Computer Heatsinks

Visit Store Now !!

Arctic Silver 5 (or AS5) is the best thermal compound on the market IMHO. It's basically an essential if you're installing a new CPU. This kit is everything you need to clean your heat sink, prepare the surface of the heatsink and your CPU, and ensure that your chip functions at the coolest temps possible.



If you apply the compound correctly, the result is always a 4-10c drop in CPU temperatures under load. You will not notice a huge difference at idle. The real gains in heat dissipation come when the CPU is being pushed. Also, don't trust the board maker's proprietary software to tell you what your temperatures are; download a good program like RealTemp 2.41 or Everest for free (use google to find them). Either will give you more accurate numbers than Asus PC Probe, or whatever software your board manufacturer supplies.



The instructions provided with this kit are minimal (small text on the side of the bottles) and could be confusing if you've never used thermal paste before, so here are some detailed instructions that will help you do it right. Here is the process:



1. Remove the old thermal compound. This is accomplished by using the remover (bottle 1). Apply a several drops of the cleaner to the top of the chip and let it soak for 20-30 seconds. You might have to reapply more drops of cleaner again depending on how much thermal compound was present on the chip to begin with, or how hard it's gotten over time. Wipe all the waste off with a lintless cloth or cotton swabs. You might have to do this several times. Make sure you get it as clean as you can before moving to step 2.



2. Apply the surface cleaner (Bottle 2). Apply several drops, and then work them over the entire surface of the chip or heatsink in a circular motion. Make sure there are no traces of the old compound. You can tell that the surface is perfectly clean when you can wipe it with a new q-tip and it comes away pure white.



3. Apply Arctic Silver 5. DO NOT USE TOO MUCH! If you do, it will squish outside the edge of the chip, get on your motherboard, the CPU locking mechanism, your hands, etc... It makes a real mess. Start with a small amount and add more if necessary. The idea here is to get a THIN, EVEN LAYER across the entire chip surface. A toothpick actually work's really well at spreading the paste around. You should not be able to see any part of the metal of the chip when you're done. Less is more in this instance; many people think they need to slather this stuff onto the chip, but trust me that does nothing but make a mess.



4. Install your heat sink and fan assembly. I recommend getting an aftermarket heat sink as those provided by Intel are notoriously poor. Zalman makes some great ones. Do NOT buy on that uses push pins to lock in place. You want one with screws and mounting bracket so that it is very securely attached to the motherboard and in turn, your CPU. This is probably equally important to applying the thermal compound correctly, because all the compound in the world won't help you if the heatsink isn't making solid contact with the chip's surface.



If you follow those steps, you will see a massive improvement in your core temps. Just remember that heat dissipation is achieved by the fans in your case and heatsinks, not the compound itelf. The compound simply allows for a much better transfer for heat from chip-->heatsink. I swear by Arctic Silver, and I promise you it works if you use it correctly. Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound 3.5 Grams with ArctiClean 60 ML Kit

Until very recently my Sony Vaio desktop with 3.2GHz P4 had CPU temps between 40C and 80C, very frequently exceeding 70C whenever the CPU was exercised heavily.



I searched Amazon for a cooling solution. I could not find with certainty any mechanical heatsink+fan that would properly attach to my mobo. Then I noticed the listings for thermal pastes and was intrigued that one of the offerings, Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound, averaged 5 stars from 17 customers, indicating either a great product or false info, but I've noticed that on Amazon, falsely inflated 5 star ratings by shills for the manufacturer tend to be negated over time by angry buyers who had negative experiences.



I tried the Arctic Silver 5 along with the ArtiClean kit. Nothing false about the 5 star rating. It's worked very well on my system. The highest CPU temp yet observed is 55C, and the CPU typically operates at 48-52C once warmed up.



Nathan Beauchamp states that Arctic Silver 5 comes with poor instructions. It's certainly true that the kit itself comes with virtually no documentation, and my initial look at the website found nothing. However, after some further digging I found the following link that gives authoritative directions -- http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm.



Quite frankly, I am amazed that a paste can have so much effect on cooling.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Computer Heatsinks

Computer Power Backup - cyberpower ups, uninterrupted power supplies

Visit Store Now !!

I'm not quite ready to nominate it for MoMA's permanent collection, but the CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD does look a lot better than your average geekbox. In fact, it's the first UPS (uninterruptable power supply) I've ever owned that I can easily tolerate having on a corner of my desk, where it has now quietly buddied up with a stack of external LaCie drives (the drives and the UPS all have round blue power-on indicators).



The CyberPower features a three-inch front-panel readout, backlit in (what else?) blue, that, with each consecutive push of the oversized display button, tells you in big digits what the current load is, the voltage it receives from the wall outlet, the estimated run time, the total load capacity, the battery capacity, even how many minutes remain after a blackout occurs and the battery is running down. The display turns itself off after 20 or 30 seconds, so it's not too distracting (actually, the user should have the option of keeping the display on, but I suppose you can't have everything).



When a blackout strikes, the CyberPower unit intermittently beeps to signal that the battery has kicked in -- but unlike other UPS's I've used, you can switch off the annoying beep in acknowledgment.



I deduct points for the nine outlets being so closely spaced together that any device powered by a wallwart will take up two or even three spaces.



Cyberpower also shortchanges Mac users by not giving them full-featured power management software. You can control the behavior of the battery backup through the Energy Saver control panel in OSX, which recognizes the brand and model of the UPS and lets you decide how you want to safely power down the computer and the other plugged-in devices in case of a blackout. So far so good. But the native Mac software won't let you instruct other applications to autosave and quit. That means unsaved documents will prevent applications from shutting down unless you're there to manage the process; and when the Cyberpower's battery depletes itself, the result will be the same as if you had no UPS to begin with -- the computer eventually shuts off as if you'd literally pulled the plug, and unsaved changes will be lost.



Still, that's not a dealbreaker for me; long ago I've gotten into the habit of hitting command-S every couple of minutes when I'm working on a document.



FWIW, the estimated battery run time of my configuration -- a 24-inch iMac with a 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo chip, plus three external drives -- is about 16 minutes.



Oh yeah: the unit has a swappable battery and three-year warranty. Not too shabby. CyberPower CP1000AVRLCD 9-Outlet Intelligent LCD UPS (1000VA/600W)

I have several APC and Belkin UPS units in my house, so this isn't my first whack at buying a UPS. And after reading reviews here and other places, I thought the CyberPower model looked like a decent way for me to save a few bucks.



The first thing I noticed about it was how light it was for a UPS -- especially at 1000VA. For that capacity, I think this may be the lightest UPS I've used. I also liked the LCD display, but was a bit put off by the construction of the unit. The plastic is relatively flimsy (compared to other brands), but on the upside, there are a generous number of outlets.



