Hardcore Tools - nail gun, hardwood

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I recently purchased the Hard Core floor nailer based on posted reviews and was not disappointed. The pictures really don't show this is a big tool and well built. I used the nailer to install 3/4" walnut flooring using Bostitch 2" staples and it only mis-fired once trying to push 2 staples through at the same time. I would attribute this to the manufacture of the staple and not the tool. Jamb was easily cleared and it never missed a beat again. The instruction manual stated it used 16 gauge staples and I had trouble finding that size. In fact it uses 15.5 gauge with 1/2" crown and Home Depot had what I needed. Excellent quality tool and the price is right. If your looking I would recommend this item without reservation. Hardcore Tools® HARDWOOD FLOORING 1-1/2-Inch to 2-Inch Pneumatic 2 in 1 Flooring Cleat Nailer / Stapler

I did my first floor with this tool. I have two more to do. It is a massive and well built tool. It came with everything I needed to get it working. I shot the L shaped nails purchased from Home Depot and it never miss or partially fired. I ran the tool off a small Craftsman air compressor. It's the one with the small tank about the size of a long two liter bottle. It kept up fine and the tool worked well with it. Highly recommended for the price.

I researched these things a long time but didn't want to pay the price for a named brand one as I wouldn't have used the same amount of time as a professional. Just for your information, I came across a lot of people warning against the ones that look like the handle is small and held on with two U bolts as they leak after awhile.

This company advised as follow:



WE GUARANTEE MOST OF OUR PRODUCTS FOR 1 YEAR from the date that your item was purchased, against defects in material, craftsmanship, or normal wear. We will replace products free of charge



I ordered one. It works good for 3 week before start to leak air badly. I called the customer services and got the following answer from the manager: "We do guarantee most of out products but the nailer is not included (I cannot find anywhere said that the nailer is not guaranteed, Unfortunately I can only find out after the tool quit on me) The manager told me that all nailer can only be return or exchanged within 7 days from purchase and it must be brand new. As a customer, you will have to fix any problem by yourself after 7 days or it has already been used. But the problem is: the shipping will take more than 7 days. Even I got it within 7 days, how do I know if it is good without trying it. Basically THERE IS NO WARRANTY AT ALL ON THIS PRODUCT. They don't care about you once they got your money.



I tried to fix it according to the manual. but BELIEVE ME, There is NO instruction on how to fix it on the MANUAL. instead, there is only a tool break down pic. I am handy enough to do full tune-up and change break on my car, but I am not able to fix this thing. so... instead of have someone fix it for me(it will cost me 150 anyway), I will have to order another more reliable tool to get my job done.



Just let you know there is no warranty on this product. It is officially from their manager. It might works for someone. Hope they will not send a defect one to you. Good Luck to you all.

This is a top notch product, very easy to use, set up for 3/4 in. flooring right out of the box. Much better piece than the junk I was renting. Just wish i had ordered sooner, and included the 2 inch staples. The 2 inch cleat or 'L' nails worked fine with the 'rough' sawmill oak underlayment but, staples always hold better. By the way I was installing 1200 sf of 3/4 in. prefinish oak flooring over the rough lumber. Very pleased with this tool. Joel Townsend Tn.

Anyone looking for a quality flooring gun this is IT! I am weekend warrior with no formal carpentery training. I did a lot of research looking for the best gun for a reasonable price. I was looking at the Bostich, Porter Cable, Senco and found the Hardcore on Amazon. I am glad I did. The reviews I read gave me the assurance I needed to make my final decision. I hope this review does the same for you.



I am currently doing 1500 sqft, 3/4 red oak in my house with staples. The gun is solid as a rock, easy to use and versatile because it uses both staples and l-cleats. It was setup and ready to go. I did need to tighten a couple of bolts to stop an air leak but no big deal. It jammed once and that's because I inserted too many staples. The tools design made it easy to remove the jam. I'd recommed this to anyone looking for a flooring nailer. At this price you can also buy a good compressor to go with it. Plan on spending another $50 to have it shipped but it's still a great deal. This is a smart choice for anyone looking to buy a 2 in 1 flooring nailer.

This is a great product that lives up to its good reviews. It was less expensive to buy this than to rent a nailer for the time I needed it. I'm almost finished with my job (half a house of solid 3/4" oak strip, including significant "lacing in") without so much as a single mis-fired cleat or split tongue (I'm using Senco-brand flooring cleats).



I have to admit that I was a little nervous about purchasing an brand unknown to me, especially after reading about some of the annoying problems folk have encountered with name-brand nailers. I'm very satisfied with the quality and performance of this tool. I, obviously, cannot comment on lifetime longevity and ability to withstand abuse; but that was not my reason for buying this tool.



This nailer is a bit heavier than some nailers, and you cannot get quite as close to the wall as with some. It is easy to use both kneeling and standing, and there is good clearance for striking the nailer "wrong handed" when near a wall or door jamb. Kit comes complete with everything you need, including mallet and base plates for different floor thickness. It also includes a complete overhaul kit of o-rings, etc. - Nail Gun - Hardwood - Hardcore Tools - Cleat Nailer'

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Portable Vehicle Gps - case, gps case

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What can I say? It has two independent zippers, that close like a nice piece of luggage, and a large clip to attach the case to another object (belt loop, etc.) to free one's hands. The case is made of VERY sturdy shock resistant, molded plastic, the interior has a mesh net divider between the GPS and whatever GPS accessory one might place behind it. There are two elastic straps to help secure the GPS as well, on the opposite side of the case.



I used ours on three recent vacation trips, and I would buy this case again, and would certainly recommend it to anyone in the market for a great 5" GPS carrying case.



The case came as advertised, on time, and in perfect condition. The price is right as well. SumacLife 5.2 inch Hard Case GPS Case GunMetal Color

I have broken two GPS units so this time the wifey said we needed to buy a case for our new Garmin 5000. (One got broke in the luggage & the other was dropped.) This is not like a bag for your laptop, as there really is not room for the power supply wires but does fit the GPS unit nicely. It is just a protective case for the unit itself for when you are not using it, like a case for your digital camera. Did not notice until now that I write this review that it is available in different colors! I am happy with this purchase, hopefully I won't have to buy any new units for awhile.

Am using with a Garmin Nuvi 1450. I don't understand why others have said that there isn't enough room in the case for the GPS unit and other accessories. My unit and the 12 VDC power cord fit inside without difficulty. I think this is a fine product at a very reasonable price.

It's a case and works as a case should but on hindsight, I should have bought a larger one that took the car charger and the windscreen mount as the first time I used the GPS, I inadvertently left the windscreen bracket in the rental car as it was too big to fit in this case with the the car charger.

Strap that hold actual unit securely inside tore away the very FIRST time i tried to place my unit within holder. Outside case is nice and sturdy and have nad no other complaints so over all i am pretty satisfied with this item.

