Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Garmin Nuvi 1490t - garmin, garmin nuvi
Having been a Garmin owner for about 5 years I had no doubt what brand I was going to buy, my old Garmin served me well but it was time for a new one and the wide screen was a key feature I wanted in my new one.
The screen is impressive, while going from 4.3" to 5" does not sound like much it is really amazing how much more map and information that fits well on the screen. The screen itself is anti-glare that works, and very bright if you want it, I have the brightness at 60% and that is fine even in bright sunlight. The images are very crisp and clear, street names and such are auto-sized to not obstruct the map but big enough to read easily. The volume when it is reading out direction is also outstanding, so loud I have it also on 60%. So a solid 5 Stars on the screen and voice volume, as well as the pronunciation of the street names!
Quirk: When I first got it I was in my office and opened it, plugged it in to just power and fired it up, it kept asking for me to agree to the license terms and no matter how I answered it rebooted itself, did this like 4 times and then was ok. This would happen each time I turned it on. Not a big issue really, as soon as it "sees" the sats it stops doing it and is fine. Little off for the scare factor, it has never done it again.
The update process is very easy but long, likely very long on a slower PC and/or slow internet connection, the map data is huge. That said it is the nature of the beast and Garmin makes it as painless as possible, the registration and update process was very slick.
Once all updated and ready to go it is time to go through the options, you don't have to, out of the box it picks everything, but I think most will find it worth it, there are a lot of options on how you want it to find routes, deal with traffic (comes with lifetime traffic info), how you want the maps to look in many aspects, 2D, 3D, Track top to your direction or top to always north, and all kinds of additional information that can optionally be on the map screen. Out of the box Garmin has every bell and whistle turned on which I guess I understand but this is why I say it is worth getting it where you like. From the factory you will only see 4.3" of map on route as it has 4 tabs of optional information along the right side. I wanted 5" of map so I disabled the side tabs in settings, very nice option, you can also pick what tab is showing what information from a good selection of options.
Quirk: If you are using the traffic information and have the traffic avoidance enabled you can get some really odd routes, since I was just trying mine out around town and to work and back I knew it was telling me wrong turns, a little time in the manual and I found out why, it was automatically altering the route around traffic alerts, while this may sound like a good thing and would be if it told you it was doing that, in my case it was not, no other route is going to help and I did not know what in the heck it was doing :) I found you can have the best of both worlds, keep trafic information turned on but disable traffic in the avoidances setting tab. Then it warns you of traffic on your route, lets you see where, and gives you a detour option at that point you can take or ignore. It would be better during the route calc process if it said it had added detours, and when it does it on the fly it should also, minor quirk once you know. This is a 3 star feature in the auto mode. 5 star would be to tell you and offer y/n detour options for each point.
Junction View to me was one of the most impressive features, I go through one very complex set of interchanges for 3 freeways with express lanes to bybass interchanges and local lane to pick up any direction to or from any free way, many a folks have left on the wrong path... When I was aproaching it the garmin flipped to junction view and wow, it had a clearly marked path through the maze, and nailed every lane on the money, and the optimum lane for the follwing turn if there was more than one lane leading into it. Very nice! Another 5 star feature, this would have made my first time through that a lost safer than the old garmin with just a yellow line through it.
The routes it comes up with are 4.5 star, it hits most very very well but will toss a few more odd ones out than my old Garmin did, they all do some, I think this could do better, the good news is these are not horrible routes, just not the better or best always.
The next 4 star item is the power cord/FM Traffic radio, it is like having jumper cables going up your dash, why it is not in the unit is beyond me, I am stumped so far as to how to route the cables a lot more cleaner than this and have traffic info.
Another option is to skip the traffic radio and run on battery, with the right settings you can get 3 hours, but with my settings I can get just over 2 hours on battery before the warning. The final power option is just power, that is an optional cord you have to buy that is a lot less bulky than the powered traffic cord. So battery life and traffic radio/power cord is 3 star.
Bluetooth phone paring was very easy and works great, the noise cancelling is pretty good also on its mic, so your caller can hear you and not road noise. 5 Star
Another nice feature is the speed limit that shows up in a little speed limit sign icon by your actual speed, if you are going over the limit for the road, the actual speed turns red in the display. (I will not say how I know but it is a relaible source!) 5 Star, speed limit signs on a lot of our local town roads is a problem.
I was also impressed that I could pick maximum map detail and it keeps up even in the city, during fast turns in very high street density it will occaisionally repaint the screen instead of smooth scrolling with your motion but it does it so fast, unlike my prior Garmin, they it is not distracting or leave you hanging with a partial map. This is 5 star all the way.
Overall I have to say I am very happy with the Garmin 1490LMT, I could not give it a full 5 for the things it fell just a little short on to me, but if I was to make the decision on a model again with what I know, I would buy it again, I think it would be hard to beat.Garmin nüvi 1490LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map Updates and Traffic Garmin nĂ¼vi 1490/1490T 5-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic - Gps - Garmin Nuvi - Nuvi 1490t - Garmin'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Bellaonline Recommended - headphones, toddler
I bought these headphones before my 2 year old daughter and I were flying cross-country. I tried to get her used to them before the plane ride. I probably should have used them longer before getting on the plane. On the plane she did fine on the way out and even fell asleep with them on. On the way home, she would only wear them for about 20 minutes. I think it was the novelty she did not like, but overall I was happy with the purchase and would recommend these headphones. Just use them a bit before you actually need them to get your child used to them.