After charging the unit overnight, I decided to give it a test run. The display showed I had about 18 minutes of runtime, so I pulled the plug. Instantly, 18 minutes became 8... then 6... then 2... then... darkness. Alas, there was no graceful shutdown on my computer (despite it recognizing that the UPS was connected), and it kept my setup alive for all of five minutes, at best.



For reference, the UPS had a last-gen MacPro, cable modem, router, and a 23" LCD connected. According to APC's configuration tool (which should be universal for any UPS), they recommended an APC Back-UPS RS 800VA @ 63% capacity and 13 minutes of runtime. At minimum, the CyberPower UPS should have been able to match that.



In a business environment where I had a generator that automatically kicked on, I wouldn't really care too much, as that's enough time to carry everything over to generator power. But at my house, I either want the computer to shut down when I'm not there, or I want the UPS to give me enough time to go turn on the generator. Unfortunately, neither are possible with this UPS.



When you consider how close in price this is to the 1375VA BackUPS from APC (which also has a similar LCD display), or even closer to the 1000VA Belkin UPS, the few dollars you save isn't worth the risk when your power actually does go out.



I'm sure this is fine if you're overbuying in terms of capacity, or if you're just looking for a voltage regulator and don't care about uptime. But as a UPS, there are several better options available.

I needed a new UPS for my computer because my old CyberPower finally quit working. It was just old! I considered other brands but decided to go back to CyberPower because the old one had worked very well for me for over 5 years. I wanted a little more power this time and a few more options. I researched the price and Amazon had the best price going for this model of the CyberPower. The item came pretty quick in the mail, and I was back in business! So far, I like this model of the CyberPower because its powerful and compact. It's not too bluky and I like the fact it stands upright. I have a 26" monitor and DELL Demension computer, to include the speakers plugged into the UPS. I've been told to keep the printer separately plugged from the UPS by my Systems person, so I'm not going to take any chances. Where I live we have quite a few storms (Louisiana) and have power fluxs from time to time. So far so good! For me this UPS offers a good source of power for the price. - Cyberpower Ups - Ups - Computer Power Backup - Uninterrupted Power Supplies'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

ups

Carrying Case - cd case, dvd case

Visit Store Now !!

I recently compared many brands and styles while looking for a larger CD case for my collection. I ended up deciding on this one, as it seemed preferable to all other options I've looked at. The "pages" hold 92 CDs, and there are an additional 8 slots inside the front cover, making for a total capacity of 100. The clear plastic makes it easy to quickly flip through and find what you're looking for, and yet the slots are still sturdy enough to hold the CDs in place and afford some protection - I've seen other cases that are so flimsy the CDs will just fall right out of their slots at the slightest disturbance. And for its large storage capacity, this case is still of a size that lends itself to portability - whereas the models that hold 128+ CDs begin to get rather ungainly. The handle on the spine is also nice, making it easy to carry. I would highly recommend this product. Case Logic CDW-92 Nylon CD/DVD Wallet 100-Capacity (Black)

Seems like one aspect most other reviewer are missing is the binder. The binder that holds the sleeves in is what sold me on this case. I own 5 other larger cases that hold 280+ discs with metal rings and 3 hole sleeves. While the higher capacity is nice the sleeves tend to rip off the binder and you end up having to buy replacements.



Not with this case though, the sleeves are held in by 2 wide plastic "rings" keeping the sleeve very secure on there. I have very little worry that the sleeve would rip out of the binder in a case where you flip too fast.



Other than that I actually put a CD book/insert into a slot and put the disc in the same slot and it fits well. A little snug, but not to the point where I stretch the plastic or anything. This is great for PC games where the CD Key is printed on an insert, I can put it all in the binder and not have to worry about losing all those #'s.



All around, feels like good quality, case logic usually does. It's not flawless, but I haven't seen much better.

if you dont mind the size of this cd holder then its pretty good. i got it for $14.99 on sale and so far its worked pretty decently for me. it has extra pockets on the side that can hold a couple of extra cds/dvds. the only problem that i could see is the pages, they seem a lilttle flimsy when i turn it, but it seems to hold up. not bad for the price

I read the previous reviews regarding this item and definitely agree that it was a good choice. I carry it in my car and the sleeves are easy to pull the CD from but also tight enough to keep them secure. I would buy this product again as well as recommend it highly.

This case is designed with ease of use in mind. The new binder system that is used within this case makes turning pages very simple.



The oval shaped rings are now plastic instead of cheap metal. This means that instead of warping with pressure, it bends and regains its shape.



This wallet does lay flat on a service to allow for quick and easy access to all 100 discs.



There is only enough page slots to hold 92 discs in the wallet, the other 8 that it holds go in the front of the wallet for "now playing" storage.

This cd case is an excellent companion in the car, and it is the best i have found that holds 92 cd's. Although it is a little bulky, it can always be set in the backseat or in a closet. If you have a large cd collection, case logic is definitly your best bet.

I bought six of these to store all my CD's for work (and I've got a lot of CD's). At first I was concerned that they might be too big to fit neatly in my standard corporate Steelcase cubicle's desk drawer since Amazon lists the dimensions at 8.1 x 12.7 x 3.5 inches. Fortunately for me, Amazon's dimensions are *wrong*. By my ruler, the actual dimensions of the Case Logic CDW92 nylon CD wallet are 7.75" x 11.5" x 3.4". With the longest dimension being 11.5", I can place the CDW92's 11.5" length across the width of my 12" wide desk drawer. At 3.4" thick (it might bump up to 3.5" when filled, I haven't tried it yet), seven of these will fit nicely in a 24" long drawer. Fortunately, these *do* have sturdy nylon handles (you can't see it in the picture here or at Case Logic's website), so pulling them out of the drawer is easy. (See my pics in the customer images section).



Highly recommended if you need to store a lot of CD's in a desk drawer.

This item is perfect for a growing CD or DVD collection. Disks can slide into and out of the pockets easily and there is a section inside the front cover that fits about 10 disks. I would recommend this to any music or movie enthusiast. - Disk Storage - Cd Storage - Dvd Case - Cd Case'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

cd storage

Deceptive Advertising - baby wipes, refills

Visit Store Now !!

The description isn't entirely clear but you get three 216-ct packages for the price listed (so 648 wipes total). If you're able to take advantage of the super-saver shipping, you end up paying just a smidge over 3 cents per wipe, which is about what I was paying for some store-brand wipes...except I don't have to worry about needing to use 3 or 4 wimpy wipes to do the job of 1 or 2 Huggies wipes, nor do I need to leave the house to get these. :)



After 5 straight years of changing diapers, I still prefer the Huggies wipes above all others, so I'm glad I can find them at a decent price here at Amazon.