I really like this case. It's hard and protects my GPS unit, but the inside it's too small. It can only fit the GPS unit and nothing else, That's why I gave it 4 stars. Other than that it's a perfect case for the price.

Overall a good case. I do wish it was a little harder (the center of the top can be pushed in a little). Also I don't think there is a way to take the carabiner loop off, but maybe I've missed that. The case fits my Garmin 1450 no problem. Haven't tried to fit the DC adapter in there with it, but I don't think it will be a problem in the top zipper. The gunmetal isn't as dark as I would have thought/liked, but it is not bad.

The case is adaquite for the job. I thought it could use a bit more padding, but for the price it will work just fine. The restraining loops seem a bit cheaper than I would like, but I did not consider returning it and my GPS is sleeping comfortably in it right now. - Portable Vehicle Gps - Gps Case - Gps - Case'

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Blackberry Accessories - blackberry, blackberry bold 9700

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I ordered this charger as a backup for my blackberry Tour 9630 and the charger that I actually received was the wrong charger and it does not fit my phone. Returning it is a hassle and not worth the trouble. Now I will have to spend more money to buy the correct charger. Very disappointing!! BlackBerry Original Travel Charger for BlackBerry Pearl 8220, Gemini 8520, Curve 8900, Storm2 9520, Storm 9530,Tour 9630, Bold 9700

I only gave this 4 stars because when it's folded up the charger "rattles." The plugs move so it definitely makes a noise but when it's folded out, it's solid & works like a charm so I can't complain too much. I mean, it's an authentic Blackberry charger for way less than you'd pay in a store so what the heck. I bought it to keep in my travel bag so it will definitely serve it's purpose. I paired this with the charging pod & now have the perfect traveling charging station for vacations.

Because of the low price, I was a bit sceptical when I ordered this - however, it is indeed a blackberry product and it works just fine straight out of the box. Been in use every day for 3 weeks now and works just fine.

I wanted a second charger for my travel bag, so bought this one. I notice no difference between this one and the original that came with my blackberry. No complaints, it works perfectly with my Blackberry Bold 9700.

It is a good idea to have a spare charger especially if you move around a lot. This one was a great value for the price. The order was processed quickly, shipped right away and arrived in perfect condition ahead of schedule. A great buy!

The charger worked fine at first, but then both my son and daughter's phones broke. The metal piece where the charger goes into the phone broke and fell out of their phones. I'm not sure if it was from using the same charger or a coincidence!?!?

wrong caption first of all.

it says charger for bold 9700 but actually not.

i ordered the charger and i got the wrong one.

i sent an email to the company.

they replied rather quickly though, they said they'd send me a new one and i keep the old one i got wrong as a gift which was nice of them but i can't use it anyways.

5days later i got a blackberry car charger.

that pissed me off because that again was not what i ordered!

4days later i got the one i wanted from the beginning.

i like how they reply to your emails instantly but i mean i don't have time for this.

pros: cheap, it WORKS, portable and its a bargain for the price



Cons: does not really seemed as quality made as the original charger, and i think it gets hot not sure though.



Over all, great product and its a bargain on what you can find at this price...!! would recommend this to any of my friends or any of you people looking for a good charger... - Blackberry - Blackberry Accessories - Charger - Blackberry Bold 9700'

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Black And Decker Charger - black and decker, black decker battery

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If you have come to this page, you probably already know that the charger that comes with the black and decker batteries is useless. This charger goes a long way to regain some confidence in the Black and Decker battery tools. The light on the front of the unit will inform you of the following.. charging, charged, problem powerline or replace battery. Recharge time is 1 hour instead of the unusual 3 hours.



The only down side to the unit is that it does not charge the 18v batteries. If you have none of these, then I would rate this 5 stars and recommend. If you have some 18v tools, then I recommend: DEWALT DW9116 1-Hour NiCad Charger with Tune-up Mode (7.2-Volt - 18-Volt). Not only will this unit charge 18v batteries, but it will also `tune-up' some poorly performing batteries. Black & Decker PS1MVC 8.4-Volt to 14.4-Volt 1 Hour Pod Style Battery Charger

I've owned this charger for a while now, and it does a pretty good job of charging up my 14.4v Dewalt and Firestorm batteries quickly. I don't care for B&D's method of indicating the charge status on batteries. The flashing light is ok, but having some sort of series of lights or varying colors would have been a better choice. As mentioned earlier, this unit is not rated to charge 18v packs and does not "condition" the batteries as does the Dewalt unit.



The charger is leaps and bounds above the standard cheap charger that comes with most of the B&D tools, and for the money, its not a bad investment. If you are looking for conditioning capability or the ability to eventually move up to 18v products, buy the Dewalt.

If a rating system has five stars, three means an item is average-- not terrific, but not terrible. This product qualifies.



I bought it a year ago, for the same reason everyone does: the cheap charger Black and Decker includes with its tools died on me. I needed a replacement, wasn't sure if a charger made by anyone else would work with B&D batteries and didn't want to buy something and maybe have to return it.



This charger does its job in a capable, unspectacular way. It finishes about twice as fast as the factory charger. But it's never lived up to its "1-Hour" name. If my battery is totally spent, I find it takes at least an hour and often close to 90 minutes.



In fairness, this charger is for batteries with voltages between 8.4 to 14.4. I was charging 14.4; maybe smaller models get done in an hour.



It also might not be a problem if you don't use your tool a lot. But when I used my drill to install shelves or fix my deck, I drained my battery before this product had my spare fully charged. I ended up buying a third battery to avoid taking a break. And if I'd been using this in a cordless saw, I'm sure things would have been even worse.



Also, this product won't charge two common battery types (18-volt and 7.2). Black & Decker doesn't make tools that use those batteries; if you're only using this on your B&D drill, you won't care.



But if you're a novice trying to assemble a home workshop, you'll probably wind up getting a tool that uses one of those batteries, and you'll end up needing a second charger.



If I had this all to do over again, knowing what I know now, I'd get the DeWalt DW9116 7.2-Volt to 18-Volt Pod Style 1 Hour Battery Charger. It can charge any battery that this unit can (I've verified that), plus some that it can't. It charges my batteries in 30-45 minutes, it has a slightly better status light and Amazon sells it for about the same price.



That's a five-star product. This one-- which does a decent job, but no more-- is a three. You won't go wrong with it... but you can do better.

After unpacking my tools that had been in storage for a couple of years I discovered to my chagrin that my 14.4v charger and battery were not working. In addition to replacing the battery I opted to substitute the old charger with the new PS1MVC 8.4 Volt - 14.4 Volt 1 Hour Battery Charger.



I am very pleased with its performance. It charges so fast that with a little planning I can get by with one battery. In a nutshell, the charger does the job well and does it fast.



Rich M.