By the way since there is no picture, these are kid size headphones. Each earpiece looks like a panda. Califone Kids Stereo and PC Headphone (2810-PA)
Second pair of headphones for kids we have bought, the first being the highly rated Kidz Gear Kidz Gear Wired Headphones For Kids that our now 6 year old uses. When these arrived, of course the older kid liked the looks better (has animal figures and the Kidz Gear are not that cutesy) and even tried to tell me hers were broken! :)
I wanted to try a different brand since I always thought the Kidz Gear sounded terrible (very muffled, like you were listening with cotton stuck in your ears)
So these arrive, and yes they are cute. They also seem to be a little sturdier (although that has not been a problem to date with the Kidz Gear as they are still working after many intl/overnight flights) and maybe almost TOO inflexible in some parts, as the fit doesn't seem to be as good as the Kidz Gear, which conform a little better to the shape of the head.
So back to the sound quality: I am not trying to raise audiophiles, but on the other hand, why submit very low fidelity sound to your kids, especially given that many of the songs they are hearing for the first time? Also knowing that it's certainly possible to produce a headphone that sounds 2x better than these at the same cost. The earbuds that came with several phones and mp3 players as freebies sound MUCH better than both of these phones.
So, yes I am being picky, and I do realize that most parents just don't care about sound quality themselves in many cases, much less for the kids, but I am not one of those parents. Would you want to buy glasses for your kids that are hazy and unclear?
Anyway, I give three stars PRIMARILY based on sound quality, which is poor, at best. Construction seems OK, price is OK I guess, but I will continue my search.
Will update here if I find the Holy Grail of children's headphones. :)
These headphones are great and my kids love them. I would give them 5 stars, but my kids seem to be a little rough on them and they've pulled the cords out of the volume control a couple times. I've re-soldiered the connections and they still work great, but I wish that connection was reinforced a little better or the volume control was relocated to a better spot.
These are the best!!! I bought these for my 18 month old before we were about to take a long airplane flight. We tried them out for about a week, before we left. She loved them. Wore them on the plane, they fit perfect. Buy these, worth it!
We purchased these for a 12 hour plane ride. They were an absolute life saver. They were comfortable enough that my 2 year old didn't mind wearing them. She thought they were really cute and was excited to wear them. These have now been in use for almost a year and are most often used with my daughters Mp3 player. They've been dropped about a thousand times and been heavily used. I'm amazed that they've held up so well. They are still working just like day 1. The sound quality isn't as nearly as good as my personal headphones but for the comfort and durability it's well worth the trade.
I purchased these for my 6 year old daughter. They fit her very nicely and work well with her iPod touch and portable DVD player. She loves the panda design. I put them on to try and the sound quality is surprisingly pretty good. Defiantly good enough for younger kids. We had the Sony before in pink and these have better sound. My only concern is with the volume control, it is hard to turn up and down. You need to get your fingernail perfectly in the grove to rotate it up or down. Other than that, I would definitely recommend these.
Purchased for 5 year old grandson. We spend lots of time in the car and hearing the same movie over and over, well, you know. He loves them and has shown them to his friends who all think the panda earphones are totally cool. He may grow out of the cuteness and I hope they last awhile, but for now - using them 2 months - he's having a great time and the adults in the front seat are loving it too. - Kids - Headphones - Toddler - Childrens Headphones'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Component Video - adapter, component video
Before you buy this cable to hook up your PC with your TV please read the following:
In order for this cable to work, the markings on your TV must be RGB. You will have to look closely to read this or find it in your TV manual. If it is Pr,Y,Pb IT WILL NOT WORK. You will find these markings next to the red, green and blue connectors on the back of your TV. Remember, they must be marked R,G,B.
Regards. Premium 6ft VGA Male to 3-RCA Component Video Male cable
This worked amazing to hook up my projector to my DVD player. Much better picture quality than with the previous S-video cable.
This WILL NOT work to hook up your laptop to a Television. Do not even try.
Even though all these helpful reviews said "this won't allow you to plug your laptop into your TV," i thought that for sure my situation must be different. Don't fall into the same trap - This cable does not convert RGB video into a component signal.
If you need something for plugging your component into an RGB port in a projector, this is for you. And it's very well made.
I ordered this cable in the hopes of connecting my laptop to my 50" plasma TV. The cable arrived in good condition, and I believe it's a good-quality cable - it feels strong, but is still very flexible - but it didn't work for me.
In order to use this cable, the device with VGA out must be capable of sending a TV signal, sometimes called an RGB signal or a sync-on-green signal. Because this is a very specific type of signal, it's almost impossible to find out whether or not a certain device is capable of it. Basically, if it's designed for displaying on a TV, it's going to send the right signal, but most laptops have display ports for connecting to monitors, not TVs. For this price, however, it's probably worth buying the cable and testing it in your situation, instead of scouring the web and living in constant uncertainty.
Even after reading the various warnings submitted by others before buying this item, I decided to get it anyway. Most had alerted that the product wouldn't work for those who were trying to use the cable to link their TV with their computer. I was trying to connect a DVD player (component output) to a PC monitor (standard RGB HD-15). Should be no problem right? Wrong. The monitor doesn't recognize the connection. So, I just figured I'd return it. After all, it's Amazon. Well this particular product must be returned to the seller and the seller does not reimburse their shipping cost nor pay for the return shipping. Since the original shipping cost exceeds the product cost, it makes no financial sense to return the item. A cheap but important lesson for the future.