Although I tend to buy Pampers brand diapers for my 14-month old girl, I have always strongly preferred Huggies brand wipes because they are thick, strong, and not too wet. I have been buying these Natural Care Fragrance Free wipes since the beginning through amazon's subscribe and save feature, and this WAS a 5 star product. But, no longer. After receiving the latest shipment this week it is clear that the product has changed. The wipes are much thinner, to the point that they are not effective. We had to go through 5-6 wipes just for 1 diaper. I'm very disappointed and will be canceling my subscription. *Incidentally, amazon is listing the date of this review as July, 2009, which was when I started the subscription. However, the review is actually being posted August, 2010.*

We love these Huggies Natural Care Fragrance Free Baby Wipes! (Fragrance Free, not "unscented" which just means the smell is masked.) These wipes are strong, but gentle, on tender skin. Our day care center uses only this particular baby wipe and they recommended it. We like to keep a supply handy in both bathrooms for everyone to use. Remoisten the wipes with steam-distilled water, if needed, because it is hypoallergenic, too, and won't ruin the nice fresh smell of these wipes.

Ingredient List with explanations: water, POTASSIUM LAURETH PHOSPHATE, glycerin, Polysorbate 20, TETRASODIUM EDTA (Penetration enhancer - alters skin structure, allows other chemicals to penetrate deeper into the skin), DMDM HYDANTOIN (Human skin toxicant - strong evidence), METHYLPARABEN (Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.), MALIC ACID (Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics), Aloe barabadensis, VITAMIN E IN THE FORM OF TOCOPHERYL ACETATE. (Note: explanations taken from [...]

Notice that the Aloe and Vitamin E are the LAST ingredients, so the product contains a very small amount of the only natural things on the list!

Since I use 10-15 wipes a day, not sure I want to wipe my baby's bum with Parabens.

I bought these primarily because of the unscented aspect, because my little girl has fairly sensitive skin, and out of a lot of other wipes that I used, I definitely like these the best, especially the refill packs, because they're so convenient.



Pros:

-The packages are re-sealable, so you don't have to worry about the refill wipes drying out before you need to put them in the tub. Seriously nice, since the Pampers didn't have that, and half the wipes ended up drying out before I could even use them.

-Thicker, with texture, so they get all the mess, with less wipes. I used some of the Pampers for a little while, and found that I used a lot more of those, because they wouldn't have enough texture to get everything off without using several wipes.

-They really are great with sensitive skin, because we haven't had a rash since using these, and the aloe keeps everything soft.

-The wipes tear easily when dispensing so that you rarely get more than one, and they're thick enough that they rarely tear before you get them out of the tub. (I did say rarely, because they have once in a while, but not often enough be a make or break issue.) Really good for one-handed grabbing.



Cons:

-The package comes with oddly placed dividers, which don't really divide evenly for the tubs, and it's not a really big issue, I just found it odd, and ended up ignoring them and just grabbing enough wipes by eyeballing what looked like it would go into the tub.

-These do have a slight fragrance, but I think that might be from the aloe, and it's nothing serious, mostly because it's non-alcoholic. I don't mind it, and since it doesn't irritate my baby, I'm not worried. But the wipes aren't really completely fragrance-free, just quite a bit less than a lot of other wipes.

That word, "natural," keeps popping up. I've used these, my main beef with the product is that it's not biodegradable. However, they aren't "natural." The fibers in the wipe aren't natural fibers. They are unscented, they are durable. They are a little rougher than some other biodegradable unscented wipes I use. We haven't had a problem with diaper rash but they do sting the eczema on my husband's hands.



A good, strong choice if you aren't too worried about what you're throwing away and are just looking for a durable wipe that's unscented. - Refills - Huggies - Baby Wipes - Strong'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

strong

Media Storage - cd case, jewel cases

Visit Store Now !!

This product arrived on time and in great shape. All cases are intact (different situation than you'll see in reviews on other sites where buyers reported that cases arrived broken due to poor packaging, etc.). Cases are exactly as advertised, slim profile, black back and clear cover. Buying in bulk like this reduces the per case cost to less than half of what you'd pay retail. Americopy 200 SLIM Black CD Jewel Cases

If you order from this vendor, and have the order fulfilled by Amazon, anticipate having broken cases. Of the 200 cases I ordered 13 were broken. I emailed the vendor regarding the issue, and they basically said they weren't responsible because Amazon fulfilled the order. Either order from this vendor knowing that you will not receive 200 useable cases, or consider purchasing elsewhere.

I have been ordering CD and DVD Cases for a very long time for my Audio and Video Production Business through many avenues, however these cases have proven not only to be economical but of good quality. For anyone that buys cases in bulk, I totally recommend these. The quality is very good.

Even though the box showed no damage, probably 70 of the cases arrived damaged. Luckily I only needed 100, and the price is still OK for 130. The surviving cases didn't seem as rigid as other bargain cases I've gotten before. It served it's purpose, but I won't order these again. If you do get these, order more than you need! - Cd Case - Jewel Cases - Cd Cases - Dvd Case'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Media Storage - cd case, jewel cases cd case Media Storage - cd case, jewel cases

External Hard Drive - backup, usb

Visit Store Now !!

I work for Computing support at Arizona State University, and I have enough technical knowledge to be certified as a TECH JUNKIE :).



I am a photographer too, so I have tons of Photos (about 160GB), Videos, Software, Movies and Documentaries. I was looking for a simple external hard drive without any backup software included, I am smart enough to do manual incremental backups with file tree structure intact (I use GOODSYNC to backup, its very simple and easy to use and free).



I have looked at many many external HDDs and narrowed down to two models "Samsung Story 1TB - very good one too" and this one (I wanted it to be cheap too - got this for $85 on [...]). I did not go with other WD models because of their annoying Backup Software.



Coming to the WD Elements 1TB: Its much smaller than I expected. It is dead silent, I had to touch it to convince myself that it was running, when I first turned it on. Its not too heavy either. The indicator light is placed at the rear, which is a very good thing (I find these LED's annoying, especially at night).



After I did the first setup, I copied 383GB of data (931GB was total space). It took about 4hr 47min, speed varied between 20MBps to 37MBps. This is pretty good speed for USB 2.0. It was just a bit warm (my old segate hard drive would be very very hot for this amount of data transfer).



I would recommend it to beginners or pros alike. I am very happy with this purchase!





UPDATE:



After about three months of heavy usage, it never gave up on me. Its still dead silent and works flawlessly. It never got even warm!!



