Apple Computer Accessories

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The official Apple iPad Case is beautifully constructed. It is made of a very soft material but still sturdy. The iPad sits securely and tightly in place. The cover bends back easily and you can even prop it up at an angle just by inserting the cover into a flap on the back. The holes for the power, dock port, volume and headphones are perfect - no overlapping. I don't have to worry about scratching the front or back of my iPad when carrying or laying it around. I only wished that it had a clear plastic insert attached inside to cover the face of the iPad for added protection from scratches and fingerprints when the iPad is in use. The case is also easy to clean. I used a wet cloth to wipe away some food I accidentally sat the case on and it came out looking new again.



One bit of advance. Apple recommends to occasionally remove the iPad from any kind of case when charging. The case may overheat the iPad and cause a shorter battery life.



At the time of this review, a third party seller is selling it way above the suggested retail price. I purchased it directly from Apple for under $40. There is no shortage supply so there is no reason to be selling it at such an inflated price ($94).



UPDATE 08/17/2010: I see the 3rd party seller is now offering your order to be fulfilled by Amazon (w/Prime shipping) at a more reasonable price, but it still does not beat the price of getting it directly from Apple. Apple iPad Case (CASE-ZML MC361ZM/B)

It's a nice case and allows for the iPad to be propped up at different angles on flat surface for viewing (touching the screen without holding it at upright angles will knock it over unless you're very gentle). The case is very sleek looking and stylish, but the rubber it's made out of is very rough on your skin. The edges are especially rough and will eventually make it uncomfortable to hold since it will start to wear away and cut into your skin. After a few days of using it, I couldn't stand to keep my iPad in it permanently anymore and will only be using it for when I take the iPad out of the house for protection.

This is by far the best case available for the iPad yet. I've read some of the complaints. I've had no trouble keeping my case clean and I don't find the edges sharp at all. It's the only pad that I tried that does not add a huge amount of extra bulk or weight to it. It's sleek, form fitting, and protects the screen when I'm carrying it around. This case holds the iPad very snug. Is it perfect? No. But for now it's the best one on the market & I'm glad I was finally able to grab one.

After all of the hype about this case and it always being out of stock, I finally lucked out and got one of two left from one of the Apple stores here in Denver.



If there had not been so much hype, I may have liked this more, but overall, I was not impressed with this case.



The case is flimsy and gets dirty and scuffed up really quickly. The microfiber seems to attract and hold dirt and scuff marks.



If you plan on removing your iPad from the case, which I prefer to do at times, you'll have to give it a good fight to remove it from within the case. It's incredibly difficult to do. The iPad is so beautiful and artistically crafted, I don't want to always have it all covered up inside the case, so this became a huge problem.



Also, supposedly this case allows you to stand the iPad up in the optional charging cradle/dock that you can buy for the iPad, but the iPad needed about another 1/4 inch to be able to recognize that it was docked. So I was never able to get it to dock with the optional cradle while in this case - despite what they may claim at the Apple store.



What I DID like about this was that it could stand up in landscape mode in two different positions and angles while in the case, which was nice. Standing up vertically was a bit wobbly and I didn't feel comfortable leaving it that way. I'm not sure it was advertised to do this, so I didn't ding the review rating for that.



My goal now is to find something more durable and protecting of the iPad, which will hold the iPad at different viewing angles, and most importantly, will allow quick removal of the iPad when I want to enjoy it in all it's glory. :)

Been fighting getting this case for sometime, I have always thought of it as one of the worst thing Apple could make, till I tried it on a trip for writing. Turns out it was the best case I ever tried, and I tried so many.



If you have a lot of writing to do on your iPad I highly recommend this case, I don't think anyone made any case that even comes close to what it can do.

I give this product 2 stars because it is thin and works well as a stand. The problem is the sharp weld that goes around the entire edge which digs into one's hands. There is simply no comfortable way to hold an iPad in this case. I can still feel the indentation in my hand from holding it 15 minutes ago. The other problem is that it takes a major effort to remove the iPad from the case which eliminates the possibility switching between use with and without the case. Apple should never have approved this atrocity.'

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Homeschool Organization - homeschool how to, homeschool

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In 1990 I started homeschooling my three younger children and continued on until they received their high school diplomas in 1998. For all but two years of that time, all of it as a snail-mail-dependent, pre-overseas-Internet military family in Europe, my regular homeschooling support was Home Education Magazine.



Although they didn't know it, the magazine's columnists and writers held my hand through my ups and downs, gave me ideas when I needed them, and reflected back to me many of my own situations but with a twist that always gave me insight. I found mailing information for catalogs from which to order our materials, and even a school for when the kids got into high school and we wanted transcripts and diplomas. Every two months the mail clerk delivered my homeschooling lifeline. Other magazines had information, HEM had heart.



For the two years when a support group was available, the magazine provided inspiration for the newsletter I produced, and is continues to do so now for my website.



The homeschool-support world has grown with the expansion of online connections and my kids are grown, yet my subscription continues. It just might come in handy with the grandkids. Home Education Magazine

The only home education magazine that includes the entire homeschooling community offering great how-to advice for everyone from beginners to experienced homeschoolers who have been educating their own children for years. There is a lot of seasoned advice for encouraging all children to learn and grow into capable, well-rounded, well-educated adults. There simply is no better home education magazine for parents who want to learn about homeschooling or find information and resources.

My oldest "child" heads off to college this fall as a happy, well adjusted, always-homeschooled young man. Home Education Magazine was the first homeschooling magazine that I subscribed to and it is the ONLY subscription that I never let lapse....and I've kept every single issue! I have two more children who are still homeschooling and it is as relevant now as when I first found it when my oldest was just a toddler. I highly recommend it as the best all-around homeschooling magazine out there!

If you are looking for a no nonsense magazine, one that isn't out there to promote a narrow viewpoint, then HEM is the one for you. The articles cover a wide range of subjects of interest to homeschoolers, moms, dads and kidlets! If it is happening in homeschooling it will be covered. Just starting out? Lots of good advise. Need specific information? Lots of good references.



If you only buy one magazine, this is the one to buy!

Since it's conception 1983, Home Education Magazine has been the most respected homeschooling magazine available.