Excellent conversion cable. Some HD projectors/TVs accept the composite signal via connector that looks like a VGA one from a PC. This allows you to come out of the DVD player or other video source using 3 component plugs and go to the VGA style input on the projector. Works great.
I bought this,because I wanted to connect a new PC monitor to my dvd/vcr combo, so this would have been great, as it comes with the RCA on one end and the VGA on the other, but my monitor didn't recognize the VCR combo, and vise versa, the combo couldn't send the audio/video to the PC monitor.
This thing was not what I expected. It didn't work the way I expected it to. I have had other similiar products that were able to take the signal from my computer and output the to my tv. This didn't do that. I tried for hours fiddling with the graphic card atributes to get this to work and it just wouldn't do it. - Vga Cable - Component Video - Adapter - Cables'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Portable Keyboard - laptop, portable
This is a nice product, a little thick, but solid key clicks. The make or break for this item would be a locking mechanism to keep it open so you could use it on your lap, as is if you try and use it on your lap it will fold in half. Matias Folding Keyboard
I spend a good chunk of each day working on my laptop in coffee shops and wanted something that was portable and full-sized. I've been using the keyboard now for about a week. The keyboard is a good compromise for something so light that also folds into such a small package. While it doesn't feel like a desktop keyboard, it's better than the laptop keyboard and better than I expected.
It has a few drawbacks. First, it doesn't unfold completely flat. There's a slight angle when it's open, but this isn't very noticeable when typing. Second, the insert, delete, page up & down group of keys are much smaller and not in the expected positions. It's easy to hit the wrong one. Third, it needs some way to tilt the keyboard toward you, such as some fold-out feet. I may resort to carrying a couple of wood dowels of the right size to tilt it at a comfortable angle.
But despite these drawbacks, I would recommend it for those who want to make their laptop work more comfortable. I also recommend getting the iFold stand to bring the screen up to a more comfortable level. I wish I had found both of these products before I spent the last 2 years hunching over a laptop!
My job requires lots of travel so I use my laptop extensively. Although I can type fairly well using the laptop keyboard, I can only type numbers by touch with a numeric keyboard. I've tried the USB numeric pads, but they slide and don't work for me. Who wants to carry a full sized keyboard in their bag? Not me!
This product looked perfect and it nearly is! I agree with the other reviewer in that it doesn't sit completely flat. It needs some type of brace to lock it, and it definitely needs the ability to tilt forward just like a regular keyboard with folding feet. I've looked closely at this keyboard and it seems those two things would be easy to add. I really like this product. I hope it's improved - and I hope the price gets lower!!
I love this keyboard. I carry it around with my netbook because I simply can't stand the little chicklet keys on them. On this keyboard, the caps lock key is replaced by the function key (caps lock is a function key shortcut). In addition, the keys corresponding to the pointer, bird, and ring fingers of the right hand are function key shortcuts for the arrow keys, home, and end. Once you get used to this, you'll never want to go back to a standard keyboard.
Tactile feed back could be a little better: I'd give it a 3/5
For ease of use, strategically placed function key shortcuts, portability, and just how friggin' cool a folding keyboard is, this gets a 5/5 from me.
We received the folding keyboard in a timely manner. It's light and great for use with our mini computer. But, the keys sound "cheap" and must be struck quite heavily. the "O" always needs to be struck twice in order to register. Also, when striking the same key twice (such as the "ll" in yellow) the letters will not appear unless hit very slowly. We plan to return the keyboard.
As others have mentioned, I was disappointed that there was no way to lock the keyboard open.
I have fashioned a work-around that has solved the issue, for me anyway. I attached two pieces of pile velcro (the peel-off type, ½" wide) to the back. I ran these on the long axis and aligned, as long as would fit, one on each half. I then attached a single piece of two sided velcro strap across both pieces of the pile, stretched tight.
This creates enough counter pressure to overcome the built-in spring loading that wants to make it fold up. The keyboard now works very well in my lap.
For anyone who cares about EMF's on laptops, or getting hot hands from using the laptop keyboard, or does not like the 'not full sized' keys,
then this is the keyborad for you to travel with!
I researched a lot of the oter travel keyboards: the rollable ones especially due to their convenience.
I kept reading that the keys sometimes stuck, etc.
HOWEVER, this foldable keyboard never sticks. It works great. And it folds so nicely. I have no complaints, and use it as my regular keybarod at home, in addition to traveling.
It is not wireless, which suits me fine, as anything wireless increases the EMF exposure you are getting while computing.
I really liked this keyboard. Same size, folded, as my Acer. Liked the keys response to pressure, easy to get going. After about two weeks the "y" key stopped responding, a few more days it was the left "shift" key, then the "T" So I sent it back, disappointed and still looking for something that works. - Laptop - Portable - Folding Keyboard - Usb Keyboard'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Digital Photography - 16 gb, sandisk
Introduced on January 17, 2011, the SanDisk Extreme Pro is the fastest SD card to date. At 45MB/s (45 Megabytes per second, read *and* write), this card is 1.5x faster than its predecessor, the SanDisk Extreme [8GB, 16GB, 32GB], which is rated 30MB/s (class 10). Like its predecessor, the SanDisk Extreme Pro comes in storage capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB.