I must say that when the battery charger that came with my Hedgehog died after less than two years of use, I was extremely disappointed and a bit angry. The thought of purchasing a new one did not put me in the best of moods. However, once it arrived, I have to say I was impressed. It looked how a charger should look as opposed to the original (which did look a bit cheesy, to say the least). It takes less time to charge the batteries now. It is ten times better than the original design. I am very pleased with the product.

Got this for my husband to replace the one that came with his drill. Replaced the original one once before and decided to buy this one when we needed to replace it again. Very fast charge and love that it tells you when your battery is bad. Would definately recommend this product

My original charger quit working and I checked local retail stores for a replacement and found that a new charger cost almost as much as I paid for product initially. It would have been cheaper to just buy a new cordless drill.

I found this new charger at Amazon and the cost incl. shipping was very reasonable.

The item was shipped quickly and it worked right out of the box.

I actually like this charger better than the one that came with the drill. - Cordless Drill - Black Decker Battery - Black And Decker - Charger'

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Cordless Tools - cordless tools, nailer

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I have had this gun for about a month and have had only a few issues with it. First off, it takes a bit of effort to engage all the safety mechanisms to get the nailer to drive. The nailer is what I would call two phased. Several times I have worried about bending the tip of the gun due to the pressure I was applying, and once in a while I curse the thing because the pressure has moved my material. This is less noticeable when you aren't toe nailing in a tight space.

You must remove the battery from this unit once you are done with it at the end of the day. The first day I came back to the nailer it had drained the battery, and I had to wait 30 minutes for it to recharge. The battery drains because a constant green light flashes beneath the trigger alerting you that the gun is charged and ready to go. This light will turn red if there is not enough charge left to fire. This may be a defect with my gun, originally I understood that the gun would power down if not used, mine does not.

I am not a big fan of the depth guage, it requires a tool to change. It does come with a nice case.

One time the gun would not fire, everything checked out, battery was fully charged, emptied out and reloaded the nailer, nothing happened. I then thought I might of somehow drained the fuel cell, although I had only driven a couple hundred nails. I checked the fuel cell, had plenty of fuel, reset the cell, and the gun then fired without problems. This has only happened once during the month that I have had the gun.

On the plus side, this gun shoots HARD! I am firing 3 1/2 nails and it is sinking them below the surface with the depth set at 25% below maximum. One other thing, in the manual I don't see where there is any maintenance required with this gun.

I have had some people tell me that cordless nail guns are better than pneumatic, (check the reviews for some of the Pasloade guns), they are not. Pneumatic guns work smoother and engage easier. Pneumatic stick nailers hold almost 3x as many nails as cordless. These work great if you don't want to get out your compressor or have no power where you work.

However, as far as Pasloade versus Hitachi, Hitachi is the number one for now.



Update: One year later the nailer is still working great, occasional hiccup, when I have to reseat the battery and the gas canister.

There are some professional reviews online that place this nailer above the others. Hitachi NR90GC Clipped Head 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Cordless Gas Framing Nailer

I've had this tool for a year now and love it. I had some problems at first, but found out it is not recommended above 5000'. After reading some reviews on another web site, I found out it will work with RED PASLODE FUEL CELLS at my high elevation. After I switched from the Hitachi cells it worked great. Each cell cost about $10, but last a long time. It will almost shoot a box of nails. I have an air powered nailer too, but love not having the hose. The built in hanger is very handy. The battery charges in one hour and will last all day. Wouldn't build without it.

I have had this nail gun for almost two months now and am pleased with the performance. The first time I tried using the gun I had similar results that J. Larson had. It wouldn't fire, finally fired one nail, would not fire again, then fired one nail, and would not fire anymore. After about fifteen minutes I gave up and got my Passload to complete my current job. I reread the owners manual and noticed where it talked about new batteries needing to be charged a couple of times before they work to their full potential. I had charged both batteries (I purchased a second battery when I bought the gun) the night before. The gun showed a bright green light with either battery in but I went ahead and recharged the batteries again. The gun has worked great ever since. This might have been Mr. Larson's problem also? It appears the gun requires more battery juice than the flashing light on the handle requires to change to red. I have had the gun not want to fire a couple of times while the light was green. I switched to a fresh battery, recharged the old one and the gun doesn't miss a stroke.



I have had two Passloads (one currently still works) I like this Hitachi more than the Passloads. The Hitachi is better balanced and does not tire your hand as quick when shooting nails above your head for several minutes. The only thing I dislike about the Hitachi compared to the Passload is the belt hook. The Hitachi's is set up almost for a left hander. The hook swings out from the right side of the gun forcing you to turn the gun around so you can hang it from your belt or pocket. The Passloads hook is mounted at the very end and swivels to either side.



I bought the Hitachi this time instead of another Passload for two reasons. First the price, if I can save $100.00 for the same tool I will. Second, Passload has horable customer service. I went to their web site and asked them about getting a couple of new work contact nose pieces for my guns (one being an old (2 models ago old) model, Passload would never contact me back. I finally gave up after a half dozen e-mails. In this day and age customer service needs to be a high priority. I e-mailed Hitachi with a couple of questions and they responded back immediately with the answers and a personal e-mail address to reply to if I had any further questions. A+++++ on customer service.



I highly recommend this product over the Passload for these two reasons and that is a quality made gun so far.

I purchased this tool, charged the battery and test fired it. It wouldn't work at all on the first few attempts, then it shot one nail. A few attempts later it shot another nail and then totally quit working. I tried all the procedures in the manual and nothing worked. I let it sit overnight and changed gas cartridges, but still nothing worked. There was an additional sheet of material stuck in the manual about troubleshooting so I wonder if this is a common problem. I called Hitachi and they told me I had to pay to have it shipped to them in order to get it fixed. I decided to return the item and get a paslode instead. The paslodes have their flaws, but work much better than this hitachi. The finish of the gun is better than the paslode, the gas chamber is better designed, as is, the nail catch and case, but it just didn't work at all. If Hitachi can iron out the functioning problems this would be a great gun. - Framing Nailer - Cordless Tools - Nailer - Ergonomic'

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Dvd Recording - verbatim, blank dvd media

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I have already written a glowing 5 star review for the 25 pack spindle of these and will simply reiterate here that these are simply the best DVD blank media that I have used thus far.



I have used many different brands and must tell you that after burning to many tens of these disks I have yet to suffer a single error writing to them!



These burn very very fast at 16X in my pc computer's NEC ND-3500AG 16X DVD burner and also in my DMR-EH50S Panasonic DVD Recorder (through which I record content from the television to its hard drive and then after editing the content, burn it to DVD media).



I also want to let you know that there is extra storage space contained on these that I have not found with the many other brands I have used (including Taiyo Yuden, Philips, Maxell, Memorex, TDK)! I can squeeze more video and file content onto these Verbatim disks. That makes a difference in those critical moments in which I need to fit those extra few megabytes onto the same disk.