A great investment for those just considering or beginning homeschooling, as well as seasoned homeschoolers. HEM is jam-packed with great articles, columns, interviews and has proven itself a valuable tool to the diverse homeschooling community.

You'll NEVER throw these out and will refer back to them for years to come.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this magazine. In fact, I love it so much, I currently have about 15 years of back issues! (And yes, I do go back and re-read them).



FYI - you can get a subscription for less money directly from their website.

I would recommend this magazine to any homeschooling family that doesn't necessarily home schools for religious reasons. Some articles may have a religious aspect to them but in average the articles address basic problems and situations that deal directly with home schooling. A variety of outlooks are discussed periodically for which I am great full since were I live there are few options available in the support groups.Here I discovered Sandra Dodd and her unschooling blog which has been a great help. - Home Schooling - Education - Homeschool How To - Homeschool'

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Binding Posts - pyle, binding posts

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This is a great wall plate and feels quite sturdy. It comes in two pieces -- an inner plate with all of the terminals and then the outer plate that looks like your standard wall plate. The only thing that confused me was that it included two sets of screws (one set of small screws and one set of long screws). It took me a few minutes to figure out, as there are no directions included. You use the long screws to attach the inner plate to your 2-gang box, then the small screws attach the outer plate to the inner plate. Pyle Home PHIW71 7.1 Home Theater 14 Post Binding/Banana Plug with Dual RCA Subwoofer Posts Wall Plate (White)

Like stated in many of the other reviews, getting the speaker wire configured on the back side is a bit of a hassle, but manageable. I chose to deal with this complexity by removing all of the connections (which is easy enough to do) and starting at the bottom and working your my way up. This allowed for ample space to allow my not too skinny fingers to tighten the connections with little to no interference from the other connectors.



However once the back is configured you then have to deal with the front. Again, I managed to get the wire into the holes and tighten the connections adequately.



A week later I sought to make the connections cleaner and easier to disconnect/reconnect so I bought some Belkins Banana Plugs (AV54004). I highly recommend buying as many as you need for all your connections at the same time you order this wall plate. You will not regret either purchase.Belkin PureAV AV54004 Do-It-Yourself Gold Banana Plugs, 4-Pack

Overall this is a good product, however, I found it very difficult to tighten some of the screws because the binding posts are so close together. It seems like the the manufacturer could have aligned the screw holes to make this easier. I finally got it done using an eyeglass screw driver, but it wasn't easy.

I used almost all of the connectors on this unit to hook up in-ceiling speakers so I had many wires to connect. When I first looked at the little set screw on the back that I was going to need to tighten I was like---"Oh this is going to be fun". However, if you loosen the connectors and turn the screw to face out, it really is not that hard to connect the wires. You will need a good small screwdriver like the one electriicans use for small control terminals.



Be careful not to lose any of the set screws that may have fallen off and are trapped inside the plastic blister wrap package!

I still have not completely installed this plate although I like the way it looks and eventually what it will do to my home theatre setup. My biggest complaint, and frankly uncertainty is how to properly connect the backside of the plate. The back has binding posts like I have not seen before (although I am no expert). You have to unscrew the back nut almost all the way as the hole for the wire is near the end of the post. There are tiny little screws in each of the holes right now, and if I unscrew them to create a hole, I can't quite figure out how to secure the speaker wire in there. Finally, all of those tiny screws appear to be different lengths. So if I try to just put the wires in from the back and hope the tiny screw holds them in place, it does for some (the longer screws) and the others just pull right out. I'm pretty frustrated. Why couldn't the back be a normal binding post like the front? I would love advice from anyone that has some with the backside of this plate. Thanks

Like some of the reviews the screws in the back are a little difficult. The other then that no issues wish I could rate it 4 1/2 stars.

You can use this in a standard decora outlet cover, I placed mine in a four gang wall plate.

No issues with sound quality.

Great product that is surprisingly well built (and heavy). It was exactly what I needed to finish off my home theater room. As others have indicated, you have to be patient and careful putting it all together as it is extremely cramped in the back when you have everything connected.

on the back of the wall plate if you are using the binding posts. With the tight spacing between adjacent posts, it is difficult to get wires in the holes unless you remove the hardware and adjust their positions. I used banana plugs on the front and they work great. The binding nuts feel a little cheap as they are thin and the threads aren't perfect, but they do the job. - Connectors - Pyle - Wall Plate - Binding Posts'

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Surge Protector - good value, surge protectors

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I just recently purchased this for my TV and 1 week later a mixup caused 220V to surge throughout the house for about 10 seconds. What happened? Some lights went out, the fridge completely burned out and I need a new one, I could smell smoke from something, but....my TV is perfectly OK.



The surge protector no longer works and now I need another one, but at least it's cheaper than a new TV. Oh yeah, I'm now buying units for EVERYTHING in the house, and even if it fails, Belkin has a warranty to replace the equipment, what else could someone ask? Belkin SurgeMaster F9H620-CW 6-Outlet Wall-Mount Surge Protector

On the back of the package, the UL Clamping Voltage is listed as 500V. The package says that for "sensitive electronics," you should get a clamping voltage rating of 400V or lower. So, the package is telling you that this product is NOT a good choice for sensitive electronics.

An adequate surge protector but i had one unexpected design flaw. To secure it to the wall outlet you need to use the center screw. The problem is that all my outlets (and some more modern outlets) don't have a hole for center screws. Why is this important? The protector is bulky and if you just pull on a cord attached to it, it can pull out the entire protector. Simple enough to hold the wall outlet against the wall and then pull out a power cord.

I live where there's a lot of power surges and outages, and I've thrown a lot of surge protectors away over the years as they become used up from successive small hits or (maybe) big ones. So I use it to protect my UPS, which has great surge protection in it, but I don't want it to get used up. (It goes between the wall and the UPS, not after the UPS.)

We rarely get lightning in this area and very few power surges. I have never lost anything to a power surge. So, I can't speak to how well it would do as a surge protector. I bought this unit mainly to convert a two-plug outlet into six under the kitchen sink.