- UHS Speed Class 1
This SD card is rated UHS Class 1 (commonly denoted as UHS-I or UHS-1). The UHS-I speed class rating was introduced by the SD Association in June 2010, and should not be confused with the older speed class rating that designates a memory card as class 2, class 4, class 6, and class 10 (for write speeds of at least 2 MB/s, 4 MB/s, 6 MB/s, and 10 MB/s, respectively). Memory cards that are rated UHS-I support data transfer speeds of up to 104 MB/s.
As an aside, on January 5, 2011, the SD Association announced yet another speed class rating -- UHS Class 2 (UHS-II or UHS-2) -- for memory cards that support data transfer speeds of up to 312 MB/s.
- Compatibility
This SD card is backwards compatible with any device that supports SDHC (SD, High Capacity) and SDXC (SD, Extended Capacity). SDHC cards are memory cards that have capacities that range from 4GB to 32GB (FAT 32 file system). SDXC cards are memory cards that have capacities that range from 64GB to 2TB (exFAT file system).
I have no trouble using this card on my older devices, such as my Canon Rebel XSi (introduced in January 2008), HP iPAQ 111 (introduced in September 2007), and a generic memory card reader.
- Performance
A faster speed rating does not mean faster performance. To take full advantage of the 45 MB/s speed, you will need a device that supports the new UHS bus interface (the Nikon D7000 is currently the only such device that I know of).
My rebel XSi is, not surprisingly, unable to take advantage of the UHS bus interface. I ran some tests to see how the SanDisk Extreme Pro stacked up to each of my class 4, class 6, and class 10 SD cards by noting the time it took the Rebel to write data from its buffer to each of the SD cards.
The results:
Class 4: ~9 sec (Kingston)
Class 6: ~10 sec (Transcend)
Class 10: ~6 sec (RiData)
UHS Class 1: ~6 sec (SanDisk Extreme Pro)
Conclusion:
There is no appreciable performance gain beyond Class 10 because at speeds upwards of Class 10 (i.e. >10 MB/s), the bottleneck lies with the speed at which my camera is capable of writing data from its buffer to the memory card.
---
To recap: although the SanDisk Extreme Pro is backwards compatible with devices that support SDHC cards, you will only be able benefit from the its 45MB/s read/write speed if your device is able to take advantage of the new UHS bus interface. Regardless, the SanDisk Extreme Pro is definitely worth considering as a means of "future proofing" your memory cards. Moreover, as of this writing, the SanDisk Extreme Pro 8GB, 16GB, and 32 GB cards are actually priced near or below prices for their SanDisk Extreme (30 MB/s) counterparts! Highly recommended. SanDisk Flash 16 GB SDHC Flash Memory Card SDSDXP1-016G (Black)
I recently purchased a Nikon D7000 and planned to use the old memory card I had lying around until I could upgrade to one with more capacity. The old card I had was a sandisk ultra SD card, rated at 15 MB/s. I noticed that when shooting 14-bit RAW on the D7000, I could only get 10 shots in the buffer, which amounts to less than 2 seconds on continuous high. In testing the camera just to find its limits, I found that once the buffer was full, it took almost 3 seconds for me to be able to shoot another picture with my old card (this is based off of the EXIF data, so it's not exact). I wasn't terribly surprised, since the card was not rated to be particularly fast. Occasionally, when shooting sports, I could see myself hitting the buffer limit, so I decided that when looking for a new card, I needed to look at something that could write a little faster and make the camera's buffer stretch a bit farther.
I was looking at the Sandisk Extreme SD card, which was rated at 30 MB/s and was very well received, but came across this card, which uses a new standard to achieve speeds of up to 45 MB/s. There were very few reviews when I bought it, but since this card was actually cheaper than the tried and true Extreme SD card for the same capacity, I decided to spring for it. I also discovered that the D7000 actually supports the new (UHS-1) SD standard and thus could take advantage of the increased speed.
In my own tests, I found that the camera allowed me to continue shooting about 1 frame per second after filling the buffer. Unlike my old, slower card, I didn't feel like the camera had just stalled when hitting the buffer limit. I didn't time how long it took each card to completely empty the buffer once full, but I'm confident this card would do it much faster. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the increase in speed (and thus usability) this card added to the camera.
Obviously I can't comment on reliability at this point, but I suspect it will be on par with most other sandisk products--which is very good. My final verdict is this, if you have a camera that can support the faster speeds (like the D7000), this card might be a great choice for you. As long as it continues to be the same price as the older model, it is a no-brainer in my mind. If your camera doesn't support the faster speeds, or you never expect to fill the buffer on your camera, then these high speed cards may not be worth the expense to you. Hopefully my review can help you decide whether it's worth stepping up to the newer cards in your situation. - Sandisk - Sdhc - 16 Gb - Nikon'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Portable Vehicle Gps - arkon, tomtom
I just got this new mount for my TomTom unit and I am extremely pleased. It is a huge improvement over what came with the unit. First, a lever that allows you to pull a vacuum in the suction cup for greater hold. Second, it is very adjustable allowing you to get a perfect position no matter where you choose to mount the unit. I recommend it highly.