I will continue to use these exclusively until either the production quality goes down or they quit making them altogether -- I hope neither happens!



The price on these has been fluctuating lately, but no matter what the price, these are quite simply worth purchasing! It just so happens that at this particular moment (of writing) this 100 disk spindle has reduced in price to a mere $34.99. There is a $12.00 rebate for it as well!



After buying 3 25 pack spindles, I finally got wise and opted for the 100 pack. This should last me quite a while!



So get this 100 disk spindle now! I heartily recommend it to you! Verbatim 95102 4.7 GB up to 16x Branded Recordable Disc DVD-R (100-Disc)

Verbatim makes a very reliable blank DVD-R that can handle up to 4.7 GB of data. Moreover, these blank DVD-Rs record data at speeds up to 16x. I have used these as data discs, discs to record video and discs to record video. I also get very few, if any, coasters.



The DVD-R discs are compact and easy to store. While the discs are still blank, store them in the circular case on the spindle that they came in. After your burn data onto them, I would recommend storing them in slim jewel cases instead of paper sleeves. It's just better protection for your DVD-Rs that have data stored on them. Don't store these discs, burnt or blank, in rooms that become very hot; this causes damage to any brand of this type of disc and you could lose data over time.



There are two caveats that many other people note about any brand of this product: when you are burning the data onto the blank disc, don't be surprised if you see that the data is burning at a rate slower than 16x. This can happen if your burner doesn't have the capacity to burn faster, or it may be a quirk. I am not a professional so I cannot be certain of precisely what causes this phenomenon; but I assure you that the extra minute or two (tops) that you wait to get your DVD-R completed is worth the wait. In addition, DON'T write on these using Sharpie ink pens. The ink can seep through the top coating of the DVD-R disc and compromise your data



Overall, Verbatim blank DVD-R discs store data reliably and I believe that an extra minute to burn the data onto the blank disc is well worth it in the event that it doesn't actually burn at 16x.

I have ordered and used two sets of these and have never had a bad one. However Amazon shipping department have gotten a bit sloppy lately with their packaging for shipment.



Seems like they just grab any ole box (mostly too large for the item, throws the item in with a bit of very large bubble wrap and away it goes.



In my opinion, this method of packaging rarely protects the item and most of the time, the item(s) just rattles around inside. My wife and I have ordered a lot of things in the past year and have received the last few packages in this manner.



Back to the DVD-R media. I ordered this plus a couple of CD-R media. Being heavy and rounded the DVD-R came in with a broken outer casing. Luckily it didn't come apart and the media scattered all over the place which could have easily happened.



So come on Amazon! I've given you folks lots of KUDOS for your service and customer satisfaction, however your shipping department needs to be straightend out as they've gotten sloppy lately.

My first 100 stack was flawless. So i ordered another 100 stack a few months later. My second stack started to have write errors about a 1/4 of the the way down, and hoping that it was only 1 disc I pulled another DVD towards the bottom of the stack with the same results. I have so far burned 5 duds in a row with DVDs from various levels of the spindel. I've sent Verbatim support an e-mail hopfully to get a replacement, if that doesn't work i guess ill see if Amazon will make it right. - Blank Dvd Media - Dvd - Verbatim - Verbatim Dvd-r'

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Sports Headphones

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I was looking for some small, lightweight headphones that I could wear while running and working out. Ruled out, of course, were the normal earbuds, which have a tendency to fall out at the gentlest breeze, or at least at the slightest tug or jar. So, to that end, I picked up a pair of Sony MDR-J10 h.ear clips.First, the good. They're very light and reasonably comfortable for something that's sticking just into your ear. No problem. The clips work very well -- no matter how hard I work I can't get them to fall off. It might help that they tend to get tangled in my hair. I personally prefer the clip style to a headband -- this way, there's absolutely nothing to bounce around while you're running. I should also mention that they look very sleek worn. The cable features an adjustable restraint, above the normal fixed thing that marks the beginning of the dual cord, so you'll never have too much cord flying around your neck.Second, the bad. The cord is a bit shorter than I'm used to, but hey, no problem. The sound from these features a whole lot of midrange without a lot of bass or even treble definition. You have to remember, however, that the drivers in these things measure in at like thirteen millimeters, so if you're expecting Sennheiser clarity, you're looking at the wrong headphones.Overall, these earclips are quite satisfactory. They do what they need to do: They stay on no matter what, and they transmit music from your walkman/discman/MP3 player to your ears. If you're looking for headphones to wear while doing active things, then these are great. It needs to be mentioned that, with music playing all up in your eardrums, these things do a startling job at blocking out other noises, so be careful not to jog into a moving van or anything. Safety first! Sony MDR-J10 h.ear Headphones with Non-Slip Design (Black)

I got these headphones to replace the ones that came with my iPod mini; those were very uncomfortable. I wanted a small, comfortable, unobtrusive pair that wouldn't leak any sound and bother my fellow commuters (or at least advertise to them what I like to listen to!). I almost didn't buy them because all I saw in the store was orange, which sort of defeats the "unobtrusive" idea, at least for me. But I found them and bought them in basic black.



They are definitely small, and I like the design. They hook completely over your ears, and the ear piece goes inside your ear. Once I figured out how to slip them on, they stay on, no falling off or sliding around. But they're not so tight that they give me a headache or hurt my ears, thankfully. The earbuds are fairly comfortable- some days they need adjusting, other days not.



These headphones leak hardly any sound! I've performed a bunch of tests with friends, with me asking "can you hear anything now?" I wasn't anywhere nears as cool as the guy in the cell phone commercials, but everyone I asked did assure me they couldn't hear my music, even when I played it pretty loud.



They have one neat little feature I didn't consider when buying but certainly appreciate- the "tangle-free cord." Most headphones are made up of one cord which splits at a fixed point. However, that point, or junction, is not fixed on these, which means you can pull up the little piece of plastic to join the two loose strings for easy storage. Or, split the cord entirely, all the way down to the jack, and give an earphone to somebody else.



These fit the bill if you're looking for a comfortable, cheap, easy-to-store pair of headphones, and even though they're not quite the perfect ones for me, they're a solid buy.

They have a very sharp, clear sound. I used them to edit my writing on computer, using a program called ReadPlease. It's a great program that reads text back to you. With the earphones, I can work no matter what is going around around me.



The wire is very limber, with a rubbery coating instead of more plastic. I have had two pair built along these lines, but the wires are wrapped in plastics covers which made then less flexible, causing them to kink. This soft rubber coating, left you move around without worrying about bending or kinks in the line that could ruin them. The rubber cover wire is virtually tangle free.



The ear wrap is very comfortable. On the other two pair, I was aware of their pressure and after long hours of working my ears would be slightly sore. I barely notice these and have not had any lingers soreness as I did with the other two.