One of the reasons I chose this particular unit was because another reviewer complained that it only had one plug on the back. That turned out to be the clincher for me. Before we remodeled the kitchen, the garbage disposal was operated by a switch next to a light switch. The bottom plug in that outlet was wired to the switch. The new disposal has a button in the countertop next to the water faucet, so the switch is not needed. Now we have three appliances that need A/C and only one plug since I do not want any of them on the switch. This unit was perfect. Now I get six outlets and none of them are on the switch. Luckily, the Belkin plugs into the top outlet, because that's the one that's not wired to the switch. ;-)



I like that it has a grounded light in addition to one that says it's working (not fried). I like that I get six outlets. I like that it screws securely into the center of the base, just like the faceplate.



I guess I like that it goes over the faceplate, especially since it does would not completely cover the cutout. I love the suggestion of another reviewer to tape the screw to the Belkin so it will be handy if you remove it and need to secure the faceplate. This works perfectly under the sink. It would not work so well if it were installed on a wall or counter. It is attractive enough that it could be installed where it would be visible.



I like the unit. I am deducting one star for the packaging. It comes in one of those maddening clamshells that require the Jaws of Life to open. I have cut myself several times trying to pry something out of those packages.

Many people review surge protectors with tragic stories of losing electronics in surges or lightning storms. I don't have any of those stories. I want to avoid those stories. Enter: Belkin.



I bought two of these. I have a lot of pretty expensive equipment, including a $3,000 loudspeaker system, several Fender tube amps, a whole board filled with expensive guitar effects pedals, an expensive Mac and an embarrassingly expensive class-A headphone amp. I list all of that to say, I needed peace of mind to protect my stuff. $50,000 insurance on equipment? Wonderful! Lifetime guarantee? Wonderful!



They are a nice size; only slightly bigger than my outlets' cover plates and stick out 1.5" from the wall once installed. Installation is almost as easy as plugging something in... You first need to remove the screw from your outlet's cover plate, plug the surge protector in (with the cover plate between it and the wall), and then tighten its included screw in. The surge protector's AC plug, the secondary plastic "tooth" (it sticks out and plugs into the other outlet's ground slot), and the screw all hold this protector tightly to the wall.



Talk about a value. More outlets and $50,000 worth of protection for under $10? What a steal! Buy them and put them all over your house! You'll thank me (and Belkin) someday! - Electrical - Surge Protectors - Good Value - Belkin'

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Digital Camera - lens accessories, protection

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I purchased the 55mm filter for my Konica Minalta 18-70mm lens. The quality of the filter is excellent. My photographs are exceptionally sharp and, of course, the filter protects the lens.



When using the lens at 18mm, due to the thickness of the filter band, a small bit of vinetting is evident. This is to be expected with a standard filter used at a strong wide angle focal length. For those doing extensive wide angle photography, a special thin banded filter is a better choice.



Overall, an excellent filter at a great price. Tiffen 55mm UV Protection Filter

This UV filter does it job to protect the lens well. The build is solid (metal construction). The glass is also descent quality.



About the performance, it absorbs some UV light. The UV light absorbtion is hardly noticeable, probably the sky 1-A and the haze filter version will absorb more UV light than this lens which is fine for me.



Now, about the one problem which is the internal reflection. I've heard many people say that it mostly happens during night or low light shooting. I found out that it is not caused directly by the low light/night situation. The internal reflection will appear when there is a strong/bright source of light in comparison to the overall exposure (the surrounding environment). To put it in example (which hopefully is easier to understand), when you take a picture of a lamp during nightime and the light is much brighter than the surrounding area then you will see the internal reflection. as you move the position of the light to be closer to the sides/corner of the picture (and not in the center of the picture), the internal reflection reduces and finally dissapear (if you move the light far enough from the center). And if the light isn't too bright/contrast compare to the surrounding environment then there will be no internal reflection. but of course most of the time, a lamp at nightime is often very bright. But the point that I'm trying to make is that the internal reflection doesn't happen all the time during low light or night time.



Additionally, the internal reflection isn't only happening at night. it can also happen in the afternoon if you are taking a picture of a sun for example. basically same rule as above, on how bright is the light source compared to the surrounding area, and as you move the sun from the center of the photo and near the side the internal reflection will move to the side/dissapear (also depending the angle). But the best way is just to remove the filter during these situations.



Hope this explanation helps you to reduce the occurence of internal reflection by identifying correctly when the internal reflection will occur and then remove the filter during those situation (which is not hard to do).



I'm actually not a fan of lens filter (any filter) as I think it will only degrade picture quality as we added another layer between the sensor and object, but I decided to use them anyway for all my lens. And I would recommend everyone to get one of this filter if you don't have any filter for your lens yet.

This filter shows up as a recommended accessory for the Panasonic DMC-FZ50. However, it does not fit this particular camera.



The diameter is right, 55mm. But the threads are not right. At first, I suspected that the threads-per-inch is different. But I went to a local camera store and purchased another filter, and this Tiffen filter screws in to the new filter OK. So I suspect that it's not the threads-per-inch, but maybe the threads are too tall (they have a slightly large diameter which binds against the camera).



The man at my local camera store said that Tiffen changed their packaging a long while back, and the filter that I had was in the older packaging. So perhaps this filter was made for older film cameras and not for newer digital cameras (that's him talking, not me).



Either way, this filter only screws in about 1/3 of a turn and then starts to bind. Don't buy this filter to fit a Panasonic DMC-FZ50. - Lens Accessories - Filters - Camera Filter - Protection'

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Weighing Scale - american weigh, dw

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This scale is a great value for the .01 gram precision it offers. Once calibrated it is quite sensitive and accurate. Mine came quite far from calibrated, but based on the other reviews here it appears this is only a fluke. The scale is lightweight and very portable, being roughly the same size as a Nintendo DS Lite. Build quality is good; it looks like it will last a long time if used properly and carefully. Comes with two AAA batteries and a space for storing a pair of extras. Very nice scale for the price.



One hint about calibration: if you forget to buy the 100g calibration weight, you can simply use 20 U.S. nickels, as each nickel is exactly 5g.