An additional note after a little use:
I made a very slight modification and glued the round piece that attaches to my TomTom to the plate it joins with. This gives the mount even more stability but the full range of motion of the mount is maintained. ARKON TTEP115 TomTom EasyPort Windshield / Dash Mount
I just ordered the ARKON TTEP115 TomTom EasyPort Windshield / Dash Mount to replace the easy mount that came with my TomTom 540m. I ordered it because I mistakenly thought the easy mount that came with the TomTom didn't work. However, I had a suspicion that the issue may be "operator error" rather than the easy mount TomTom provided. After all, the easy mount is delivered with thousands of TomToms--why would the Dutch deliver an inferior mount? As it turned out, it was operator error. The mount that comes with TomTom GPS is rock solid--you just have to figure out how to use it. The trick is to: place the easy mount firmly on the window, give a hard turn to the left (you may hear a click) and THEN turn the locking ring to the right. You will get a rock solid, tight, etc. seal. It took me about 30 minutes to stumble upon this solution. So, I have a good backup mounting device with the ARKON TTEP115 TomTom EasyPort Windshield / Dash Mount but, the easy mount that came with my TomTom 540m DOES INDEED WORK.
The TomTom 540 is a great GPS and comes with an adequate window mount. It does not have a lot of flexibilty, but once you figure out how to mount the suction cup on angles (not just up and down) and rotate the GPS, it fits in any car.
I bought this mount so that I could leave it in my car and take the TomTom mount with me when I travel. This mount has a tremendous amount of adjustabilty, and there are no concerns about it coming off the glass.
The cruxt of the issue is the extent of the arm. Maybe the TomTom 540 is just too heavy for it, but it tends to vibrate while drivingbecause it is cantelevered out there so far. It doesn't drop or slowly lower down; in that regard the mount is strong enough. It's just a vibration issue. It's enough to make you car sick if you are trying to read data (street names, time to arrival, etc.)
If you rest the GPS against the dash, or against the A-pillar (side of the windshield), it takes out the vibration. Since it blocks your view to mount any GPS in the middle of the windshield hanging in free space, perhaps this is a non-issue. For me it is an annoyance, but there is a work around.
This product works just as described. It has never fallen off my windshield, very versatile, and is very sleek. It came fast in the mail and I'm very satisfied! If you are considering purchasing this gps holder, get it, it will be the best decision.
This mounting system is way better then the one that came with the Tom Tom.It is rock solid and does not come unstuck and fall on the floor. Tom Toms EZ Port came loose countless times before it came apart and ended up in the trash.Bought another Tom Tom mount and the same thing happened.Tom Tom could learn a lot from Arkon about what is and what is not a good mounting system.
I like nearly everything about my TomTom XXL 550T 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Lifetime Traffic Edition), except the mount. It folds flat, which is nice, but it kept loosening and falling off no matter how much I clean it, spit on it, etc. So I bought this mount, and what a world of difference. This mount is so much easier to use and holds the heavy unit solidly at any angle. We have 3 vehicles, so I keep removing it and switching it between them - it's been stuck and unstuck dozens of times and still works great.
Great product! bought two units. One for each car. Well made plastic product, with excellent suction. Used stick on base disc for eash mount. A small vibration due to weight of five inch screen on my TomTom, but nothing extreem. Easy adjustability, and secure attachment to unit. Lever suction activation is much easier than twist type found on stock mount. Very good value for the money. Looked all over for aftermarket dash mount, and was glad I found this unit...
The same mounting device has been used by TomTom for years has been a total failure. I recently purchased a TomTom XXL for myself and one for my husband. These devices are big and continue to fall off the windshield repeatedly. What a piece of junk mount the original piece is. The Arken mount is EXCELLENT. Sturdy hold and suction. TomTom needs to change the design. People shouldn't have to buy a new mount on top of the price of the GPS (though I'm glad it's available!) Who knows, maybe they're in cahoots with this company making a small fortune selling replacements! Either way, I highly recommend it if you don't feel like having your GPS come crashing down while driving on the highway. - Dashboard Mount - Tomtom - Arkon - Vehicle Mounts'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Rechargeable Batteries
[Updated Dec 24, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.
[Original review follows]
Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.
My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AA cell is slightly above the claimed 2000mAh, and it is able to retain at least 85% of its charge after 5 months in storage. The Rayovac Hybrid AA starts with slightly higher capacity at 2100mAh, but it 'only' retains 80% capacity after 5 months. For all practical applications, both are equally good. Just pick whichever brand (Sanyo, Rayovac, or Duracell) is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.
One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell. Duracell Pre Charged Rechargeable NiMH AA Batteries, 4-Pack
[Updated Dec 21, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AAA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AAA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AAA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid (see my scan in the Customer Images section). Note that the Rayovac Hybrid AAA has an average capacity of about 780mAh (compared to about 830mAh for eneloop AAA), so is not as good a value.
[Original review follows]
Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged NiMH cell is actually Sanyo Eneloop underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.
My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AAA cell is slightly above the claimed 800mAh. The Rayovac Hybrid AAA is usually cheaper, but its capacity is slightly below 800mAh. Both brands are able to retain at least 85% of their charge after three months of storage. Just pick whichever brand is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.
One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell.
Pros:
-For a rechargeable battery, these batteries does not need to be charged before you use it for the first time; right from the packaging into your gadgets.
-They last a long time.
-Does not need special charger. You can use your existing NiMh charger.
Cons:
-You can confuse them with regular Duracells and mistakenly thrown away after losing charge.
-This later technology is still expensive.
I also like Eneloops by Sanyo. But they are not easily available at your local stores.
I have been using these for a few months in my camera, Logitech Harmony remote, and in my Wii remotes and they have been great.