So for comfort, easy use and prices, this is a good buy.

I love these headphones. Really, I do. This must be my 4th pair in 2 years.



Pros:

- block out external sound pretty darn well (great for blocking out loud, obnoxious people on the trains, but you'll hear enough to notice your car sounding funny)

- keeps sound internal (little sound leakage, if you're one of those that love to BLAST music, there's a good chance the people around you might not hear it.)

- extremely clear sounds (there have been times when I've heard something in a song that I've never head before)

- great volume (I can't turn my iPod more than 1/3 of the way up)

- if they fit, they're not likely to fall out



Cons:

- after a while, one side goes dead (it's usually the right side. This is why I'm on my 4th pair. But I'm seeing other reviews saying they've lasted years. So I must be abusing them somehow)

- weird popping sound when walking? (this has only happened with my last pair, and it started happening before the right side went dead. I wouldn't call it a shock, because..I didn't feel shocked.)

- this is a huge problem for a lot of people: THEY DON'T FIT SOME EARS (that's a major complaint with a lot of the negative reviews, and yeah they aren't one-size-fits-all. But they fit me fine, so I don't care much for this point)

- they do tangle, but that's not important either'

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Hdmi Cable - dvi to hdmi, dvi to hdmi cable

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We have an older TV which required a DVI input from our new Blu-ray DVD which has HMDI output. This cable works great.

One thing to note is that DVI is only for video and requires a separate cable for audio, so this cable must be paried with an audio cable. 4' Ultra 600 HDmi To Dvi Video

I hate to give this product a single star. The cables appeared to be high quality, unfortunately they didn't work. I just purchased two new Samsung SA350 LED displays and attempted to use these cables to connect them to a Dell Precision M6500 mobile workstation via its eport docking station. The VGA cables work with the monitors but no signal whatsoever with these cables plugged into the ePorts HDMI ports.



I was thinking it must be some sort of weird glitch with the docking station so I tried hooking them to a Dell Precision 390 desktop workstation . . . still didn't work.



Bummer, the cables sure look cool.

I purchased this because I needed this cable so I could run my PS3 into a DVI switch, so I could use my monitor for both my PS3 and PC with just a push of a switch. This cable is build very tough, Monster Cable is a fantastic company; I've had experience with them and guitar cables, so I was familiar with the quality. I'd recommend this to anyone in need of high quality for a fair price.

Cable looks good. Strong but not too flexy.Come with Monster packaging.Picture seem a little better compared to my old cable. This Monster got 4 stars from me. I think Monster cable are alot nicer ,better and for the price paid it worth getting one.Thanks monster and seller. Jaya2. - Dvi To Hdmi Cable - Cable - Dvi To Hdmi - 1080p'

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Lower Back Pain - lower back pain, inversion

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I was somewhat skeptical when I ordered this board whether it would help my back or not. I am periodically bothered by back problems that are either sciatica or something closely resembling it. When it hits it has always taken at least six weeks of physical inactivity and stretching to relieve the pain, and the ache would linger for months. When I felt the latest bout of this condition begin, I ordered this board. I can truthfully say that after using the board for one week, five minutes a day, the pain and any sign of the condition had disappeared. I live alone so I do not fully invert, but the last setting using the safety harness was enough to provide me relief. I only use it two or three times a week now, but have not had a recurrence of the back problem in the four months since buying the board. The one time relief was enough to justify buying the board, and any future aid in relieving or preventing the sciatica will be gravy for me. I am beginning to believe that periodic use may hopefully prevent the condition from coming back. I bought the Teeter board because I am 64 years old and weigh 250 lbs. I feel very secure on this board and if I had someone around when I was using it I would have no hesitation in going fully inverted. The sensation when you first use the board takes some getting used to, but once you develop trust in the board that feeling goes away. Teeter Hang Ups EP-550 Inversion Therapy Table

Well, I normally don't write reviews but I thought that I really should since I make use of them before generally buying anything nowadays so what better place to start than about a product that has done wonders for me. While I have a had good results with the Teeter, my healing wasn't as instant as many other reviewers and I would like to share that experience with others so that not everyone thinks that after a week or two their back pain may be cured.



After reading the many positive reviews and being at the end of the line with the pain from my herniated disc I felt that I had nothing to lose by trying the Teeter. I went ahead and ordered a good inverter (Teeter) knowing that I did not want to be upside down in a flimsy inverter that I was afraid to go fully inverted.

By way of background, I have a herniated disc and have suffered from back pain (both dull and acute) for the 6-8 months preceding getting the inverter. I had gone to physical therapy with limited success and had been doing the exercises that were suggested but did not get anything more than just some temporary relief, nothing permanent. I also sit behind a desk/computer most of my day and only get up sparingly (4-8 times).



Week 1-2: My pain level was high at this point and I tried using the inversion for 2-3 minutes a day with the safety strap so I wouldn't be fully inverted. I did this about once or twice a day. The pain in my back seemed to get worse and I was not feeling any relief.



Week 3-4: I decided to stick with the regimen and give it more time as I knew that decompressing the vertebrae would not happen overnight. At this point I still did not fully invert as I was still in too much pain. I tried to increase the amount of time to about 5 minutes. The pain still had not subsided. In fact, towards the end of week 4 I tried to fully invert and I think a suffered some sort of muscle spasm that made things worse. I think it is a good idea to wait before fully inverting until your body is used to it. This may be different based on how quickly one becomes used to it.



Week 5-6: I took a week off after the muscle spasm but then continued again after that. Towards the end of week 6 I was starting to feel a little better.



Week 7-8: I was really doing the inversion for about 5 minutes once a day at night as I couldn't time it right to do it in the mornings. As the pain started to get better I started to only go to the full inversion. It was about the end of week 8 that I began to feel no back pain. I was shocked as I had not experienced 0% paid in the last 8 months before that. I have to say that I was glad I stuck with it because initially I felt that back pain get worse.



General Observations: It is true that your feet do hurt, especially if you invert for 5 minutes or more. I found that it would help to wear very thick socks and running shoes before using the inverter. I still think it is better to endure the very minor and temporary foot pain with the inversion rather than chronic back pain so that was not really a big deal for me. I have not tried the boots but may give that a try since people seem to generally think it helps with the foot pain.



I also found that after inverting for a couple of weeks I could hear my back cracking during normal routine day to day activities. I attribute this to the vertebrae beginning to decompress and align. I don't seem to hear it anymore unless I am doing the stretches.



I find that nothing is as relieving as fully inverting. At this point I only fully invert but I would recommend building up to it especially if you have back pain in the beginning. I also continued to do some exercises all along to help strengthen the back as the pain got less. I wasn't as diligent doing exercises that I should have been but I find it difficult with my schedule (excuses, excuses).