I purchased this exact scale from this seller for reloading. Its important to have .1grain resolution, as is advertised. It does not, its .2grain. Contacted seller (scales n tools) they said that it was a manufacturing change and offered to take it back. Fair enough. They still havent changed the ad on here though, so they are purposely misleading people with false advertising.

I've had this scale for a couple years, and I'm very happy with it. It's accurate, repeatable +/- 0.02 grams on different days, and has held up through moderate handling (nothing abusive, but stuff that I'd never put my lab scale through).



It uses what I call a "floating zero". This is good and bad... When within 0.03 grams of zero and steady, it displays 0.00 and slowly adjusts its zero. If you slowly add 0.01 grams at a time, you can get it to drift way off, and when you eventually take off all the weights at once, it'll display -0.20 grams or whatever their weight was. The good is that the scale, despite its inexpensive mechanism, keeps very good zero calibration between measurements. The downside is that it makes small measurements difficult. If you want to weigh out 0.15 grams of powder, you can't just tare your weigh paper and then gradually pour it on - the zero will drift unless you add the first 0.05 grams quickly enough. Instead, you can NOT tare it, and manually subtract the weigh paper.



This feature is not a problem at all unless you're weighing very small (less than 0.1 grams) items on a regular basis. I think this is an acceptable compromise for a pocket scale of this precision at this price (and it's practically standard until you get to much more expensive equipment), so I am not marking any points off. - Dw - Pocket Scale - Digital - Coins - Kitchen Scale - American Weigh'

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Digital Camera Case - digital frame, 5x optical zoom

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Check out my updating youtube videos. I am user: "PentaxWG1" The good the bad the ugly. The over all feel of this camera is strong and gripable. I love having metal and rubber on my electronics. I have dropped this camera. It was on my lap in the jeep and there was a hornet. I jumped out and it threw to the ground. No problems. The removable circle around the lens (macro stand) has threads. They are 46mm and can screw on filters and caps. I got a cap, uv filter, polorized filter, and flourecent filter on e-bay for $6. So other than the sony TX10, this is the only camera that can protect the lens. Can't wait to buy a telescopic lens. My camera has been underwater about 15 ft. I've seen no problems with leaking. It has two openeings; one for battery and sd card, and one for hd/av hook-up. Both seem strong and sturdy to me. Battery cover does move ever so slightly but seems fine. Ok, thats the construction. As you have already heard, the macro/super macro is awesome. If you can get your specimen to sit still, you can get some pretty great material. The movie macro is even pretty cool, but you have to stay at a consistant focal length or it gets blury. I recorded a wolf spider in pitch black and the l.e.d. lights around the lens made it look like a monster movie! One bad thing about the macro is that when set straight down on the subject it will focus and take the picture on something as flat as a leaf or picture.... if it protrudes as much as a dime width or more it won't stay focused. But when I pulled back just a hair the dime did look awsome. N-E-Wayz, It seems the closer you are to the subject with this camera the better it looks. A closer shot of two people, shoulders and up, look really good. But further away not so much. pictures of groups of people (full body) or the shot of a pond or a... cow...I say the camera is about par. Not bad but not great. I have tried the cybershot TX10 and if you strictly want waterproof picture quality go that way or panasonic. TX10 was beautiful but not as fun. Back to the WG-1. With par pics I do feel the camera is more consistant than its predesessor w90. Better with stand, free hand not as good..but always the same. Never a crappy picture out of nowhere. I also feel it does much better in lower light than the w90. It gets noisey but I was getting decent lighted shots (no flash) in areas that where very dim to the naked eye. The l.e.d. lights are handy, too. Optical zoom works pretty well for pictures. You'll want a steady hand or stand if zoomed all the way in. Digital zoom sucks. The panorama is not sweep. You take 3 pics and line them up, then the camera stitches them. Not as convinient as the TX10 but it looks good and you can do tricks...As for underwater. Pictures and video where pretty darn good. Anti shake or wudever made it pretty smooth. With video underwater or above the zoom works but it doesn't refocus very well. But over all regular video was better than I expected. Once again when things are close it seems very virbrant. I got about a foot from a cow's face and the fur on his head got very HiDef-ish. Battery life....sucks, but I got and extra generic one when I ordered mine for 6 bucks. Over-all I really love this camera. I've been totally entertained for 2 days and havn't even gotten to time lapse phtography yet. Although I do think of the pic quality of the TX10 now and then. I would have been bored with that camera after one dip in the lake. I can get a 10 mp zoom camera for less than a hundred and fill in anywhere the wg-1 lack. Pentax Optio WG-1 Adventure Series 14 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 5x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom (Black)

The most fantasticly durrible camera I have ever seen. I have litterally tossed this thing around just for the fun of it, and it withstands anything.

Performs great underwater. A few bubbles come out of the power button which scared me at first, but it's normal.

The battery charges only through an external charger (so it can have less waterproof ports I suppose)

I am using a 16gb SD card which works great in it. Screen is comfortably large and bright.

Digital microscope blew my mind with the clarity and detail that can be achieved. Zoom is reasonable.

Pictures have a dramatic feel to them with great contrast.

Software is easy to use, and took me about an hour to know every feature. Great photo editing software is BUILT INTO THE CAMERA to do whatever effects you need done.

Self-portrait mode is a little bit flaky but very interesting none the less. Who uses facial recognition anyway, really? lol.

The feel of the camera is phenomenal. Rubber and very hard grippy plastic cover the whole camera, and gives a very rugged and tough feel, but it is such a tiny lightweight package.

Manual zoom, focus, aperture, and ISO come in very handy.

All in all a fantastic camera, worth every penny. :)

We owned a Pentax's first waterproof camera (Optio W10) and loved it. So when it came time to upgrade we bought this one before our trip to Mexico. We choose this one because of its ergonomic design. We figured this would work wonders when splashing around underwater and be easy to hold onto. The ergonomic design is the only redeeming feature of this camera.



At first we were concerned about how loose the battery door was. The battery door stayed shut but it would slide partially open when closed and was very loose (not enough for water to actually get in but enough to make us concerned). Thinking it might just be the camera we picked up, we went back to the store where we bought it from. After looking at other ones it appears to be part of the design. This should have been our first clue that this is a horrible camera.