However, I was looking at batteries at Walmart today and noticed their new stock of Duracell Precharged batteries are being made in China and no longer have a white cap. They shoved the Japan made white cap batteries to the back of the shelf. This makes me think they are no longer Eneloops. I am a little nervous to buy another set of these as the only reason to make that switch in my opinion is to save money yet charge the consumer the same. This usually leads to an inferior product. The originals I have are made in Japan.
Anyway, maybe the battery review guru of Amazon will do a little comparison test of these new China made precharged batteries vs the Japan made batteries that seemed awfully similar to the Eneloops. I really hope the new version stands up to the old.
Pros:
-For a rechargeable battery, they do not need to be charged before you use it for the first time; right from the packaging into your gadgets.
-They last a long time. I use it everywhere, portable speakers, Wiimotes, toys, Panasonic, Dect 6.0 phones, 2-way radios...
-No need for a special charger. You can use your existing NiMh charger.
Cons:
-You can confuse them with regular Duracells and mistakenly thrown away after losing charge.
- It has been several years and still the price hasn't really come down.
I also like Eneloops by Sanyo. But they are not easily available at your local stores.'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Baby Video Monitor - baby, video monitor
Ok so I needed a video monitor to replace an audio one I had, plus I wanted to be able to see my baby while I'm not in the room. Th monitor is good for it's price and gives me the peace of mind that I wanted. The problem everyone is talking about does exist though. It's faulty in the battery life. The other issue is the cam itself. It tips over on the stand it came with. I guess they need to make the stand more solid to support it because of the adapter running from the outlet. That's the two problems with it. I just mounted it on the wall with thumb tacks so I would have the falling issue when I put it on the dresser. Other than that it's the only I seen for a good price that has the two way communication. I can talk to my baby so she hears.
PS;i returned it . the battery life is a huge issue. it has to remained plugged in to the charger, for it to stay on after like 10 minutes
Great product for price, our baby isn't here yet but my husband and I made sure this was the monitor for us by him going in the nursery and I being upstairs. You could hear everything and the picture was great. The only down side is there is no on or off.
My husband and I toyed over the idea of a video monitor for a long while before we bought this one. We purchased it after our son was 4 months old as a piece of mind for myself. Despite the fact that its not a large screen it is great for what it's doing. I love that the monitor itself goes into a "sleep" mode when he's asleep yet pops back on when there is a noise in the room. We've not had any issue with interference or anything. This was by far one of the best things I could have ever bought for my son!! I would definitely recommend this product!!
My toddler has recently moved out of his crib, so I needed a video monitor to make sure he stayed out of trouble, but we can't really afford 150+ on a monitor. This one works for everything I need. The battery life is short, yes, but I'm usually doing work at my desk while they "nap" and can easily have it plugged in beside me, when I have to move around it works long enough. The camera is lightweight and won't stand easily, but easily fixed by mounting it to the wall. (I used a 3M hook). Night vision isn't wonderful, but I can tell if he is in his bed or not, which is really all I need. I have a question though... In the user guide it talks about multiple baby units (cameras) and I really need a second one. But I cannot find one ANYWHERE!! I hate to buy a whole other unit, but I'm tempted (still cheaper than any other unit that has multiple cameras!) If anyone knows where I could find the camera, please let me know!!
I would recommend this video monitor to everyone. I have an 8 m/o baby and i am most of the time by myself doing stuff and working at home. I can watch him play while I am in the kitchen or in my home office. The image is crystal clear andgreat color. Sound is perfect and it has its own light for bed time.I was searching for a video monitor but the ones out there are very expensive. Im very happy with my motorola video monitor
I've bought this monitor, to replace an only audio monitor I had.
It is just perfect for the price you pay, the monitor works well, camera acceptable resolution, you can see your baby, It's all you need. If you are kind of "tech freak", always finding what's missing in the product to be perfect, then I suggest you invest some more money.
Great product! - Baby - Video Monitor - Levana - Baby Video Monitor'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Pants For Babies - onesie, pants for babies
These are typical American Apparel- very well made but they run small. I got the 24 month size for my 18 month old son, and they're at least 2 inches too short on him. He wears an 18 month size in Carters pants, but the 24 month was just too short in the American Apparel. These would be great for a shorter toddler, but not a tall or even average-sized kid. American Made Apparel Infant Baby Rib Karate Pant - Black 6-12
Ordered blk pair in 12-18 months for my son who just turned 12months and is 80th% in height.
Pros:
- nice shade of black
- soft cotton
- comfortable
- not too thick or thin (the fabric)
- comfortable elastic waistband
Cons
- slightly short...would have liked an extra inch or 2
- slight wide leg/bell bottom. Prefer straight leg.