Follow these steps to get GOODSYNC for FREE:



In the beginning GOODSYNC was free, later they made a paid version as it gained popularity..



but there is a way to get PRO version for free...



1. go to good sync website

2. signup for a trial offer and you get PRO serial for free (I signed up for eMusic trial)

3. Once you get the serial, end the subscription before the trial expires...



NOTE: The above mentioned procedure may not work anymore :(



UPDATE: 07-28-2010



I sold my WD Elements 1TB and got a 2TB one a couple of months ago(as my data is on rise all the time), couldn't be happier :)

I bought it from TigerDirect for [ ... ] and got [ ... ] cashback via [ ... ] ...awesome!! Western Digital WD Elements 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

I bought this on sale at Fry's for $99, way below the amazon price. I wanted something simple as most hard drives these days come with their annoying built in software which cannot be deleted (like WD Essential Edition). This is a hassle free drive and is not bundled with any of the extra software which is exactly what I wanted. You simply plug it in and it works. It can easily be formatted to work with macs as well. I've been using WD hard drives for years and I own several models of the "essential" and "passport" editions. They are very reliable.



This elements hard drive has a sleek and sexy, minimalist design. It is well built overall and constructed of durable plastic. There is a slot for the USB cable, a slot for the power adapter and a tiny circular white light which blinks when it is in use (the light is not overwhelming as some hard drives can be). All three of these features are on one side/face of the hard drive (as shown in the picture), so if you have this plugged in and it is facing away from you, you won't see the light at all. This doesn't bother me but it may be a turn off for some people.



When in operation, it is very smooth and quiet compared to other WD hard drives I own. This may be due to the fact that it is closed entirely and there are no holes for ventilation as in other WD models. But this doesn't bother me because I just use this as a backup and don't need it on all of the time. This could (emphasis on "could") be an issue if you are constantly using your hard drive because it may become hot. I haven't experienced this at all, just speculating. If you are just backing up files and, say, watching a movie on your computer which is stored on the hard drive, I think you'll be fine and there won't be any heating issues.



More info here on WD's website: [...]

I purchased the 1tb Elements (WDBAAU0010HBK-NESN) for use with a Dish DVR 622.



Installation was was truly "plug and play". I simply took it out of the box, plugged it in, and it was immediately recognized by the DVR. I have since transferred about 200gb of content to/from it, and have watched content directly from the drive. So far, it is working perfectly. It automatically spins down after a few minutes of non-use, as well as when the DVR is powered off. It also spins back up automatically (less than 10 seconds) when the DVR accesses it.



One thing some people might not like: The case is designed to sit flat (as pictured), not on its side. There are four small non-skid pads on the bottom corners, but none on either side. There is no indication on the box, in the documentation, or on Western Digital's web site as to whether the drive will work properly on edge. As a general rule, WD drives are designed to operate sideways or even upside down (any X,Y,Z orientation), so this one probably will too -- but you'll need to provide your own non-skid pads.



Several similar Western Digital drives, such as the late model "My Book" series, now include a firmware-based CD-partition that is difficult to remove, and can cause compatibility issues with some devices. That partition contains backup software and utilities that are of questionable value in any case, and of absolutely no value when using the drive with a non-computer device (like the Dish DVR). The Elements -- at least at time of this review -- doesn't include any of that junk. (Note: WD does have a downloadable utility to remove the partition from the other drives, but if you don't want that junk then save yourself the time/trouble and just buy the Elements drive.) - Western Digital - External - Usb - Backup'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

External Hard Drive - backup, usb western digital External Hard Drive - backup, usb

Life Lessons - life lessons, chick flick

Visit Store Now !!

Based upon the book of the same name by Billie Letts, this film was a more than pleasant surprise. It is simply a compelling absorbing, and unusual film. Well directed by television veteran Matt Williams, the movie exudes a certain folksy charm that grabs the viewer from the get go and keeps that viewer enthralled until the final scene.The film centers around Novalee Nation (Natalie Portman), a very pregnant seventeen year old, who, with her boyfriend, lowlife Willy Jack Pickens (Dylan Bruno), pulls up to a Walmart's in Oklahoma where he abandons her. So, with virtually no money, literally barefoot and pregnant, and nowhere to go, she sets up camp in Walmart by night and explores the town by day, making friends with a number of memorable characters.She unexpectedly has her baby at Walmart's, making her into a minor local celebrity. While at the hospital convalescing, she meets a sassy, brassy nurse, Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), who befriends her. She is showered with gifts and her mother, Mama Lil (Sally Field), a floozie who discovers her daughter's whereabouts courtesy of the media hoopla, pays her a visit. Having abandoned her once before, she is there long enough for Novalee to be abandoned, yet again.Along comes Thelma 'Sister' Husband (Stockard Channing), an eccentric but kindhearted recovering alcoholic who scoops Novalee and her baby up and takes her to her home. This would be the beginning of a whole new life for Novalee, one that would be enriched by the people whom she meets and the experiences, both good and bad, to which she is subjected. It becomes the story of her personal and emotional odyssey, as well as the story and growth of those with whom she most closely interacts. It is a story about life, relationships, responsibilities, love, and the ties that bind. It is also the story of Willy Jack Pickens and the direction his life takes subsequent to his abandonment of Novalee. After some bad breaks, he gets talent agent, Ruth Meyers (Joan Cusack), to sign him on in hope of furthering a musical career. Unlike Novalee, however, he does not take well to the vicissitudes of life and begins a free fall in a downward spiral. His waterloo culminates in a dramatic meeting with Novalee after many years, a meeting that sets her free from her past, free to love the one person who loves her for herself. Natalie Portman delivers her best performance to date. In the role of Novalee, she mixes innocence with wonder at what the world has to offer her. She adds a certain sweetness, poignancy, and determination to the role that translates into a wonderful vulnerability laced with steel. It is this quality that gives Novalee the will to go on when the odds are so against her, and that is just what Natalie Portman conveys to the viewer. Stockard Channing is great as the eccentric and kind Thelma 'Sister' Husband, a woman who never had children of her own but is truly a mother at heart. Nurturing her garden, as well as Novalee and her baby, flowers and plants are not the only things that thrive under her care. A veritable Mother Earth, she is the kind of person who brings out the best in others, and Novalee and her baby are no exception. Stockard Channing, a great, though underrated actress, brings this home to the viewer in spades.Ashley Judd is terrific as the wide eyed, "looking for love in all the wrong places" Lexie. She comes across as sassy and brassy but is really only looking for someone to appreciate her for who she is and not for the sex she has to offer. Judd delivers the nuances that this role demands. James Frain is sensational as the shy, sensitive, and kind Forney Hull, the town librarian's brother who befriends Novalee. He plays the role with such vulnerability and imbues him with such goodness that the viewer cannot help but care deeply for him. It is also almost hard to believe that James Frain is British, as he has an American accent so down pat. Dylan Bruno is perfect as Willie Jack Pickens, the country good old boy who ruins his own life and almost ruins Novalee's. Joan Cusack shows her deft comedic flair in the small, but memorable role of Ruth Meyers, and Sally Field leaves her mark in her cameo role as Novalee's mother. All in all, stellar performances are given by the entire cast. This is a well directed film that should not be missed. Where the Heart Is

