't speak for other operating systems.

- It formats and partitions as any 'spinning' drive.

- Can be used to store data, to attach to players (my car plays MP3s off an USB drive) or to move it between unconnected devices.

- Tolerable when used with apps that require some moderate I/O but I would not try to make it a swap drive.



When it comes to Kingston - and, over the years and as prices were falling and the capacity grew, I've bought their 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and now the 16GBs - they never let me down. I don't believe I've lost one bit of data so far and, affordable as they are, I can make multiple copy of the data I can't afford to lose and keep it stored at different locations.



Considering price and reliability, this is a well-deserved 5-star. Kingston Digital DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 - 16 GB Flash Drive DT101G2/16GBZET

Great product. But a little bit thick I should say. Yet still small and portable.



I tested it at once I got it. And it turns out to be much faster than "10M/s read; 5M/s write" as listed in the product detail. Actually it's around 18M/s read and 10M/s write! I don't know if it's gonna slow down after being used for a while, but so far the speed is satisfying.



One thing you should pay attention however is the heat. It heats up significantly while working. So it's not a good idea to keep it plugged in for a long time. But I bet it won't burn if you do so.



Over all it's a great product, high speed and nice looking. Price is fair. It's Kingston, you know.

EXCELLENT product but you HAVE to format the device in order to transfer big files... just as Kingston Tech Support (and other kind buyers) explained:



"In order to copy large files more then 4GB it has to be converted into NTFS. FAT32 has a limitation of only 4GB. To format to NTFS, please follow these instructions. Warning: If you have data on the drive, you should save it elsewhere as this process will erase it all.



1. Go into My Computer and, right click on the drive and select format.

2. Under File System select NTFS and click on Start. If you do not have an option for NTFS, close the format box and go into Device Manager by right clicking on My Computer and selecting Properties.

3. Click on the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager button.

4. Expand Disk Drives and right click on the Kingston drive and select Properties.

5. Click on the Policies tab and click "Optimize for performance and OK.

6. Then go back into My Computer, right click on the drive and select format and make sure NTFS is selected for the file system. Select quick format and OK."



EXCELLENT product.

Nice design, fine looking dongle. Works as a flash drive. However, I was exploring the preloaded software, and was downloading one of the available applications,(Warzone 2100?), and got hit pretty hard with unknown Internet Explorer errors, malware or virus. Had to restore computer to factory settings, luckily able to backup most files. May decide to remove preloaded software on this dongle.

Great flash drive. I didn't do benchmarking or anything like that, but just using it it feels very fast. I regularly transfer videos, music, and PDF files. Previously I was using a Transcend flash drive, and when my kid broke that I was using an SD card with a card reader for a few weeks. This flash drive is MUCH MUCH faster. The first couple times I used it I actually had to open the folder and check to see if my files were there because the transfer was over so quickly I thought there was an error.



Not sure how I feel about the software it comes with. Others seems to love it. I don't know if I'll have a use for it, but I'm happy to have the option.



A few things just to be aware of:



1. The silver swivel cap in the picture is more a dark titanium gray. Looks very different from the picture. Just in case you care, which I don't.

2. You can't open the swivel cap all the way if you have even a small keyring attached to it. Not an issue, just letting you know. The ring blocks the lid. It does open most of the way. I'll post a picture.

3. The swivel cap does not offer complete protection of the USB plug. Dirt can still get up into it. It's really there to protect the plug from being grabbed or knocked hard, I suppose. I wouldn't go carrying it in your pocket or deep in a purse for long periods of time. Note also that the swivel cap does not lock into place. I think it's fine if you're hooking it to a key chain. My key chain goes from the hook by the door, to the car ignition, to a separate (clean) pocket in my purse. So for me this isn't an issue. However, more complete protection would have been nice.

4. The logo in the center is kinda holographic. Looks nice.

5. There's a green light below the center logo that comes on when the drive is working. I don't remember reading this in the description. I like this feature, so it was a happy surprise. However, it's pretty dim and you have to kind of look for it.

6. It's kind of a tight fit to plug in and unplug. Personally I prefer a little tight to loose! Feels secure.



The only problem I've had is that it comes with 2 GB free online storage with SOS Online Backup. Another very nice surprise!!! However, I have not been able to get it to work and SOS has not responded to my inquiries. If anyone knows how to overcome error code 91, let me know.



What I love about it:



1. It looks very nice.

2. It offers TONS of storage.

3. It transfers files very quickly!!

4. I can hook it to my key chain (check out the picture).

5. The price!!! Can't beat it for the storage capacity and product quality.



All the extras were not necessary for me, and half I didn't even expect. So even though they're not perfect, the product itself exceeds my expectations and earns 5 starts. - Kingston - 16gb - Cruzer - Flash Drive'


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40 Inch Hdtv - 120hz, samsung lcd


I did a lot of research for TV's in this price range. I've bought a few plasmas and LCD's previously, and this TV blows them all away. This is a great price point, size and brand name TV. You can't go wrong really, you will most certainly be satisfied. The 120hz setting on Clear works best, otherwise gives your TV content a weird soap opera look, so either set it to Clear or turn it off. This LCD works great with a PS3 also, and supports 1080p/24hz resolution, so when you watch blurays, the picture is crystal clear. If you experience any input lag when playing games (delay from button press to action on screen), try setting the source name of your PS3 to PC, it seems to fix that issue pretty well.

The sound on this TV is very robust and clear, although when watching blurays I have to turn it up to hear dialogs, which then makes action sequences really loud, but it's not a big deal.