Overall, I am extremely pleased with my purchase and my experience. I have been back pain free for about 2 months which is really amazing. I am taking much greater care of my back and am more diligent about remembering to invert at least once a day (although I do miss days here and there). It especially feels good to invert after doing something that puts a lot of pressure on the back (like gardening). I wonder why doctors don't recommend this more often to their patient but then again that's not in their financial best interest. If you are like how I was in pretty bad back pain then go ahead and give it a shot and stick with it even if you don't get any relief the first few weeks, it worked for me. - Back Pain - Inversion - Back Pain Relief - Lower Back Pain'

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Nikon Battery - nikon d90, battery charger

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Very compact and light. Works both with 110V and 220V for international travelling (the Nikon charger supplied with the D200 is 110V only). The power prongs flip out, making the charger very compact with no cables to carry around in my camera bag.



I've rated it 4 stars because there are no instructions provided. Through trial and error, I figured out that a solid red light means "charging" and a solid green light means charging is complete. Premium EN-EL3 EN-EL3e Digital Camera Battery Rapid Charger with Car Adapter for Nikon Digital SLR D700, D300, D200, D90, D80

This is a great charger, it's totally portable with foldaway outlet prongs, is dual voltage for travel abroad and not bulky like the Nikon charger. I use this now instead of the supplied charger from Nikon that requires a cable.

I purchased this only for use in the car [I have 3 regular Nikon chargers]. I drive >1 hour each way from work, and have left it into the charger for a few days now. I gave up waiting for the green light [charge complete] to come on, and so I stuck my battery into the camera to see what level it was charged at. It turned out to only be at 50%.



The other thing that is bad about this product is that the holder part actually separates into 2 pieces, when I try to fit the Nikon battery into the slot, or remove it from the holder. I wouldn't mind so much that it's cheaply made, if it could actually charge the battery from within the car.



BTW, I am trying to recharge EN-EL3e batteries.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a portable charger for their Nikon camera. I have three, one for each vehicle and a spare for home. It saves me from using a power inverter with the Nikon charger in my car.

The charger started smoking when it was plugged into the outlet. They wanted me to pay for return shipping and they wanted to charge shipping cost for a replacement. Piece of junk!! Buyer beware!! Premium EN-EL3 EN-EL3e Digital Camera Battery Rapid Charger with Car Adapter for Nikon Digital SLR D700, D300, D200, D90, D80

After receiving the product I plugged it in to my wall outlet cradling the battery. I left for a few hours, and my wife called exclaiming that the home smelled like burnt rubber. I came home shortly after, and after a few minutes realized that the charger must have caught on fire and had smoke trails up the face plate of the outlet. It had combusted. I am glad I didn't have anything resting against it.

I just purchased this because I have misplaced my charger for the Nikon D90. I plugged it in and put the battery on it and the green light stays on but my battery is only half way charged. After 2 hrs on the charger it didn't even charge it at all. This is a total waste of money and I recomend just buying the Nikon charger at a higher cost but also a higher quality!

I bought this product thinking this is such a awesome deal and alternative to the stock charger, but I was SOOOO wrong! It looks good and is very user friendly, transportable and even can charge your battery in your car. BUT BUT BUT...It does not work at all. Don't be tricked by the other comments saying that it works fine. I thought it worked fine until I charged it. Basically when supposedly is "fully charged" and you put it in your camera it does say it is fully charged. Yet, when you watch the battery meter on your camera for about 10-20 secs the percentage will drop maybe 20%. 20% in 20 secs. WTF. STAY AWAY FROM THIS DEFECT PIECE OF ****. - Nikon Battery - Battery Charger - Nikon D90 - Nikon'

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Firewire 800 - external storage, portable hard drive

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I've had my eye open for one of these since before they existed. I work in the Multimedia industry and require a large amount of space to store my data. I purchased this drive on August 8, 2010. Yesterday, Sept. 2, 2010, it failed. I contacted Seagate and they referred me to their data recovery team who offered to recover my lost data for up to $1500. Not expecting to have the hard drive fail immediately, I was still in the process of backing up my files and lost almost all of them. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1 TB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA1000100 (Black)

I was expecting this drive to be like a spare drive to back up files and store data on and allow me to edit some files as I wanted. I really was expecting it to work just like a jump drive does, but have a lot more storage space. I didn't want to have to plug it into a wall, you know, portable. I wanted to be able to take it to several computers I have at home and at work. What I found out after I placed my order was that these drives by Seagate have pre-installed software on them that once connected to your computer will ask you to load, after a two minute wait. If you install this software "Dashboard" and whatever else is there, you may have some of the issues like all of the other negative ones I read. YOU DON'T NEED THIS SOFTWARE, SO DO NOT INSTALL IT!!! Seagate must think that the only purpose to buy this drive is to do a back-up on one computer and to have it auto run every so often, hence their software. I personnaly am not interested in their software, especially everything I have read to date on it.



So I started by removing the software from the drive, then just using the drive as a back up and to copy some work files to. All seemed fine, then took to work and tried to update a file and found out the the whole drive is read only format, no update capabilities allowed from another machine. Did some more reading and discovered that if I Format the drive completly, (don't do the quick format) do a full format which will take about 1 hour per 100 Gig, so make sure you have plenty of time to do this. When your done the drive will be free of Seagate's software and read only formats for file updates. The drive will work just like a jump drive allowing you to take it from one computer to another, update files as you see fit, back up files and so on...you get the picture.



I think if Seagate wants to keep their good name, they need to offer better instructions on their products and they should not pre-load this software on their drives. All of the issue, at least most of them, appear to be with this software and not really the drive itself. At least this is my finding after I performed this format, the drive is now what I expected to use it for.



So for a rating, out of the box, I give it a 1 STAR, because I had to figure this out, and spend 5+ hours to format the drive.



Rating after the format, I give it 5 STARS!



I hope others find this review helpful, as I am a little tech savy, but no comparison to most of you smart people out there.

One advantage with the Seagate STAA500102 FreeAgent GoFlex is that it can be upgraded to USB 3, Firewire 800 or eSATA. This option to customize my hard drive is appreciable. I have a MacBook Pro so bought a Firewire 800 adapter for it. Though it is USB 3 compatible, the adapter is not included in the package and the USB 2.0 cable that is included is really too short.



I guess the software is pre-configured for Windows machines. Being a Mac user, I had some problems with the software installation, which was solved after customer support.



The design is good and being a portable device is a benefit.



Being compact it is really nice.

After about two months the drive is no longer recognized by the computer. The drive just spins and spins, making little clicking noises. I have tried downloading new software, diagnostic software, uninstalling and reinstalling, but none of this succeeds in halting the little dervish inside the silver box.



Nothing on the Seagate website of remote use. It seems that people either love or hate this product. I would not be in the first group.



And the pre-loaded software is pretty hard to figure out, the users' manual notwithstanding. I frankly don't like automatic backups, but it seems like you don't have any choice. I also could not turn off the auto feature.