This movie is one of those films that you pick up from the store when there is nothing else to rent ... and you are glad you did.While the plot sounds really contrived, the actors and actresses in this film make it almost believable. And, it is one of the most heartwarming, feel good movies I have seen in quite some time.Natalie Portman is excellent as Novalee Nation, the girl who has the Walmart baby. While you know what is going to happen, the actions leading up to the moment are a gem. Keeping a very exacting record of what she owes the Walmart adds to the situation, making you like Novalee even more.Of course, this is a film about the downtrodden. Novalee is in her situation due to her no good boyfriend dumping her on his way to a Country Music career. The rest of the characters in the film share in this misery. From Forney Hall, a brilliant dreamer stuck in a library to Sister Husband (Stockhard Channing), who fornicates a lot, and finally Lexie Coop (Ashley Judd), who has too many children by bad men, the humanity of the "lower rungs" of society shines through.Contrasted to the majority of films that highlight lower income families, displaying them as criminal victims, this film is refreshing in its humanity. The only weak point is the love story that between Novalee and Forney. Throughout most of the movie it is not much more than a convenient plot device. At some times, it is downright distracting. However, in the end, it show the difference between Novalee and her ex-boyfriend.If you would like to see a film that will make you feel good about America, this is it. At times it is a bit Pollyannic, but it is a bit more believable. - Friendships - Ashley Judd - Life Lessons - Chick Flick'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Life Lessons - life lessons, chick flick friendships Life Lessons - life lessons, chick flick

Recorder

Visit Store Now !!

I just retired my Sony ICD-B600 Digital Voice Recorders (I had several) and replaced them all with this Sony ICD-PX312 unit. When I saw the Amaz. delivery promise for this PX312 had shifted to "1 to 3 months," well I figured the PX312 for out-of-production ... and so this was as low as prices were going to get. So I snagged several off the pegs at WorstBuy.



The primary reason I upgraded is that the PX312 makes it very easy to save audio files on my hard drive. It has a female A-Mini-USB plug on the side and so I can use my Zip-Linq Retractable USB to A-Mini-USB Cable to connect it to the computer. The PX312 then appears on my computer as a plug-n-play flash drive, no software drivers required. Then I can just copy any audio files off of it and on to my computer. The PX312 stores its audio files in MP3 format, so there are no file conversions involved. In fact, there's no software or drivers needed at all for this gizmo. Sweet!



The Sony website offers a download titled "Sony Sound Organizer for IC Recorder v 1.1" to help you do things like create/move/delete folders on the device. I wouldn't bother. My experience with Sony software and drivers is that it's usually buggy-as-cr@p, so why complicate my computer's environment for such trivial stuff. Any recordings made are found in the Voice/Folder1 folder, and that's all I need to know or do to snag them or erase them.



[The B600 had no computer software, no USB, etc. to support sound transfer. The only option for transferring its recordings was to use the speaker/audio out jack. I ended up using Windows Sound Recorder and the microphone in jack on the back of the PC, and even then there was some odd tweaking required to make that solution work. At the time, I would have had to cough up another forty smackers or so to get the model that provided file transfer support ... and it required software drivers to do it.]



The PX312 also has gobs of memory and will even accept an M2 MicroSD card for expansion. When some reasonably sized M2 cards get cheap as dirt, well I'll snag 'em ... but I probably won't even need them.



The weird "hold" button thing that was going on with the B600 is solved. On this PX312 there is a ON/OFF/HOLD slider switch. Pull down to turn on, pull down again to turn off. (You do have to hold it there for a few seconds sometimes.) Pull the slider switch UP for the hold function. That function locks all the buttons while the device is powered up (so you won't accidentally punch one). On the B600 the "HOLD" slider was actually nothing more than an ON/OFF slider. But anyone could have gone crazy trying to find the ON/OFF slider. Since it was cryptically labeled "HOLD."



Also gone with the PX312 is the weird "erase" function that was on the B600. With the B600, if you followed the instructions for erasing a recording, it resulted in the entire recording being played 10 times before it was erased. Why anyone would have a need for THAT to occur is beyond me. But simply pressing the "Erase" button twice in succession while playing the recording would erase the recording instantly. That approach was undocumented in the instructions. With the PX312 it's much smoother. Push the 'erase' button and the recording to be erased starts to play. The screen asks you to confirm the erase. Select "Yes" and it's gone.



Also solved: The PX312, unlike the B600, has an auto-power-off option and the timer can be adjusted by the user.



The PX312 does bring forward some unresolved shortcomings from the B600. The PX312, as was the B600, is way "over-engineered." The basic operation/buttons and the display screens are not as simple as they could be. It took a bit of reading/plowing through the manual (and reading reviews here on Amazon) to get oriented. And there is other functional overkill. I don't need five storage folders (or a way to transfer files between them), an alarm clock (and a way to select a message for the alarm), the ability to go back and splice previous messages, the ability to append recordings to existing recordings and other such what not. All those functions and buttons just complicate the device/screens/menus needlessly, imho. I just wanted a gizmo that would make audio recordings at the push of a button, that would let me move them to my computer for storage and that made them in a format that didn't require any conversion efforts. And I suspect that is just about all most users want out of these devices. I guess Sony thinks it has to load up a bunch of this useless functionality to justify the asking price.



The price of the Sony devices with this level of capability had been steadily dropping, of course, and so these PX312s cost me no more than what I paid for the ICD-B600s a few years ago. Now the ICD-B600s will be sold on eBay ... and so I've upgraded for practically nothing. Double Sweet!! Sony ICD-PX312 Digital Flash Voice Recorder

I have never used a digital recorder as such. I've had PDA's and Phones that will do that job but do not do a very good job of it. So I have no frame of reference. I am very pleased. As is typical of me I keep wanting to do things with out reading the instructions. So there is a little of ADD getting in the way. The sound quality even on the low mike setting is remarkable to me. It's very small. I expected it to be much bigger. I love that you have the option to use an external microphone and head set. I've ordered some for it, one omnidirectional and one unidirectional. I'm not sure of my choices. I'm an old ham operator so I only knew about Sure microphones and they were very expensive. I also love that it is digital. One problem I had with the old tape version is that after a while the motors started making noise that was picked up by the recorder.