While on vacation in Mexico the camera froze several times requiring the battery to be removed to get it to unfreeze. Now this can be a true problem when you need to let the camera dry for about an hour before opening the battery door otherwise you risk exposing both the battery and memory card to water.



We also discovered small water spots on the inside of the display screen. Clearly it is not as waterproof as claimed. I am glad we were only using it while wading in the ocean and not actually snorkelling.



The battery life is extremely poor requiring charging every two days when the camera is moderately used.



We also found the image quality not that good. After returning from our vacation, we looked at old images from our previous camera (Optio W10) and they were much better even though it was only 6 megapixels. In fact the same picture taken with our iPhone 3Gs had a better image quality.



Pros

- Great rugged looking design



Cons

- Poor image quality

- Freezes

- Not completely waterproof

- Poorly manufactured



Summary

Clearly Pentax designed a nice looking camera that gives the illusion of ruggedness; however, their production quality of this model is extremely poor. We've returned the camera and are looking for a different one (not from Pentax) to replace it with. - Digital Camera Case - Digital Photo - 5x Optical Zoom - Digital Frame'

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Iphone Stylus - ipad pen, touch screen stylus

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I have been using a Pogo Sketch for quite some time and I can assure you that the Targus stylus beats the Pogo and every other stylus hands down! In fact, I recently was employed by one of the largest wireless carriers in their marketing department and worked closely with the person responsible for buying all accessories that are sold in our stores. She had tested and trialed dozens of styluses a d had determined that pogo was the best available stylus at the time. Last month, I visited her and showed her the Targus stylus. Like me, she was blown away. She is now going to contact Targus for samples to put through their tests. It works great with iPhone and iPad -- and especially great with Penultimate. It is high-quality and feels great in my hand. It is as thick as a normal ballpoint pen, and the clip is made of sturdy metal (not cheap plastic like the Pogo). The tip is soft rubber, but not at all sticky like some other inferior rubber styluses). Using this on an ipad is so silky smooth and a pleasure to use. Buy this, you will not be disappointed!! Targus Stylus for Apple iPad 16GB, 32GB, 64GB WiFi + 3G, iPad 2, iPhone, iPod, Tablet AMM01US (Black)

This stylus is smaller and more precise than my finger, and keeps the screen cleaner. It also works with a touch screen mobile phone and easily distinguishes between a touch and a swipe. Best of all is when using Pages or Numbers on an iPad, as one can hit the small icons with ease. The hemispherical tip ensures contact over a wide range of angles so the stylus can be held as one would a regular pen.



The stylus has a quality appearance with a chrome accent and a metal pocket clip. The top of the pen has a small hole through which a lanyard may be attached. It is only available in black, but that does not detract from its functionality. It is an excellent and inexpensive accessory for the iPad.



Update: After six months of daily use, the rubber tip has perished and the stylus must be replaced. Its replacement will be a stylus with a longer lasting polymeric material and not one with soft rubber.

At a staff meeting a couple weeks ago, we sat around comparing iPad accessories. Everyone agreed that a stylus was a must have for senior software architects with large and somewhat stiff fingers. (God only knows what we have done to stiffen them.) We passed around 3 or 4 different styluses. The general agreement was that the Targus was the best. The tip is has the right degree of softness and the clip is well designed. The electrical engineer who held out for a rolled up piece of raw bacon was ignored. I ordered a Targus stylus because it was sold out locally. It does work well. My only complaint is the silly string. The latch is hard to work and a stylus dangling on a two inch thread is wrong in many ways. The problem is easily and completely solved by throwing the string away.

Here's what I found after trying a multitude of styluses (or is it styli?) after buying an iPad 2. I wanted to use an iPad as a sketch book and the pad like it's name...and go digital rather than filling up notebook after notebook. So the perfect stylus has to feel like a pen and work well enough on the screen to give the tactile feel of drawing or writing on paper.



I learned that styluses tips are of 2 main types - fuzzy fabric and rubber - with some additional quirky ones made of metal (O-Stylus) or even sausage (supposed to work like your finger!).

--Fabric tips:

Pogo stylus- also used by Apple Geniuses - have a fabric tip that's great for typing or selecting or gaming even but not so good for writing or sketching anything more complex than a smiley face.

Sock Stylus - There is a seller on etsy who is selling sock styluses with conductive fabric "sock" stretched over a wooden quill which has been sawed off for the perfect length. I found that stylus a little less sensitive than the Targus and you have to hold it at a certain angle for best results. However, if you're writing pages worth of notes on iPad then it tends to make the hand less tired than the Targus as Targus has a squishy rubber tip that can cause some fatigue.



There are other fuzzy fabric styluses out there sold by small stores - like the ones by the guy who has been advertising on all Mac forums and posting pictures of his store in competitors' item images. They claim that they have the best yet but I haven't tried those yet.

--Rubber tips:

The Targus in question has a rubber tip. Please check my uploaded pic for size comparison against some other styluses.



The rubber tip on this stylus looks pretty thick but is still thinner than our fingers. The problem is that it does block the view when writing or sketching just like our finger. There is also another 2nd gen ACase that has tried to eliminate some of that by creating a longer stylus and a thinner and longer rubber tip but failed to deliver as the thinner tip had to be held at certain angles to write well and became more squishy and less natural.



This Targus has been the best of the 4-5 styluses I tried so far (refer to the pic) overall as it is the most responsive of all and has a matte finish stem rather than ACase's smooth finish which makes it a little less slippery to hold. The iPad 2 is already so slinky, I don't want to worry about dropping the stylus too!! It performed well on Penultimate and UPad writing apps and SketchBook Express the sketching app and captured light strokes as well as the heavier strokes. The performance was a lot better than the Acase 2nd Generation Apple iPad / iPhone / iPod Capacitive Stylus (Jet Black) Newest Modeland a shade better than the Acase 2 in 1 Stylus + Pen for Apple iPad 16GB, 32GB, 64GB WiFi + 3G, iPad 2, iPhone, iPod, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy, BlackBerry Playbook (Black). And don't even bother trying the really cheap ones 3 Pack (Red + Black + Silver) of Universal Touch Screen Stylus Pen for Apple iPod Touch 2nd 3rd 4th Gen, iPhone 3G 3GS 4th Gen Generation, they're perhaps ok for tapping a little but not for writing or sketching. Although some people have suggested on forums that roughing up the rubber tip of the cheap styluses with a sandpaper makes them work better.



