High Definition - panasonic, hdmi

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Disclaimer: First I'd like to say that I do not have the equipment to view this set's 3-D picture yet. I bought it as a hedge against 3-D. I'm not sure if 3-D is going to take off, but if it does I know I'm ready for it. I thought I would get that out of the way so while you will know I cannot review that feature of the TV, I still have a lot to tell. Now on with the show...



The Panasonic comes shipped in a conveniently designed box where you simply punch out four inserts and lift the box top off of the base. Sort of like when you get a cake from the bakery in a plastic container. Inside's the TV, the stand, the remote (and batteries), the power cord, and the owner's manual. Attaching the swiveling base is very simple and involves screwing a metal fork onto the base then slipping the TV onto the fork and screwing it down. The whole process takes 5 minutes and I was able to do it without any assistance. Also, I'd like to mention that Amazon shipped the TV through a company called HomeDirectUSA. They were very professional and opened the box for me to make sure the TV was undamaged.



Looks wise the Panasonic isn't much. It's framed in a piano black trim and is about 3 inches deep. The base is also done in piano black with a chrome band around the edge. At the bottom of the TV's frame is a bronze colored streak. Overall it's a classy look, but also nothing special. On the lower edge of the TV are the 3-D glasses' transmitters and the remote sensor. On the left side of the TV are various buttons (channel, volume, menu, input, and power) along with a few inputs (HDMI, composite video, and an SD card slot) and two USB ports (for hooking up the wireless dongle amongst other things). On the back of the set (on the set's left side viewed from the front) are two HDMI, two components, one composite, one RF/coaxial, and a PC input. There is also an optical audio out. The TV's build quality is very good, the materials are nice, and it feels sturdy overall. Lastly, the included remote is long and narrow, but well laid out with large buttons that light up.



Using TV is straightforward and easy. It guides you through the set-up, scans for channels, sets up the network, and sets the clock. The menu system is logically laid out and easy to use. The picture controls are many and allow you to fine tune precisely, although the pro-setting are only available in Custom picture mode. Besides Custom mode there is Vivid, Standard, THX, and Game modes. Each mode can be tweaked individually and set up differently for each input. Some of the features included with the Panasonic are 5 individual timers to turn the TV on and off and a sleep timer. There is also VieraLink that, if the TV is connected to the Internet, allows you to view YouTube or Netflix among other services (I have not used this feature since I stream that content through my Blu-ray player). You can insert an SD card or a USB jump drive into the set and view photos, videos, or listen to MP3 files as well. This feature worked well when I inserted an SD card from my Canon camera and the photos looked very nice on the screen. Another nice feature is being able to set channels as your favorites so you can jump to them more quickly, or have the channel only scan favorites when you go up and down channels. Features to reduce burn-in include a pixel orbiter (which very slightly shifts the picture to prevent burn-in) and a scrolling bar pattern that wipes a white bar over a black screen for 15 minutes. While burn-in is much less of an issues with plasma sets then it used to be, if you like to watch non-high definition TV with the bars on the side, or play video games and pause them for a long time, plasma may not be the best bet for you. Finally, there are light sensors on the front of the TV to allow the set to adjust its brightness based on ambient light conditions.



Picture quality on the Panasonic is where this TV shows it mettle. I have the set hooked up in the following manner. My LG Blu-ray player and Nintendo Wii are hooked up to my Onkyo receiver, which is in turn hooked into the Panasonic via HDMI. The Blu-ray is hooked into the receiver using HDMI and the Wii using composite video. For cable, I use the RF/coaxial input. I am not a videophile and tweaked the picture menu myself where I settled on the Vivid setting with some adjustments to make it considerably less vivid (usually I hate vivid mode but I like it on this set). I find the picture looks best when I leave the automatic adjustment for ambient light on. I also have the TV set-up to show 95% of the image where the edges are cropped off so I don't view any image breakdown at the picture's edge. Watching any high definition content, be it Blu-ray, cable TV, or streaming Netflix, the picture looks its best with great detail and clarity (this is especially true when watching Blu-ray discs). Watching standard definition content doesn't look bad either, obviously it doesn't look great stretched out to 50", but the details hold up well and it's more than acceptable. Regardless of the source, the colors are accurate, the dynamic range is great with deep and detailed shadows, and there is no motion blur even when playing video games or watching animated content. My previous television was a 32" 720p LCD and compared to the LCD the plasma Panasonic looks more "fluid" and "film-like". The details don't jump out at you like they do on a high end LCD set (sometimes obnoxiously), but the picture is clear and sharp none the less. The screen has an anti-reflective coating that seems to work well. I have the set in a room with two big windows on the west side and I adjust the blinds when necessary to keep the sun's reflections off the screen. In the end, a plasma is no worse in this regard than a traditional tube television. Overall, I am very pleased with the picture and am a plasma convert.