The only flaws I have found is that there is no option for external power and no LED back-light. In strong light or very dark areas it is hard to read. My normal solution would be to make a shade but you have to have a back-light to do that. I may look into attaching one of those cheap key-chain lights and make a flip up shield. I researched the reviews on this same product but with different sellers and it fared well. For the money this looks like my solution for now. I'll update it later if my opinion changes. I do recommend directional and omni external mics. Another thing I may look into is making some sort of shock/wind cover so that if you have it outside or in your pocked you do not ended up recording that stuff.

Hope this helped.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Recorder Recorder Recorder

Cartography - venture hc, etrex

Visit Store Now !!

Before buying this new Venture HC, I had spent many hours trekking with several of the original eTrex models over the years. I think it's fair to say that while the concept of the original eTrex was great, the execution was frequently disappointing.



It disappoints no more. The Venture HC is the eTrex perfected. It remedies almost every shortcoming that plagued the original models. The new high-sensitivity receiver is amazingly effective. Countless times I've stood in wide open spaces cursing my old eTrex because it wouldn't acquire a single satellite. Last night I turned on the Venture HC on the bottom floor of my two story house, and it locked onto 8 satellites...through the roof and the upper floor! No more "need a clear view of the sky" messages. Amazing.



The old monochrome display has become color, and the user interface is now substantially more intuitive, while adding even more functionality. The cable, which was serial on previous models, has been upgraded to USB, another welcome improvement. The case is somewhat wider than before, but the design bears a strong resemblance to the original eTrex.



A basemap is included but it's just that - basic. It shows the largest highways, bodies of water, and has some limited capability to display highway exit services. If you need turn-by-turn street directions, an eTrex is not for you. This is a GPS receiver true to Garmin's outdoor GPS heritage.



Promised battery life (14 hours) is near the bottom of the range when compared to the existing eTrex models, but is still perfectly adequate and has posed no problems.



One weakness that remains is Garmin's waypoint manager PC software. It has the feel and functionality of a software product released circa 1994. Garmin could certainly develop a better PC interface. For $49 you can buy ExpertGPS from Topografix, or download the free version (EasyGPS)from their website. Either is far more functional than the Garmin OEM software.



Still, the software criticism is a quibble. The Venture HC itself is great. It is a market changing product that renders all previous eTrex models (and many competitors) obsolete. Finally, an affordable outdoor GPS receiver that I can wholeheartedly recommend. Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver

I was totally chessed off at Magellan when my Explorist 100 died under warranty and they refused to support or repair it (this was a new unit!). So I only considered Garmin based on liking my car unit.



Mac Users:

It's a bit tricky, but I am able to use the USB cable and the 'send to Garmin' to automatically load waypoints from geocaching.com. One warning is that they have a Mac firmware web updater and it's very new and froze on my attempt to use it, which blanked my unit. [...]. I did the update for this unit on a friends PC and it went fine.



There are some Mac caching software, but none of them are working for me with this unit. So keep that in mind if you really want to go beyond the web waypoint downloads. That's a bummer, since Maccaching and GeoJournal look like they'd be great.



The included software does not work on a Mac, so ignore that CD. From the Garmin site, you can download the plugin for Mac to make Safari aware of the unit so you can do the "send to Garmin' trick. They also have the Mac version of their WebUpdater (the one that hosed my first unit) on their site. Finally, you don't need any USB drivers for Tiger or Leopard OSX, so don't worry about them only being for Windows on the Garmin site.



Usage:

Crazy fast turn on and acquiring satellites. We are thrilled that we can turn it on in the car and it will start to pick up satellites right away. Our Magellin (an cheap 100 unit) would take awhile even outside in cloudcover.



It also seems to save all the time, as the shutdown is very fast, with no 'saving' note like our Magellin made us wait for.



I guess our only complaint is that we like to use the backlight a lot and that sucks batteries. It's winter now, and so many days and locations are dim, and without the backlight, the unit can be pretty dim to read. It takes 2 AA's. It also has a system pref for the type of battery you use (Alkaline, NiMH or LiOn), why? Maybe to only USB charge when they are NiMH's?? But remember to set that to the correct type.



We really love auto loading the coordinates. And even with the free account on Geocaching.com, we get the cache name, GC# and coordinates. That saves tons of time and mistakes. We find ourselves loading up any cache that interests us, just in case.



Accuracy:

The unit seems right on. Our other unit would usually be more like 20-30 feet accurate in the woods, and this one led us right to the cache and showed 16' accuracy at that point under normal tree cover. It also refreshes more often than our old unit, so it feels more responsive. No more going 20 feet and then seeing that the arrow just didn't update to show we were going the wrong way, or overshot.



Build:

It seems solid and took our last rainy hike well. The back has a bit of a gap, but the seal must lock in fine. It uses the 'D' lock, so just half a twist to lock and unlock, which is fast and appreciated on a cold cache while changing batteries. We always had to dig to get the Magellin's ring out and turning to pop the back.



Thumb toggle:

If you've used the old Garmin's with button input, the toggle on the front is really welcomed. We zip through data entry and you push the toggle in to accept an entry. It's also a shortcut to Mark your current location (holding down the toggle button). Another tip is that holding down the lower left button brings up the 'Find' menu quickly.



Speed:

One thing I noted was that when I went just one setting more on 'detail' for the maps, it really cut the redraw speed (which is a tad slow to begin with), so that was disappointing.



Hope that helps someone and happy caching!

for Team Spiderweb4-2 - Venture Hc - Etrex - Garmin - Gps'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

garmin Cartography - venture hc, etrex

Baby Gift - baby gift, ballerina

Visit Store Now !!

Size on the label is "0 to 6 months," but should be 6 to 9 months in my opinion. No newborn could possibly wear this, it is just way too big. I ordered it for our 2 month old to wear on Halloween and was shocked when the giant outfit arrived. It is very cute though and the packaging would make it a great gift for an older baby. Very disappointed to have to send it back. Baby Aspen "Big Dreamzzz" Baby Ballerina Two-Piece Layette Set in "Studio" Gift Box, Pink

It made a wonderful gift. Came in a beautiful box on its own little hanger. It was soft and cute as can be. Quality was good and price was very reasonable. Unique and precious. Quick delivery, what more can I say? I'm very happy with my purchase. - Baby Gift - Ballerina'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Baby Gift - baby gift, ballerina ballerina Baby Gift - baby gift, ballerina

Reconditioned Tools - hardwood flooring nailer, cpo bostitch

Visit Store Now !!