Groan.

The hard drive itself seems to work fine, but the Memeo Instant Backup is has unacceptable bugs:

1- The initial backup (about 60 GB) went ok but

2- Attempting to backup again two days later resulted in an endless loop of verifying and backing up some files.

Online support from Memeo is spotty, the issue has not been solved and the bottom line is a product I can't rely on.

Seagate is out of the question for me from now on. - Portable Hard Drive - Seagate - Hard Drive - External Storage'

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Separators - separators, dust collector

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If you are doing any dust collection, particularly from stationary machines, you've got to get one of these. It lets the large chips from planers, jointers, lathes, table saws and floor sweeps drop into a 30 gallon galvanized trash can (that you supply). This is so much easier than endlessly dumping the bag on a dust collector.Another great reason to have one of these; how many times have you accidentally sucked up an important piece of hardware and spent hours sifting through a dust bag trying to find it? Metal parts will drop to the bottom of the barrel where they are easily found. This also saves the impeller blades of your dust collector from damaging impacts. I always empty it before sweeping the floor, just in case I encounter a stray chunk I want to recover.You should keep the barrel dumped fairly often, as this will increase efficency. The only thing better would be a cyclone system, but they are more costly and take up more space. This unit is also quite portable, which is handy in a one-hose shop.I don't think you'll be disappointed if you put one of these to work in your shop. You'll wonder how you ever worked without it. Woodstock W1049 Large Dust Collection Separator

If your starting out or a seasoned fully equipped woodworker, this is one piece of equipment, that you will wonder how you ever did without. At first I was disappointed like so many others that their wasn't even a tube mount on the head to hook up your hoses to. It is really nothing more than a stamped out piece of plastic that will accept your 4" hoses. After going through the duct tape, and band clamps, with less than stellar results, I came to the conclusion (duh) that the coiling action of a 4" hose is the right size to wind it into the opening. Thereby creating a screw the hose in, effect. I also used the 4" Jet wire clamps on the inside, just to make sure it would not gradually slip out. The fit is rather tight, and leaks very little air. No tape or anything else is neccessary. Makes for a clean professional looking fit. Wish they had put that in the instructions to begin with. It seems so obvious now, but who would know then? The real benefit to this unit, is that it takes a nightmare problem, and makes it a piece of cake. It works great with a standard 4" dust collection system. Myself personally, I already had a 6HP Sears 16 gallon shop vac. To the shop vac which has a 2 1/2" hose, I hook up the Jet adapter bringing it up to 4". I also use a Y adapter, and gates, to enable me to hook it up to two pieces of equipment at a time. I have a lot of equipment in a small shop, with everything mounted on universal bases. So I roll out what I need, hook it up to the dust collection. Cramped for space, my shop vac sits under my lathe table. The nightmare before getting the Woodstock unit, is that with a 16 gallon shop vac, and using the planer, it loads up with chips after one good size board. Then I have to remove the lid, and dump, and comb the filter and start over. Makes planing boards a hassle. With the Woodstock unit. I plane several boards, before it is even half full. My friends are amazed when I show them the half full Woodstock unit, and the shop vac has less than a cup, of material in it. The filter does collect the fine airborne powder. The ease of dumping the 32 gallon galvanized trash can (not included but super cheap available locally) can't be overstated. A quick flip, into a larger plastic trash can, lined with a large trash bag, and right back on the unit. Another thing worth mentioning, is that this Woodstock W1049 is so light, that it is a good idea to weigh the top down. I use a 10 pound lifting weight. It is round and fits neatly into the center, is easy to grab when unloading the chips, and more than adequately secures the top down to the can without lifting, or allowing any leaks.I tried lining the can with a trash bag, but it does not work. The vacuum brings the trash bag/liner up to the vac hole and clogs it. Without the trash bag, the smooth sides of the galvanized can allow the large chips to slide easily out and into the bag lined, larger can. This unit could be built with more sophisticated methods for securing it to the can, and outlet tubes for securing the pipe, but then the price of the unit would rise. I like it just the way it is. After using it, if for any reason you lost it, you would climb mountains to obtain another one. Can't live without it, it is just that beneficial.

I thought the dust collection system was the best thing a ever got, but after adding this to the system, the Woodstock Dust Collection Separator is the best thing I got. The bag in the DC machine is not the easiest thing to change, not impossible to change, just not easy. The Woodstock DC Separator lets you collect and empty in a 30 gallon garbage can, very easy to remove the lid and empty the can.The Separator will collect the large particles and some dust, allowing the smaller dust to be collected in the DC bag. But don't wait for the garbage can to fill up before emptying it. The fuller the can gets, the less area for the particles to drop, so empty the can about at half full. When running my lathe or planer, that could be quite often. BUT, it is easier than emptying the bag, OR sweeping them off the floor without a DC system.No Dust Collection System is complete without this product.

The chip separator from Woodstock is a necessary addition toyour dust collection system. I was contemplating building or buyingan (...) cyclone separator but have found that this piece of plastic is perfectly adequate for the home shop. The metal can only costs an extra ... and together, they work great. I ran a test by running some boards through the jointer, including some particle-board (which produces very small chips) with brand new dust bags on the collector. Afterwards, there was a pile of chips and dust in the can, and only a fine coating of dust on the inside of the bags. If your dust bags are as hard to change as mine, it's worth buying it just to avoid changing them once. I recon I'll only have to empty my bags once a year now. - Dust Collector - Separators - Dust - Workshop'

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Not Recommended - kindle covers, kindle accessory

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UPS just delivered my M-Edge Executive cover for the Kindle 3 about an hour ago, and I promptly put it to work. I previously had the leather version of the Executive cover on my Kindle 2 and really liked it, so it wasn't too hard a decision to go with the new model. Functionally, it's virtually identical to the previous version. The tab used to keep it closed still works the same way - you can fold the front cover back and use the tab to hold it in that position, which provides a very convenient handle to hold while reading. I was really hoping there would be a leather version of this cover for the Kindle 3, but my wife emailed M-Edge and they said they were sticking with a synthetic material that was still durable and would help keep costs down. It does feel very close to leather (if someone insisted it was real leather you'd probably believe them), and the inner lining appears to be the identical suede-like material as in the previous version. Unlike the old leather cover, though, the new cover has a stiff spine piece very much like a hard-bound book, so the front and back covers fold at well-defined corners between the hard spine and the covers. The previous leather version had a soft spine that folded in more of a curve. The new system seems like it would provide a little more crush protection when closed, at least along that edge, and I think I actually prefer the new design. The fabric trim around the middle of the cover has a very nice feel to it, and helps provide yet another edge for your fingers to hold when either carrying the Kindle or reading it. I also ordered a new M-Edge Illuminator 2 light for the new cover and I'm glad I did rather than re-use the light from my Kindle 2, since the new light is almost 1/2" shorter than the old one (the old KIndle 2, cover, and light are going to be a gift to my wife's mother, so I needed a new light anyway). If I put the old light in the new cover it sticks out the bottom just a tad. I've also noticed that the stiff spine doesn't allow any flexibility for the hinge of the light to swivel up, so if you choose to use the light in that way (my wife doesn't) then you have to slide the light out of it's mounting sleeve about an inch. Again, it's not a problem, but it's a little different. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the little straps in the corners do an excellent job of holding the Kindle 3 snuggly in position without getting in the way of any of the controls. I have no fear at all of my Kindle 3 slipping out of this cover accidentally. I specifically wanted to avoid any covers that use the little mounting notches in the Kindle 3 because I don't trust the durability of that system.