The TV's built-in speakers are fine for casual viewing, but if you want a true big-screen experience you're going to want to hook this set up to at least a 2.1 system, if not a full blown 7.2 system. Mine is hooked up to a 5.1 system.



Speaking of sounds, I don't notice any humming from the set. Occasionally, if I have muted the sound and a bright white scene comes on I hear a slight hum, but it's barely noticeable and goes away as soon as the scene changes. Also, the set does not give off much heat as far as I can tell.



There are only a few negatives I have about the set and they are as follows: 1) The piano black trim on the set shows reflections much worse than the screen itself. 2) The set only has 3 HDMI inputs, most have 4. 3) The remote sensor is very low on the set and I have my center speaker in front of the TV so I have to angle the remote upward in order for the signal to reach the TV.



All in all... a great plasma set, with tons of inputs, features, and adjustability, but an especially great picture quality.



P.S.: Sorry for the long review. There is a lot to cover. If you'd like to know anything else leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.



11/24/2010 Update: Hitting the sub-menu button on the remote allows you to quickly change the behavior of the channel up/down button. For instance you can have it scan only your favorites, or just the digital channels. This is a nice touch, and a nice shortcut.



02/26/2011 Update: The television is still going strong and has maintained its excellent picture quality. I left a menu from my DVD player paused on the screen for about a half hour by accident, and after about a minute the retained image was gone. No issues with burn-in, humming, or anything. Great set. Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT25 50-inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV, Black - Panasonic - Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - Hdmi - High Definition'

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Surf Or Beach Fishing

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I bought the book believing i will learn a lot, however i did not learn as much as expected.

Pros:

*Nice pictures and good quality paper.

*Easy to read and fun on a rainy day.

*Low cost.

*Recommendations about the tackle, the best of the book.

*A few pictures about casting



Cons:

*No drawings about fishing line or fishing strategies. Only drawings availables are at Appendix 2 and are about knots for hooks, not for lures, and are pictures no drawings.

*NOT the complete book of surf fishing. It is far from a "complete book".



If you are a beginner on surf fishing, you will hardly find a "complete book on surf fishing", you will need 2-3 books that covers different topics, but not this one.



Not recommended for surf fishing learning techniques or strategies. However The Complete Book of Surf Fishing

I had done some surf fishing when I was younger. Now that I'm approaching retirement I've decided to get back into it. The fish haven't changed much, but surf rods and reels have changed quite a bit since I bought my equipment in the 1970s. Everything, from rods and reels to lines and hooks, is lighter, more powerful, more specialized and more sophisticated these days. While I'm certain I could still catch fish with my old gear, I'm sure that some new stuff will make my efforts more fun and efficient. The instructions in this book are clear and the photos are sharp and very helpful. Long-time sharpys won't learn much from this book, but newcomers and casual surf anglers can pick up enough information here to get them into fish often enough that they will want to stay with the sport and become more expert at it.

This book is a good place to start if you are looking to fish the surf. It gives practical and useful advice to help you, but like any sport you won't read yourself to competence. You have to just get out there and do it!

I just started surf fishing and this book provided me with 90% of what I needed. Everything else was on-hand experience which no book could teach. It saved me hours and hours of "guess work" at the beach. Even friends of mine have borrowed my book seeing my success based on what I've accomplished due to this book (now i dont even know who has it, so many have borrowed it).

I was first taken by surf fishing when vacationing as kid with my family in Mexico. A group of laid back locals stood around drinking some beers and shooting the breeze-until the rod bent like a crazy and the guy (they were all men) sprung to action and wrestled with the catch, hauling it a big fish (no idea what kind). It had a thrill and appeal to it: minimal work and big pay off for exciting work.

In Surf Fishing, Al Ristori (the fishing editor for the Star Ledger) captures the appeal of surf fishing, with lots of practical advice. The book has tons of great caliber photos and the whole book is printed on thick, glossy paper. If you're interested in surfing fishing, you'll be pleased with this one.

I didn't read this book... I started it, but in perusing through the book, I realized there is only photos of two women in the whole book, neither of them identified, unlike the other photos. I can only assume (yes, I know what that means...) he thinks surf fishing is too strenuous, too macho for women.'