I've also heard good things about the Boxwave and Alupen but haven't tested them so I can't say if they're better than Targus.



So there you have it, Targus was the winner in writing and sketching on iPad but still not the perfect stylus as it is not as responsive as I would like. I'm still looking for that perfect stylus. - Stylus - Touch Screen Stylus - Targus - Ipad Pen'

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Baseball Cap - baseball cap, caps

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The only thing that I was hesitant about when buying this hat was that the emblem seemed a little small on the picture. However, after getting it in the mail, it was perfect. It fits great and I love the size of the emblem. I am so tired of all the Red Sox crap memorabilia everywhere I turn. The Yankees still rule (just look at their championships). Thanks Amazon. (again) New York Yankees MVP Adjustable Cap

I purchased 2 of these caps - one for my son and the other for my grandson as Christmas gifts. The caps look great and the adjustable head band is a BIG plus - especially when you don't have any idea of a head size! Great gift for TWO avid Yankee fans !!

I ordered the adjustable Yankees cap along with some other stuff. After having a post-holiday letdown the Monday after the 4th, I was so happy to find my Amazon order when I got home. Besides the Yankee cap, I took a chance on some other clearance stuff and I am thoroughly impressed and pleased with the quality of the merchandise. Everything arrived well-packaged and in FANtastic condition. I don't have the smallest head in the world and plenty of hair. At first, I thought the cap might be too small but that's why this partiular adjustable style works well. I just adjusted the velcro in back and its just fine. Like another reviewer said, the size of the lettering is just perfect and I love the rich deep blue. I'd ordered some "safe" things from Amazon before but this was my first time ordering from sellers other than directly from Amazon. I'm equally satisfied with the Yankees stuff I bought through Amazon from other sellers. Great prices and great merchandise!

I bought this cap without knowing what is Yankee. I live in New England region.



Now, I wear this cap on weekend and go for shopping. An old man was furious over me. I couldn't make out why he is angry. He commented on Cap. I couldn't understood. I came back home and try to understand what is there in Yankee. Later, I understood baseball game and red-sox vs Yankee.



Now the cap is in my wardrobe. I will give it to my friend in New york.



Overall, I had fun time.

A top quality hat it has an elastic head band in the rear that expands to any size head. Unfortunately, I am a fathead and the snug fit makes my forehead itch. I prefer the plastic hole and plug hat bands or next would be the velcro adjust straps in the rear. But it is a premium quality hat at a price above others elsewhere. - Hats - Fan Gear - Baseball Cap - Caps'

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Accessories - android, android tablet

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This is the type of product that comes close to being good on so many levels - but never quite gets there. Full of good idea's that were never quite implemented properly.



The Xoom does fit securely in the case, I never get the impression my Xoom is about to fall out for fit and security it's perfect.



Overall the case is good, the majority of the outer cover is a semi hard vinyl/plastic like material - much like you would find on luggage but firmer, perhaps due to some adhesive used to give it strength. This is fine by me as this material will gives it a bit of shock resistance should something heavy fall on it. It has a textured surface which helps prevent it from slipping from your grip.



The edges of the case are hard plastic and do a fair job of protecting the corners from impacts. This protection was obviously not the intent - as the hard plastic is primarily designed to hold the tablet in place, otherwise the corner plastic would have been made just a bit larger to protect the bottom corners completely.



The inside of the case where the back of the tablet sits is similar to the outer shell, but not textured and a bit more fabric like feel. The inside that covers the screen when closed is made of a hardened foam that helps protect the screen. There are built in troughs that the bottom of the tablet can sit in when open to give it a nice viewing angle when watching video, running a slide show etc...



The largest design flaw is the fact that although there are cutouts for the speakers, power button, camera, headphones, SD slot - they have neglected to make cutouts where they are needed the most! There is no opening for the charger, USB, or HDMI - so anytime you want to charge the unit, connect it to your computer, or use the HDMI output you must have the case open - serious flaw. Who wants to leave their case sitting open when it is charging.



All in all it's okay, and I would recommend it overall, but know that it is a tiny bit frustrating to have such potential and then fail because of simple flaws. Motorola Protective Portfolio Case for MOTOROLA XOOM (Motorola Retail Packaging)

I am not sure why everyone is so down on this case. I purchased it locally because of all the negative reviews so I could return it quickly if the negativity was justified - it isn't.

First off, all the complaints about scratches are bogus. The case does not scratch the device in anyway. It's plastic on metal... which do you think's gonna win?

Quite honestly, other than it's slightly bulbus profile, the only "negative" thing I could find on it was that it doesn't have a very good typing angle setting. There's tilted, more tilted, and flat with a slight incline.

Excellent feel. Excellent protection. This thing could be dropped from quite a ways and survive with this case on.

Overall, it does exactly what it says. This isn't an apple product that fits inside, no crazy scratches here ;-)

Honestly? $40 for this?



I just received my case this morning, and within minutes I was quickly shocked of the poor quality of this case.



1. It is constructed with cheap vinyl materials and plastic. The plastic is already separating from the vinyl right out of the factory sealed paackaging.



2. The case does not fit the Xoom tablet well. Perhaps there was a manufacturing defect as the plastics are separating. Seems that I would really have to torque down on the case to get it to fit the tablet well.



3. The case appears that it is supposed to snap shut. However, it DOES NOT. Again, this may be due to the situations I mentioned in gripes 1 and 2.



4. You do not have access to the charging port while the unit is in the case. I considered making a small hole in the case so I could plug my unit in. But, why should I have to do this to a $40 case? And considering my total disappointment with this case, I will end up returning it anyway.



5. If you use this case regularly to make the tablet stand vertically, prepare to have the case scratch your $600 + investment.



This case, as far as I am concerned, is very much an overpriced piece of GARBAGE!



I will be returning and purchasing a zippered case and a small travel stand to use with my device. Amazon has those and the total price tag is far less than $40. Shop around for better options and see what you can come up with. This case is severely flawed.