I wish I had a pair of these for every day of the week because my 4 month old daughter loves them and so do we. They are simple, comfortable, and easy to get on an off. Unlike some of the other baby apparel from AA, the pair we have seems to be true to size---she's wearing the 3-6 month pants. - Baby Pants - Pants For Babies - Onesie'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Pants For Babies - onesie, pants for babies onesie Pants For Babies - onesie, pants for babies
Slide Scanner - portable scanner, photo scanner
I was so exicted to get this it had 5 stars and rave reviews. I have hundreds of photos to scan in.I was thinking what an easy way to scan them in to digital scrapbook. It is easy to use and can take to Grandpa's house when I visit. The MAJOR issue is it washes out the color. You then have to spend time doing lots of color correction to make skintones look correct. Fixing color,so Grandma is not pale white but has a bit of pink in her face, turned the green curtains blue and lost the depth in some photos. The whites realy pop and have to be toned down also. However a black and white photo worked great and looked even better when scanned in the sleeve provided. So give up quality for easy of use and portablilty? Only you can make that choice. Would I purchase it again or tell a friend to buy one, no. The technology needs to get a bit better. Kodak P811 8x10 Personal Photo and Negative Scanner
I love this little toy. I am haveing so much fun scanning all my pictures and negatives. There has not been a problem yet and I used it for about 7 hours yesterday. My first day with it. The only pictures that came out with marks on them or anything else was because of the picture not the machine. I have 5 children and 17 grandchildren so shareing all the old pictures will be so much easyer. Not to mention what my Mom has. Yes I would tell anyone to get this. Now I can scrap those pictures and share them.
Sorry, this is not really a review. I just want to correct something a previous person wrote. I bought this as a gift for someone and the box DOES INCLUDE a power adapter so you can use it without batteries. Since I did not use this item myself I cannot give it a review. However, the person who received it loves it and said to give it 4 stars.
I absolutely LOVED this machine when I received it and for a long while thereafter. I did look at other reviews before purchasing it, but I was in desperate need for a small, second scanner for me that I could utilize while watching TV in the evenings (my other scanner/FAX/copier was in another room.) It was purchased to accomplish my scanning in my mother's (age 86) photo albums (18 in all) and loading them onto a digital photo frame for her enjoyment at her assisted living facility. After scanning approximately 1,200+ photos, a white line started appearing across the photos. I have cleaned the scanned NUMEROUS times but the line still remains. (My opinion is that the "bar" that grabs the photos is worn.) This problem was the one I had read in a review of the product before purchasing it and was my biggest concern. I'm improvising at this time and getting the photos scanned but not without some additional time comsuming work cropping them. I'm hoping I can finish the scans before another white line starts to appear in another area. Other than this problem, it has worked for my main purpose. I was hoping to use it for my own photo albums (too numerous to mention), but I have a feeling it's not going to last much longer without the lines. - Portable Scanner - Scanner - Photo Scanner - Negative Scanner'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Smartphone - car chargers, smartphone
Bought it for my father's truck so he can use pandora to pipe through the stereo while charging and powering his HTC EVO. The micro-usb plug, which will be the standard utilized for smart phones, will be useful regardless of the phone he uses in the future. It will also charge my samsung moment and my gf's optimus s. Luxmo Car Charger Cigarette Lighter Adapter, micro USB for BlackBerry Bold Curve 3G Style Torch, HTC DROID Incredible EVO 4G HD2 HD7 Surround Aria Desire, T-Mobile G2 myTouch 4G, Huawei Ascend M860 Comet U8150, LG Cosmos Touch Neon II Optimus M Optimus S Optimus T Rumor Touch, Samsung Gravity T Freeform II Intensity II Messager II III Messager Touch Smiley :) Vibrant Transform Focus
I bought this car charger for my T-Mobile Android phone. After sever usages, I began to question the quality of this item. Sometimes, I got wired charging result such as suddenly drop in battery reading. So I did a test today. At the beginning, my phone has 70% battery. I plugged in the charger, turned on GPS, turned off wi-fi, 3G, Bluetooth. I began to drive with this charger charging my cell phone. After 15 minutes, my phone showed there were 45% battery left!!! A 25% DROP from original reading!!!! Is this a charger or a dis-charger? I connected my phone with another car charger and drove for another 30 minute. When I left the car, the phone battery were back to 75%. Bottom line: DO NOT buy this item if you really want to charge your phone.
Just so you know, this is not a rapid charger, at all. It will "charge" your phone, but very very slowly. It takes about 30 minutes to charge your phone about 10%. It never fully charges it, either. Other than that, it works...slowly... I would look for a rapid charger, if I were you.
I've used this item for a few trips out of town and it has worked just fine. It is a sturdy charger that is very typical to any other that I would have paid 10 bucks or more for. A steal of an item for the price.
when I plug it into my car it lights up. but when I plug it into my phone nothing happens... The power never makes it to the phone to charge it. Defeats the whole purpose of having it other than providing a little light near your power/lighter... - Smartphone - Car Chargers'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Component Video - monitor cable, pc to tv
I got this VGA cable w/ audio because I want to stream Netflix movies on my LCD TV instead of watching on the laptop. This cable works just great. Other brand names cost more even without the audio component. RiteAV - SVGA Monitor Cable with 3.5mm Audio - 10 ft.
If not for the fact that the audio cable is too short (maybe 5 inches, if not less) to accommodate some laptops that have the earphone jack on the front. If your earphone jack is on the side and/or near the monitor output then you will be fine but if not I recommend getting a 3.5mm extension. Luckily I already had one so it wasn't a problem but I just thought you all should know. The overall quality is great though especially for the price.
I bought this piece from CE Compass. I must say that the shipping was fast and the video worked very well; however, the attached audio cord was not close to 2 ft. I'd say it is about 10 inches which did not reach from the back of my laptop (where the VGA port is) to the front (the audio port). I bought a real cheap extender on ebay which made the product work, but it was kind of a pain.
This cable does the job and does it well. I use it for my laptop when watching movies or presentations and it works great. The price of the cable to is just outstanding. As for the quality it is very think and nice so you know it will take the wear and tear. I know this is short but I will end it with this, you will not be disappointed in buying this cable.