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Fun Math Games - scholastic teaching resources, fun math games

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most of the games are set up to cut out cards and play some type of bingo game with the cards.. so if that is not your style or you don't want quite a few sets of bingo cards, it is not the book for you. Math Games to Master Basic Skills: Fractions & Decimals: Familiar and Flexible Games With Dozens of Variations That Help Struggling Learners Practice ... Fraction and Decimal Skills and Concepts - Scholastic Teaching Resources - Curricula - Math Games - Fun Math Games'

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Handheld Vacuum - dustbuster, hand vac

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Worst accessory ever! DON'T BUY IT. It doesn't have power to blow or vacuum a smallest piece of styrofoam or paper. It'just doesn't work, it looks nice, but is utterly loud and gets clogged in a second, I mean if you somehow manage to scratch some dust of your equipment. Metro Vacuum MS-4C 115-Volt DataVac PC Desktop Electronics Cleaner

The way it is described in the catalogs and on the box and the way it is packed, you would think you would need to keep small children and animals out of its way, but that is definitely not the case. The other reviewer said that it was worthless when it is clogged. Well, if that is case, it sure doesn't take much to clog it. I used it on one not particularly crumby keyboard and I literally could not tell if it had ANY (I mean ANY) suction. You would get more suction putting a straw to your mouth and sucking.

I bought this from another retailed. I will be returning it immediately. I did not have unrealistic expectations. However, this is completely useless. My keyboard was worse after using this. It did not pick up anything! Not the tiniest speck of dust.



Worthless.



There's more suction created by closing a door 10 feet away than from this vacuum. Is that an exaggeration? No, because this "vacuum" creates ZERO SUCTION.



None.



None at all.



I checked it all out. Clean, new filter: check. plugged in, turn on and making noise: check. Air brush (turbine) in proper place and spinning when powered on: check. Suction: NO.



Worthless. It struggled and I struggled to get it to lift an eyelash from a flat, smooth surface.

This little vac does exactly what it is suppose to do, pick up small dust particles. If you are expecting it to pick up pieces of food, screws and other larger items dropped in your keyboard or CPU then you will be disappointed. It is great for use around delicate pc boards and actually does pick up very small lightweight items. It is powerful enough for what it is intended to do and nothing more. If you want something more powerful then get the larger data vac pro or a regular vacuum cleaner.



UPDATE: I have had this neat little vacuum for a total of 4 months. All of a sudden it died. I contacted Amazon and they gave me a phone number for Data Vac which is the wrong company. Metro Vacuum is the manufacturer. I called and they said to send back and if they can't repair they will replace. Ok, fine but I have to pay shipping both ways. This will probably cost more than what I paid for the item here.



Buy something else. This item won't last unless you like shelling out $20 every couple of months.

Like other reviewers, when I first saw that this vac was electric, I thought the suction would be really strong. It is not and I promise you there are battery powered vacuums out there that are much more powerful than this. It will suck up only the loosest dust and debris from surfaces so the brush on the end of the nozzle has to do most of the work. Worse the filter is a tiny cloth thing that will let many small particles pass through. I used the vac to suck up some debris from a piece of plastic I was sawing and many of the particles (much larger than your average piece of dust mind you) went right through the filter and into the motor housing. That's another problem too - the exhaust goes THROUGH the motor and out the back end - not the best design when you have a poor filter.

This is a great little vacuum to clean computers with and even your desktops with. Plus I like the fact that I don't have to put batteries in it. It seem the vacuums that run on batteries to me don't have the power this one does. I really like this little vacuum cleaner. I'm giving this vacuum to a friend for Christmas. I already have one and liked it so much that I knew it would make a great Christmas gift.

Found this a while ago at an office supply store going out of business so figured for half price I'd try it. Vacuum power is weak; pretty much useless for a computer.



But for my cameras, especially the SLR's, it's perfect. I have the mini tool attachment set for the shop vac, but the suction is too strong around delicate camera parts, like a SLR shutter curtain. This picks up the dust but isn't so strong it'll suck up a mirror or delicate shutter curtain/blade. Better than "canned air" which can force the dust deeper into the camera. And I like that it plugs in/doesn't use batteries.



I also created my own filter to replace the fabric one that came with it; that helped improve the suction a little. I cut a circle of thin filter material (the kind used in a hot air heat outlet/register) to replace the original filter & holder, and use a piece of removable rope caulk to make a ring around the edge of the new filter to keep it in place; works perfectly. So, no stars for a computer but 4 as a camera vac. - Hand Vac - Dustbuster - Handheld Vacuum'

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Undercabinet Cd-radio - cd player, piece of junk

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This item arrived 2 days ago and I'm already returning it. Two big problems right off the bat:



1). The mounting kit is ONLY for cabinets with flush bottoms to them. If you have a normal kitchen cabinet with any amount of trim around the bottom edge, you will not be able to mount this unit. Coby customer service was surprised that this wasn't included in the description on Amazon. So, if your cabinets are not flush at the bottom, look elsewhere for an under-cabinet CD player.