Where to begin?



There is nothing good about this case



It's made of cheap material



YOU CANNOT CHARGE OR HAVE A USB CORD ATTACHED WHILE THE CASE IS CLOSED



YOU CANNOT CHARGE OR HAVE A USB CORD ATTACHED WHILE THE CASE IS OPENED TO HAVE THE XOOM ON THE 'KICK STAND'



THE BACK DOESN'T FLIP BACK AND LOCK, SO IF YOUR HOLDING THIS AND WALKING AROUND YOU EITHER HAVE TO HOLD THE BACK AGAINST IT, OR LET THE FLAP DANGLE



I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING THIS BAD! - Motorola - Android Tablet - Xoom - Android'

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Do It Yourself Concrete Work - durable, concrete design

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First off, let me say that I made great countertops based off of this book and his DVDs, so his methods and instructions work.



His detail in description is very good in this book. It is clear, precise, and readable.



The pictures are quite nice generally (a few are a bit pixelated, but don't really hurt anything). One problem is that most people (myself included) have never seen his pressed finish end product in person. This means that it is super critical that he gets perfect pictures of the finish so you can see what you are shooting for. The pictures of the finish are there, but they are just not close enough or plentiful enough to make me comfortable that I understand it.



It turned out I was overly concerned about this because if you follow his methods, things come out fine, but improved pictures of the concrete surface finish really would have helped.



He also has a couple of DVDs that I would recommend, because if this is your first countertop, the $$$ is well spent. If you avoid one mistake, you paid for the book and the two DVDs. Making Concrete Countertops (Schiffer Book)

I bought this book, along with Cheng's for my first attempt at a concrete countertop. This book does have good step by step photos of the pressed method and is very helpful. But many times I had to refer to Cheng's book for details that were lacking in this book. I do not have the dvd and it's possible that it fills in the blanks. If you are making concrete countertops for the first time, you will have a hard time being successful if this is your only resource.

It's nearly impossible to research good DIY concrete countertop books without comparing this author with Fu tung Cheng. Cheng's are a little more polished, but both are good references for different styles. This book and method help you produce a totally different appearance in the end product but they are very acceptable trade-offs and in some cases, may be preferable to Cheng's style. I think this author's approach maintains good fundamental instruction, but inspires a little more creativity. It is a different approach while still providing good fundamentals and enough information to create your own beautiful and unique concrete countertops. A good book to have.

My background is I'm just getting started in doing concrete counters and fireplace surrounds as a business. I went to one of Cheng's classes in SF and have some thoughts.



2/3rds of this book deals with precast face down in melamine, and the other 1/3 is cast face up and trowel into place.



The cast face up & trowel method is just too difficult to get perfect results, unless you have tons of experience in concrete. I honestly think renting a vibrating temper machine meant for floors would do much better than hand troweling. And it would be faster. The "character" left behind really is small mounds and scrapes showing that a professional didn't do the work.



As far as the ball up concrete, create veins, and fill them in with slurry for a veined look? Easier than the cast face up, for sure. I think wetting the concrete a bit more, vibrating the table, and creating a solid color is going to be way easier for the target market of this book. If you really want to learn how to do work with concrete and get an awesome veined look, take Cheng's class, Buddy Rhode's class, or the Concrete Institute, or, create several 12'' x 12'' sample squares and get the hang of it over a few weeks before taking on your whole kitchen. - Durable - Do It Yourself Concrete Work - Concrete Design'

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Calculator - pe exam, engineering

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I bought this calculator's distant ancestor six or seven years ago in College and loved it ever since. The old model was the first calc that gave you graphing calculator editing capabilities in a small calc package and it was a steal for the $12 or $14 I paid for it then. This new generation is nothing short of a quantum leap forward. For the first time you can enter equations exactly as you would write them. The font switches to a smaller size, so you can review the whole equation at once. It also has a solver funtion that is intuitive and quick; I used it all the time on open channel flow problems, or any equation that would require more than mild rearranging of terms. This may be the only calc on the PE approved list that has this ability.



Other high points:

* excellent battery life and solar ability

* Table function



Minor quibbles:

* you may have to slow down the pace when keying in as it will miss keystrokes if you type too fast

* you have to hit Shift to get to 'X' (alpha) or Pi

* when editing an equation, very slow to cursor to where you want Casio FX-115ES Advanced Scientific Calculator with 2-Line Natural Textbook Display

I failed the FE last semester. Yes, probably one of 5 who failed out of like thousands who did fine. Needless to say I'm ashamed. I was a last semester senior in civil with a completely overwhelming 18 hour schedule which I should have known was suicide. Plus many other personal life complications and interruptions. All that business led me to completely put off all studying for the FE thinking it would be a sinch. Plus, friends had said it wasn't that bad at all. Lesson learned. Study for this test! I will not allow myself to fail this test again. Unless you're a genius, do not put off the studying like I did. I'm a 3.5 gpa student.



I'm registered to take this test again this October. I'm now a grad student and my schedule is actually much more realistic. I have been studying with a partner 2-3 times a week, for several hours at a time. We help push each other when we we're stuck. We both have the giant FE review manual by lindebergh. Also, go to the NCEES site, print out the Reference Manual available in pdf at kinkos and have it bound there. It is vital to get to know your way around it.



CALCULATOR!!! I actually owned this Casio fx 115ES for my first time taking the FE. Though I had spent a little time getting to know it before the test, I have realized only recently that it was not near enough! I have vowed to know this thing inside and out and in the process I have realized that this may be the best calculator ever created.



I have used a TI-86 for years. I always loved the TI setup so I thought about getting one of TI approved models, but the fx-115ES was rated a lot higher and had better reviews than the other calculators permitted on the exam. I got it. It frustrated me for a while because it seemed so unlike the format of TIs. I thought I was comfortable enough with it for the test, but obviously I wasn't. I feel I'm a notoriously bad timed test taker. You should know absolutely everything about the ref manual you can and know every short cut on your calculator as possible. Each 4 hour segment moves way fast!