Overall I am very happy with the new M-Edge Executive cover for the Kindle 3. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because it's not genuine leather, which is a feature I would have gladly paid extra for and which would have resulted in a perfect 5-star rating. I really like the feel of the previous version of this cover, and I know how leather is going to wear over time. The new synthetic material feels almost as good (but not quite), and I don't know how well it'll actually hold up over time and use. If I could give 4.5 stars I would. Also, if I notice anything significant that affects my opinion after I've had a chance to live with the new cover for a while I'll post an update. M-Edge Executive Kindle Jacket, Black (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle)

I'll just re-post this here, as the review is as much about my M-Edge cover as it is about the M-Edge light. Comparison of the M-Edge to Amazon's lighted cover below the fold.



I've had my Kindle 3 since September, and I've already read more that I used to on my old Kindle 1 (now retired to a backup device). I was an early adopter of the 1, and it came with an Amazon cover (which after a week, I customized with white velcro.. still works well to this day).



The Kindle 3, obviously, came without anything, and after carrying it around, I grew more nervous about what would happen if I dropped the thing, and it landed on a corner, or if something heavy fell onto it while in my service truck...



... so when I spotted an M-Edge executive cover in a local shop, I was able to test it's fit & finish before purchase. I loved it, even though this would be the 3rd cover I purchased for my K3.... the first being a simple nylon zipper cover, the 2nd being a Speck-brand cover, and now the M-Edge (bright purple, to be easy to spot among clutter... <grin>).



Although I liked the Speck cover (red), and I loved it's built-in bookstand, it was too bulky-- I suspect it was simply a reworked Kindle 2 cover-- there was simply too much excess cover between the plastic cradle (that held the K3) and the actual cover itself.



The clincher for me buying the M-Edge was the light I could get to go with it. In fact, I purchased the M-Edge light first, and used it for several days with the Speck cover.... it worked well enough with it wedged between my K3 and the ABS plastic shell that cradled & held the Kindle. But it was not tucked neatly away when closed, and I was afraid the lovely little light might get snagged and lost. At $20, I was not casual about losing it, either.



So I got the M-Edge executive cover, which has a place to hold the light between the spine and the Kindle. The M-Edge was thinner when closed than my Speck cover, another plus. I especially liked the M-Edge exectutive's closing strap, keeping my K3 and my light securely in place when closed.



The light is quite bright-- too bright to look at directly for long, even with the dim setting. It uses a single AAA battery, available anywhere, which I consider a plus. There is just room at the spine in my cover for a spare battery, which I will do as soon as I can come up with a way to keep it there securely (Take note, M-Edge-- a pocket for a spare battery in the spine would be a real plus-- say a loop of elastic sewn in?).



I'm still on my first battery, after using the light several times for reading in darkened restaurants-- my favorite pastime, reading my K3 and eating. :)



The light has to have some sort of circuitry in it, to keep full-bright even after several hours of use-- and indeed, no LED lamp can run on less than 4 volts, so there must be some sort of voltage amplifier, to boost the 1.5v from the AAA. I have any number of LED flashlights, including industrial and professional ones costing $60 and more, and this little M-Edge is made as well as those, for the task it was created to do-- light up books for reading in dim light. I suspect it will keep the light on, until the AAA is dead-flat-- as many of my better flashlights (those with circuitry) do. There's no warning, either--no gradual dimming of the light output, just suddenly it won't light. I expect that from this little gadget, but as I said, I've yet to run it out. I'll report again when I do.



Strongly recommended as a general reading light, and especially with the M-Edge executive cover (also available from Amazon, as well as more and more frequently in local shops).



I would point out, that M-Edge markets a fairly wide range of covers, including several that put the light into an external pocket. While the light's little tab fits snugly into it's pocket, I, for one, would not be happy with an external pocket while carrying and/or traveling. I'd be afraid I'd snag the light and lose it. I'd look for an external zippered pocket, or a larger, over-cover in that case.



..........



One more thing I will add: A close friend of mine also has a K3. He also purchased a cover--only he opted for the Amazon's official lighted one. We got to visit last night, and compare the fit and finish of each of our purchases.



His official Amazon cover is a teensy bit thinner when closed, and certainly not as wide (mine needs the room to stow the light when folded down along the spine). The height for either is the same, and the weight of each is too close to tell without instruments. The Amazon's light was elegant-- it turns on when extended, and the K3 is not asleep, then politely shuts off when you do put the K3 to sleep. But, I do not like the notion of the light draining the K3's battery; some consider that a plus, but I do not. The M-Edge's light uses it's own battery, and I suppose if you wished, you could opt for rechargeable AAA's... these are as common as dirt nowadays. If someone ever produces a LiIon rechargeable in AAA form-factor, they will have a sale. I remain unimpressed with NMH and even less interested in NiCd rechargeable AAAs... 1.2 volts is too low to start. I've not had good luck with rechargeable alkalines either, so it's disposables for now.



The clincher for me going the M-Edge route against Amazon's cover (the price was the same) was the holding method between each design. Amazon opted for the (to me seriously flawed) little metal hooks at the edge of the Kindle device. Amazon's engineers came up with this kludge (as far as I'm concerned) with the K2 and the DX models, and carried it unimproved to the K3. A plastic shelled device (all Kindles) has no business trying to keep in place with tiny metal hooks at the very edge. The forces are too great, and easily breaking the shell is a distinct possibility.



My M-Edge holds the K3 by 4 corners, with color-matched, covered elastic loops. It holds it quite securely-- I tested it over my bed by holding the cover open and giving it a hard shake-- the kindle wiggled a tad, but never came close to dislodging--- perfect.



If you consider the forces involved in a dropped kindle? The elastic is perfect-- the initial shock is taken by the cover against the hard floor. As the forces are transmitted up through the cover, it must pass through the elastic bands--which will absorb more force, before the kindle itself strikes the floor. By that time (hopefully) the energy is low enough, that the Kindle emerges unscathed.



My whole point of having a cover, in the first place... - Kindle 3 Covers - Kindle 3 Cover - Kindle Accessory - Kindle Covers'

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