I am a do-it-yourselfer who decided to put hardwood flooring in the living and dining rooms. Point one, I way underestimated how long it would take. I rented an air compressor and air assisted nailer from Home Depot for a total of $95 for one day and was disappointed in how little progress I made (it goes slower than you think).

For the price of renting a nailer for one day this side nailer is yours to keep forever, which means take as long as you want and don't worry about getting back to the rental store on time. Generally speaking a factory reconditioned unit is given a good quality check before it is released and I had only one problem with this tool and it was one I caused myself by double nailing in the same hole that caused a nail to jam in the chute. The plate and spring mechanism was easily taken apart, jam cleared and back to work. The jamming was my fault. The gun works smoothly, it comes with a hammer. There was one small nick on the one I received indicating it was previously used but at the price comparison of recon vs. new that was not an issue. Even if you are not sure what you are going to do with a side nailer in your tool collection after you have finished the flooring job, the price of buying factory recon vs. rental makes it worth while. Factory-Reconditioned Bostitch U/MFN200 Manual Flooring Cleat Nailer Kit

This item looked and performed like a brand new one. We had no problems using it. The metal side of the mallet is angled so that it is easy to tap the board into place without damaging the face. Hitting the plunger both drives a cleat and snugs the board up to the previous row. Even slightly curved boards straighten up without prying if you use a firm swing.



We installed about 1100 square foot of 3/4" cypress tongue and groove on our floor. This item was indispensable. We used cleats that we picked up at lowes for about $15 a box. We used 3 1/2 boxes of FLN200 qty 1000, placing a cleat at least every 8".



If you pull out the cleat feeder bar at the back of the tool, you an use the tool on the second row from the starting wall. (5.25 inch boards) The cleats are heavy enough to feed themselves. Because of the space needed to swing the mallet, I had to use a regular hammer and nails starting at the 2nd to last row.



The tool is symmetrical, so it works just as easily for lefties.

If you don't have the money for a pneumatic nailer, this is the way to go. I bought my tool new, but I've purchased reconditioned tools from Amazon and been very satisfied with the tool and the price. Far cheaper than renting (unless you have a very small job), and if your local rental place has a well-used tool this will work far better. One caveat: you have to be able to hit this thing HARD for it to work. Think about it- you're driving a spike flush with only one blow. That requires a certain amount of accuracy and a fair amount of force. And you have to be able to do it over, and over, and over ..... and over! Out in the open floor it's not bad, but working in close quarters or at a funny angle can be a challenge. And trying to hammer in a partly sunk asymetrical spike can be a nightmare. So, if you have some experience, a fair amount of upper body strength, and a willingness to break a sweat this is your tool. The rest of you may want to consider the merits of a pneumatic tool, or professional installation.

It was a complete waste of money for me. I couldn't drive a single nail fully using this nailer. No matter how hard I hit with the mallet, it never sets the nail in completely.



After trying it for couple of hours, decided to give up. I ended up renting a pneumatic nailer and compressor from the local rental place and that worked like a charm and was able to finish my floor installation very quickly.



I thought I was getting a bargain, but ended up with a $100 tool which doesn't work. I don't think I can return it, since it is past 30 days period.



Update (10/10): Customer service contacted me and let return the tool for full refund(even though it is past 30 days). Very impressed with the customer service quality.

The tolerances are too lose. Failing 20%. Many times it won't set the nails fully, there appears to be no adjustment(other than shiming the base). At times it drops 2 nails sending 1 almost correctly and the other thorough the corner of the board leaving it protuding half way. Not what I expect of Bostitich. I would have bought a cheap air-nailer if it was half this bad. (I didn't what to carry a compressor or hear it.)

I have used 3 air-nailers. The Porter Cable was the best.

One of the other reviews stated it was hard to use because 'you have to hit all in 1 shot everytime'. No, there is a ratch system. Apparently he didn't use it.

Last year it was $150 then $129 by Dec. Now $59 ??

First of all, mad props to Tool King, who totally handled the return of this tool quickly and professionally--you guys rock.



OK, now to the tool. I own several Bostich pneumatic power tools (roof nailer, frame nailer, trim nailer) which I bought partly for the reputation and partly for the 7 year warranty. I've been happy overall with those tools so I figured I couldn't go wrong with this basic, simple, man-powered tool. I mean, this technology is about is old as it gets: only one moving part in the entire tool and you bang it with a hammer to set the nail. I mean, COME ON--how do screw that up as a tool maker?



I'll tell you how--by using cheap, low-quality steel for the firing pin--which broke within two days of buying the tool. There's a thin piece of metal that the entire tool relies on to work--and that piece of metal snapped right in two with very little use. Of course, the tool was under warranty--but the closest service center was in DEERPARK, TX--30-40 miles from downtown Houston--one of the largest cities in the country. The part costs $5, but I didn't have the time or inclination to let me job grind to a halt while I went down there and had those guys order the part, etc.--so I went straight to Home Depot, rented the EXACT same tool, sent mine back to Tool King--and ALMOST finished my job (installing 1400 s.f. of white oak flooring) before the EXACT SAME PART broke on that tool--about two rows from the finish line. So, $85 in tool rental costs and two trips to Home Depot later, my job was done the Bostich floor nailer was on its way back to Tool King.



You know, I wish the propellerheads at Bostich would read these review and take them to heart. Because to save .10 on the manufacture of this tool they cost me a lot of time--and themselves the sale of a tool. If we can put a man on the moon Bostich should be able to make a f*@%#ing manual floor nailer that doesn't break so easily. It's gonna cost them a LOT more in the long run--in returned tools & warranty repairs--not to mention lost sales from disgruntled buyers... Get a clue, Bostich. - Cpo Bostitch - Hardwood Flooring Nailer - Floor Nailer - Cleat Nailer'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Reconditioned Tools - hardwood flooring nailer, cpo bostitch cpo bostitch Reconditioned Tools - hardwood flooring nailer, cpo bostitch

Digital Camera - class 10, memory card

Visit Store Now !!

Pros:



*Relatively inexpensive for a Class 10 card.

*Decent benchmark speeds.



Cons:



*Actual in-camera speed noticeably slower.

*Every once in a while, the picture taken becomes corrupted.



Details:



I bought this card for use with my recently purchased Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Blue), which states in the manual that it's best to have a card that has at least 10MB/s transfer speed. Class 10 means that the card is supposed to maintain a minimum write speed of 10MB/s, so I figured this would be a great match, especially having read other reviews of another Patriot LX series card (although only 16GB), stating that it works perfectly with the ZS3.