This semester I have actually been using the fx-115ES during classes and for all my homework. Discovering shortcuts that I had no idea existed. The display is amazing. I like seeing a fraction like how I would write it on paper and this calculator allows you to do that. In fact, you can put fractions in the numerator and denominator of a fraction! You can even put fractions in the next fractions! Does that make sense? It helps me immensely because I have realized I notoriously type things in wrong in calculators. If I get an answer that isn't one of the choices, I can press the navigation key and go back and look at everything I typed in and easily fix it. It is amazing. I have done that over and over.



You can enter constants (Avogadro's number, gravity, etc etc) and can convert units by using the little cheat sheet that is already glued on the inside of the sliding case. Figuring out how to quickly use that (which is not hard at all) is also an amazing help.



There is a genius little button that converts mixed numbers to decimal form. I know that it's in most calculators but it seems better on this one. There is also a button to convert to engineering (i.e. 10^-4). At my level of schooling, integrating and derivation are very quick and easy, but holy crap, I can do it even faster on this calculator! There are so many great little features in this calculator that you'll find yourself wondering why other calculators even exist. Because I don't need to do a lot of graphing anymore, I actually have switched so this is basically my sole calculator. I recommend everyone do this. I am beyond confident that I will slaughter the FE this time around.



And just to prove to you one more thing. I researched the hell out of the available TI calculators this summer. I got the one that I thought was the best and offered the most functions. TI-36Solar. Don't even bother. It is built way cheaper than the fx-115ES. It's only solar and I found that it had a hard time turning on and being seen in the middle of the day!!!! This is a huge issue as FE exam rooms can be very dim! The Casio is double powered and contrast is easily controlled! The buttons on the TI are inferiorly organized to the Casio.



LAST NOTE! DO NOT get the fx-115MS or ANY other model of the fx-115. My study friend after seeing me gush over this ES finally decided to get one. He accidently got the MS and to his horror, the display is only one line and with less functions. I cannot believe I have typed all this up. I think I'm just hoping to help people to not make the same mistakes I did. - Casio - Pe Exam - Algebra - Engineering'

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Cell Phone Battery - spare battery, motorola droid

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btw, this battery is 1390 mah, not 1300 as it's listed in title and description.



5$ for a battery that cost 50$ from "Official" Markets like Verizon & Retail Chains? definitely sounded too good to be true. But I thought, what the hell, for 5$, I'll give it a shot, and from some scattered reviews, they seem to be satisfied that it's likely OEM w slight differences. And if Amazon Direct had once sold it for 5$ as well, then 5$ from private amazon sellers no longer sounded so far fetched.



There were slight differences in what I received compared to the "GENUINE MOTOROLA" that came w my phone so i DID question it's authenticity. The font size on these spare batteries were slightly larger on the front. and there are slight differences in placement of information on the back of the battery. Otherwise all the info and branding is the same, even with the same holographic prism across the back.

**btw, the photo in this listing is of the OEM Stock battery that came with our USA phones, NOT the version we'll be receiving.



I later came to feel more secure with my purchase from private sellers after my brother bought his Droid2Global phone. Since his phone is considered a "Global" product, all his included accesories included outlet adapters, etc. and when I looked at his battery, sure enough, it looked EXACTLY the same as the ones I buy off amazon sellers.



So the conclusion is:

-the batteries from the amazon marketplace are indeed OEM, but they're GLOBAL OEM inventory. if it matters to anyone, there's probably slight differences between USA Standards and Global Standards. But for most of us, as long as it's officially OEM, it's good enough for us.



So I placed in an order for one battery from a few merchants.



OEM Planet : US 1st Class Ships from NY with Tracking in small bubble envelope, not in retail packaging.



OEM Shop : US 1st Class Ships from NY, w/o Tracking. Courteous Customer Srvc Response 1 day email turnover



BTO Inc : US 1st Class Ships from NY, w/o Tracking. in small bubble envelope. not in retail packaging. Extremely generous Customer Response 2 day email turnover Motorola BP6X A855 Droid OEM 1300mah Standard Battery

This works fine. If this is NOT the OEM battery, someone's done a great job making it look like one AND have the same good performance. Additionally, the seller (Cell Lounge) is quite good. When I ordered a spare battery for my husband's phone, I was sent one which was defective. I contacted them immediately and in a little more than a week I had a new battery at no charge.

Garbage. Mine came in a small box labeled for "Video Cameras." Item is clearly not OEM, but what can you expect for the price. Battery life is pathetic. It lasts about 25% as long the REAL Motorola battery. If you are a heavy internet, video, multimedia user, this battery isn't even worth the $4 since it lasts about two hours.

I was hoping to replace my tired Droid battery with this new one. Unfortunately the old battery holds a charge longer than the new one. Sadly, it was cheap and I guess I got what I paid for. It was not worth returning because the shipping cost more than the battery. Buyer beware!

The fact that the seller's description includes "ONLY trust your phone with Motorola OEM ORIGINAL batteries!" and included a photo of an original Motorola batter led me to believe I was purchasing a legitimate battery. Not so. Received a little, dirty, damaged blue box labeled "Mini Digital Video Battery". The battery is the same size as the Droid battery, but it is certainly not the same. There is no "Motorola" anywhere on it. There are also misspellings on the battery. Apparently it is a 3.7V lithium ion BOLYMER battery. I don't know if it works or not. It very well may, but I personally am not going to risk putting some random piece of crap video camera battery in my phone.

This is not made by Motorola. I bought this battery to replace my original one that came with my Droid, which was starting to fail. After a full night charging, the battery lasted about 4 hours on stand by. No calls made or internet used. This was worse than the old battery it was replacing. This says its Motorola and shows the picture of the battery with Motorola on it, but that is not what you get. This is a cheap knock off. Don't bother wasting your money.

This battery is a piece of crap. After several all-night charges I can safely say I was better off with my old battery. Really, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. Not even worth returning as return shipping is more than the battery. Guess I got what I paid for huh? Don't let it happen to you!

This battery is very obviously NOT new. It is USED. There are obvious signs of use: scratches, marks on the battery leads where the phone leads touch the battery, no packaging. FALSELY REPRESENTING THIS PRODUCT. - Battery - Motorola Droid - Phone Battery - Spare Battery'

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