This cord will probably make me get rid of cable TV. The images are good, sound quality good. Using websites like Hulu, there is much better TV on the internet. This cord is much cheaper than a wireless unit and it works better. Great purchase.
I ordered this to hook my HDTV to my computer to give me an appropriate sized screen to view online movies with. I got it at a great price, got it very quickly as is the norm with Amazon, and it hooked right up. Great value for the money and gave me just what i wanted to expand my capabilities.
it's just a cable to connect my computer to the HD tv - it works fine, sound is what the computer puts out - there's really no way to determine if it's good or not, given that the computer already gives out a crappy sound (youtube and things don't have the best sound) - it was cheap, and it looks sturdy. I don't believe in cables that cost a fortune anyway, and I've been working in the music industry forever (I have travelled all over the world several times as a stage and production manager for a band) - can't go wrong with this one. - Monitor Cable - Pc To Tv - Computer Cables - Vga Cable'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Electric Razor - groomer, mens grooming
I was very unsure about which of these trimmers to buy, but I'm glad I went with this one. It's very easy to use and it's nice to not have to worry about attachments to change out and keep up with. All you have to do is simply twist the dial and you can cut your hair to have the 5 o'clock shadow, turn the dial and trim your goatee/side burns, or change it to one of the higher settings and actually cut your hair.. It's truly an all in one device. This replace my Mach 3 Fusion razor and my hair clippers. All for this amazing price. I've had it for a little over 2 weeks now and i use it every few days, it's still on it's first charge. The good thing about it is that you can simply plug the adapter into the wall and use it while it's charging if you need to.
The only issue i have against it would be the fact that it does kind of throw hair, but that's just because it cuts so fast. The only time it has done this bad was the first time i used it and my facial hair was a little thick, I was waiting to see how well it would perform. But if you keep everything cut every 2 or 3 days it's not that bad at throwing hair..
I Fully Recommend this..
I was first anxious if this will deliver on its promise of Stubble length uniform cutting. But it does a very good job. The lowest setting gives me a very close stubble. And by removing the comb it works as a liner for mustache and sideburns, but not very good as the dedicated ones we get on other norelco product (I used to use a norelco that has all the interchangeable heads). Good battery capacity too. But it is to be noted that it is a very specific type of beard trimmer and will not satisfy all needs. But anyone considering maintaining a stubble should consider getting this as a beard trimmer in addition to whatever hair groomer already in use.
If you are like me and want to stop paying $15 or $20 per haircut, are okay with wearing a simple one-length crewcut, and also have a short beard of somewhere around the same shortish length, then this tool can make you pretty happy.
I do not like haircutters that have many loose parts, and this one is just one simple unit with the length adjustment intergrated in with a slick length-dialing collar, so that's a big plus with me. The blades, how long they stay sharp, and the battery, how long it holds up, will probably be what determines the long-term satisfaction this unit provides, and I have only had it for a month or two so I cannot say on these. The blades are supposed to be self-sharpening and the battery is currently (sorry, loose pun attack) very peppy and lasts plenty long enough for more than one haircut now.
In order to get the really uniform length that makes for a sharp appearance it does take lots of repetitive passes over the same hair spot, but the batteries are well up to this challenge. Are you? If you are looking for a one or two pass sort of thing, then you need to look at some much more pricey pro equipment, I imagine, (and maybe hiring a barber to use it, too). This thing gets me free from the barber, beard and all, as long as I am willing to run the thing all over my hair about a dozen swipes at minimum over all hair surfaces, including the beard.
Wearing a one-length crew cut and a one-length full beard is the way I have found that best reduces the fuss and cost factors of grooming from the neck up. I make only one exception to this uniformity, and that is that because my mustache is thicker than the rest of my beard I cut only it one click closer than the rest of my beard. After I do this it looks more uniform than if I left it all the same length! Now all I have to do on a daily basis is use a disposable razor to maintain a clear bottom line and top edge-line on my full beard, and that's it for me.
I tried that vacuum trimmer a few years ago and found it to be a not-so-hot gimmick then so I didn't go back there when I bought this new one. I do not think I can find anything that works better for me than this one, at this price point. The length adjustor is trustworthy in design, doesn't threaten to accidentally slip to another setting.
At the end of my beard trim I usually have to take some small pointy scissors and trim a few hairs a little shorter directly under my nose. Tha's the only place where the built-in adjusting guard stops me from using it to cut every hair.
And when I am done giving myself a haircut I take the guard off, call in my wife, and she uses the unit without the guard to cut a clean hairline at the nape of my neck in back where I can't see to do it well enough for myself because I am not coordinated enough to do that reverse-my-hand-motions-because-I-am-looking-in-a mirror thing.
Cleaning the unit: if you are cutting dry hair, the clumps of cut hair usually just fall off into to sink area. Once in a while and when I am all finished with it I take the adjustable guard off and blow the loose hair off with a puff of air from my mouth. The guard slips off and goes back on with zero effort and no accidental length-setting changes.
This thing is nicely thought out and has very good "human-use engineering". I am really satisfied so far. Of course, one day one even better will be built, but this seems to me to be the best one for now.
The name 'stubble' is sort of misleading, because it is more than that. It is just as much a very good "shorter-hair-and-beard trimmer". - Mens Grooming - Trimmer - Groomer - Beard Trimmer'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)