Prior to getting this card, I had been using a Sandisk SDSDX3-008G-E31 8GB Extreme III SD Card 30MB/s (RETAIL PACKAGE), and I was very happy with its speed, but wanted a higher capacity, so that I can take full advantage of the HD video capabilities of the camera. The Sandisk was only listed as "Class 6" because it was released before the Class 10 spec was released, but it certainly qualifies in benchmark tests, and the equivalent 32GB card (SanDisk Extreme SDHC 32GB Class 10 High Performance Card) costs twice as much as the Patriot LX, while the Panasonic equivalent (Panasonic RP SDW32GU1K - Flash memory card - 32 GB - Class 10 - SDHC) costs nearly three time as much, so the Patriot LX seems like a really good deal.



Curious as to how well it compares to the Sandisk Extreme III, I ran several benchmark tests, and the Patriot LX posted some impressive numbers, performing only marginally slower (tested with CrystalDiskMark)...



Patriot LX 32GB - Read / Write (MB/s)

1000M Sequential - 19.20 / 17.52

512K Random - 18.40 / 1.725

4K Random - 2.384 / 0.015



Sandisk Extreme III 8GB - Read / Write (MB/s)

1000M Sequential - 19.43 / 16.74

512K Random - 19.16 / 4.078

4K Random - 3.673 / 0.031



However, in low-level benchmark tests (using Flash Memory Toolkit), which tests the speed throughout the entire card, the program was unable to perform a write test, citing I/O error.



Patriot LX 32GB

Average read speed: 17.8 MB/s

Minimum read speed: 17.5 MB/s

Maximum read speed: 18.1 MB/s

Write speeds unavailable



Sandisk Extreme III 8GB

Average read speed: 18.2 MB/s

Minimum read speed: 17.6 MB/s

Maximum read speed: 18.4 MB/s

Average write speed: 16.3 MB/s

Minimum write speed: 15.2 MB/s

Maximum write speed: 17.4 MB/s



(So at least according to these benchmarks, the Sandisk doesn't live up to its 30MB/s claims, or even its typical 20MB/s claim.)



But more important than benchmark numbers is how well it actually performs in the camera. Here, the slower speed of the Patriot LX is really noticeable. From basic operations such as turning on the camera, taking pictures in "burst" mode, reviewing pictures in-camera, and deleting pictures, everything seems slower by at least half a second, as compared to the Sandisk.



I didn't know that the card read/write speed affected the camera's start-up time until I got this card. Before, I would turn on the camera, the lens cover would open, then the lens would extract, there would be an audible beep, and the screen would turn on. With the Patriot LX, there would be an extra second or two after the beep, before the screen would turn on. That's a huge problem if you want to catch those spontaneous moments in your life.



The "big" performance test with the camera is the "burst mode," where the camera will shoot pictures continuously at 1.8 frames per second. At the highest quality setting and 10.1 megapixels, the pictures average around 4 megabytes, which means the card needs to sustain a write speed of around 7.2 MB/s, or when the camera's buffer runs out, it will not be able to capture pictures as fast. In my tests, after about 4 or 5 sequential shots, the shooting slows down when using the LX, while the speed is maintained when using the Sandisk. So while the benchmark suggests it should be able to handle it, the reality is that it cannot.



What I've found is that, if I format the card in the camera, then it can sustain the burst speed, but then roughly around 10% of the pictures taken become corrupted, possibly because it cannot handle the speed. In the camera's playback mode, these pictures will not display, the camera will state that only the thumbnail is shown. When they're transferred to your computer, you'll see that the lower part of the corrupted pictures are missing.



HD videos recording in AVCHD Lite, on the other hand, seems to be fine. With the file size being much smaller thanks to the H.264 codec, it probably only needs a sustained writing speed of 2.2 MB/s. But with Motion JPEG, it also runs into problems, which doesn't become apparent until you try to watch the video.



I've contacted Patriot Memory's support via their website, and it's been over 48 hours, but I've yet to hear back from them. Hopefully this was just a "lemon" card, and not all of their "Class 10" cards are like this. I've also read elsewhere, where Patriot Memory's support team suggests that perhaps problems exist with devices not properly supporting the new Secure Digital spec, where Class 10 is defined. This shouldn't be the case for the Panasonic ZS3, however, considering that Panasonic is one of the three companies behind the Secure Digital technology (the other two being Sandisk and Toshiba), the new SD Card spec 3.0 was announced 5/21/2009, while the ZS3 I have is running firmware 1.2, released 6/15/2009--You'd think Panasonic would keep their cameras compatible with their own specs... Hopefully I hear from Patriot Memory soon. Patriot LX Series 32 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card PSF32GSDHC10 (Black) - Memory Card - 32gb - Sdhc - Class 10'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

sdhc

Button Batteries - button cell batteries, great price

Visit Store Now !!

The price on the rack where these watch batteries was $5.95 a piece at the drug store, rack where they normally go. However, the store was out of them, so I decided to go online and see how much they were and how quickly I could get them. I went to Amazon and found that a vendor of theirs was selling them for just over 4 dollars for a pack of 5 of the exact same batteries. I ordered them immediately and received them in 2 days with free shipping. You can't beat that kind of service!! I will never buy a watch battery at another store. That price is unbelievable compared to the drug store price! Energizer 377-376 1.5v #377/376 Watch/Calculator Battery (5 Pack)

Good electrical power source at a very good price.



How do they get all that power in there? It's nothing short of amazing!



It might be a better deal if there was like a free box of corn flakes with it.

Hard to believe it but I recieved 5 watch batteries through Amazon for less than it would cost to buy one from RadioShack or a jeweler and the shipping was included in the price. These are not off brand batteries, they are Energizers.

I Love Watches. I have transportation problems and was going totally bonkers because my watch batteries were only lasting a few weeks at a time and I could not get out to purchase replacements. I have ordered other items from Amazon and it finally dawned on me that I should search Amazon in order to buy the watch batteries by the pack -- preferably with more than one battery because that is the way the store sells them. Eureka -- Found Enegizer #377 w/5 per pack. I am in "Watch Heaven". Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!!!!!!! It's wonderful to sit at home and have things delivered to me that are exactly what I want and need.

I paid $10 for this same battery to be installed in my watch 1 year ago and it died prematurely... :( good thing for me Amazon had these for less than 3 bucks for a 5 pack... Even if they only last a year (I suspect that the shady whatch repair guy used a "used" battery) it still is a fantastic deal. Works perfect in my Nixon Rotolog and hopefully will continue to for the next 5+ years. 100% recommend. - Button Cell Batteries - Watch Batteries - Energizer - Great Price'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

great price