The design of this TV is just awesome. It has the glass bezel and gloss table top, definitely one of the best looking TV's that I've ever seen. The stand also swivels, which is something every TV should have, but usually don't.

The remote works well, and is very sturdy. The onscreen menus are very clear and even provide descriptions to most of the settings so you don't need to try and figure out what certain settings do.

Its a pretty thin and light panel too, so if your mounting it, it should stay pretty flat on the wall.

I've got nothing but positives to say about this set, its worth every penny, and I'm usually very critical about electronics, but I'd recommend this LCD to anyone. It doesn't look that great out of the box, but after a week of playing with the color settings, I think the picture has been perfected.



UPDATE

Here are my picture settings for anyone that needs a little help getting started

Mode: Standard

Backlight: 14

Contrast: 80

Brightness: 40

Sharpness: 20

Color: 51

Tint: G48/R52

Eco Solution: all off

Edge Enhancement: off

Digital Noise Filter: Low (though I'm sure auto is about the same)

MPEG Noise: Low

Color Tone: Normal (some people seem to like the Warm settings)

Auto Motion Plus 120HZ: Off (I didn't really like this feature)



If you have any adjustments to these, let me know Samsung LN40C630 40-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV (Black)

I have literally been following the prices of HDTV's for about a year now, and there is no better time for an upgrade! Samsung just released their new "C" series, and somehow they are remarkably less expensive than their pre-existing models! The majority of the websites are selling this HDTV for $800+, Amazon's lower-than-low price is less than the rest of the market. I purchased it here on Amazon, and received my HDTV in 5 days (could have been 4 days, but I had school all day). CEVA did the shipping for my HDTV, which I was wary at first because I have only dealt with UPS and Fedex. However, CEVA provided excellent customer service as they did contact me and I verbally specified a delivery time. Packaging was very efficient, and surprisingly light too!



For those who prefer using TV stands, you do have to assemble it on your own. Extremely easy to assemble though! All it took was 9 screws (already in the box) and I recommend using a power-screwdriver. Directions said it required two people, I did it solo! I was just eager to hook up my PS3 via HDMI cable and experience the wonderful world of 1080P.



Okay, now for the specifics and why this HDTV deserves a spot in your living room - As I mentioned before, right up to my purchase I extensively followed the quality and price of several HDTVs. The Samsungs 530, 550, 630, 650. The Samsung 630 is the best deal for your money, here's why: The 5 series is less expensive, but only offers refresh times of 60Hz as compared to the 630 which is 120Hz. This is a big difference, and means that your HDTV with 120Hz displays at least twice as many frames-per-second which makes movies, not only sports, very fluid and more realistic. Another difference is the response time, where as the 5 series has a 6ms response time, the 6 series has a 4ms response time. And if you are a gamer, a difference of 2ms can make a big difference. So why the Samsung 630 and not the 650? The only difference now is the contrast ratio. The 630 comes with a 80,000:1 contrast ratio which in my opinion, still creates an extraordinary depth to the display. TV contrast ratio's are starting to become stable around the 70,000 - 100,000 range (or much higher for LEDs). Whereas, 3 years ago the highest was around 10,000 but kept constantly rising. So this HDTV is very much future proof. Yes, the 650 has a higher contrast ratio, but is it worth the extra $200 something dollars?



All in all, if you're not worried about price, go all out and purchase a LED HDTV. But if you want to shop smart, this HDTV is the way to go.

Up until two weeks ago, I loved this TV. I upgraded from a 32 inch non-HD/non-flat screen TV. The picture quality is wonderful, the sound was really good, but I hooked it up to a Yamaha receiver anyway.



Here's what happened. A little over two weeks ago we had been watching the TV, and then left to go outside to do some yard work. After dinner we decided to watch a movie so I turned on the TV. Nothing. Usually when a Samsung TV is off, there is a small red light. When you turn it on, the picture emerges and the little red light goes off. No red light. I unplugged the TV from the power supply and plugged it directly into an outlet (the DVD was on the same power strip and was working). Then I took the power cord off and went into the kitchen and plugged it into the little Samsung TV in there. Worked great. Dang. I pulled out the TV information and the TV was still under warranty. I called Samsung.



After just a few seconds on hold a real person answered and I explained the dead power supply problem. She told me somebody would call me in three to five working days to arrange for the repair. WHAT? Three to five days just to talk to somebody to schedule a repair???? NINE days later somebody finally called and said that my 'ticket' would be sent to troubleshooting. WHAT? After nine days, still no appointment for repair???? On day twelve I got a call from a repair guy from a local business contracted to do the repair, and he asked me if the part, the power supply, had come yet. WHAT? What part? I called Samsung again and they gave me the number of GURU, the company they contract to do their repairs, and the company that subcontracts to other local repair services. I now realize that I'm twice-removed from Samsung and NOBODY is coordinating this repair but ME.



I call GURU again after two weeks, and the part has not yet been ordered!!!!! Two weeks after my initial call and the part isn't ordered yet???? WHY NOT? Nobody knew why it wasn't ordered by GURU so they immediately blamed Samsung. Now I'm thinking Samsung is stalling until the warranty runs out, which will happen in about two weeks. Why in the world would there have to be so many layers of uncoordinated mayhem to do a simple swap of a power supply? I'm guessing sometime within the next month or two somebody will fix this TV, and I'm guessing it will be about a 15 minute job.



When the TV worked we loved it. The picture quality was great and the sound was pretty good as well. It has nice features that were pretty easy to figure out and setup. However, would I buy another one? Probably not. - Samsung Lcd - Samsung - 40 Inch Hdtv - 120hz'


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