2). The description here says that this unit has a digital AM/FM radio. The radio is actually analog. (Who even makes analog radio tuners these days!) It was a royal pain to find any of our main radio stations when I tested the unit.



I only tested the CD player briefly, but it worked well and had okay sound quality (wasn't expecting the best quality for $35). It took a few minutes to figure out how to set the clock, alarm, etc. because the little owner's manual is worthless. Calling Coby customer service on a Monday morning took 10-15 minutes on hold and another 5 minutes to get the service rep to stop asking for my personal information, listen to my question, and put me back on hold again. Wasn't too impressed.



If anyone knows of an under-cabinet CD player/radio/clock that can be mounted to kitchen cabinets with trim on the bottom, please let me know. Coby KCD150 Under-the-Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Radio (Silver)

I really wanted a replacement AM FM radio for $15 but could only find units like this for $30 with CD players. It works OK and installed easily. My beef is the controls for the radio. It does not have digital tuning so you turn a dial like the 40's and 50's and try to read the radio frequency numbers behind the dial. Since they are tiny and are below eye level, it's very hard to tell where you are on the dial. (the bottom of most any kitchen cabinet will have to be below eye level.) This unit is compatible with cabinets with hanging trim, contrary to one reviewer's claim.

We received the product and it would not play CD's. Contacted the company Service Center and was told to return the product. We have been trying to get return authorization for a couple weeks now to no avail!!! I would have upgraded to another brand with Amazon,however, I guess the service is not good as the product was not either.

I was looking for a small cd/radio for the nursery, but everything was so bulky and ugly. Since we have built-ins in the nursery, we decided that an under-cabinet type of cd player would work nicely. This product is light-weight and attractive, and was a piece of cake to install. The sound quality on this player is amazing -- just as good as a (much more expensive) Tivoli system that we have! Overall, perfect for the price -- we have no complaints.

The unit has great sound and features. Installation is easy if you have flat bottom cabinets. However the unit has one glaring flaw(at least mine does). The CD drive has trouble playing track one(1) on all CD discs. It loads and you can select all tracks, even track two(2) and it will play immediatly. When you try to play track one there is a strange clicking/squeaking noise from the drive like it is having issues finding the track. Eventually the track plays if you wait a few minutes and push play a few times. Still not a good issue.

Nice sound, but the installation was a nightmare! Beware, as the screws that come with this product are about two inches too short! Our kitchen cabinets are very thin, yet the screws that come with this radio are way short. Not only that, but you can't just run to a hardware store to get longer screws.

These are size 10, 32-thread screws. The longest you'll find are 3", which is the length of screws included in the box. I had to special order 4 and a half inch screws from a specialty hardware store. Cost me $11.00 for 4 screws! - Dont Bother - Cd Player - Coby - Piece Of Junk'

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Laptop Hard Drive - ide adapter, cable

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Fantastic purchase - just what I needed when my laptop wouldn't boot any more. I just hooked this up to the spare IDE slot on my desktop, powered up, and there was a new drive with all my files on it. The hardest thing about any of this was figuring out how to unscrew the drive out of the laptop chassis - they bolt those things in pretty well. Cables To Go - 17705 - Laptop to IDE Hard Drive Adapter

This adapter works perfectly. I have had trouble with HP laptops. 3 separate laptops and 7 times needing hardware repair. This last time my laptops graphics card stopped showing a signal. I knew the hard drive was still working. I did not want to take it to a repair service like Geek Squad. This cable just let me plug the laptops hard drive directly into the desktop's IDE cable. I copied my files that I would have lost and saved the expense of repair.

Not being a laptop expert I was surprised to learn that the hard drive would not interface with my IDE cable in my desktop. I wanted to load a newer operating system in my laptop but the unit was so old it had no CD drive. Enter the adapter here and now I was able to do what I needed to thanks to a very inexpensive part. I'm happy with it.

This simple cable does just what it should. I had an old laptop that I destroyed but wanted to salvage the content. I had to adjust the jumpers on the HD but otherwise it works. One caveat is that the HD has an odd pin missing, like most IDE drives, and the cable does not indicate which side is which.

I needed this to recover data from a clients corrupted laptop hard drive. Threw the drive into my desktop PC where my recovery software is, hooked it up in seconds. It worked perfectly, now the guy thinks I am a genius. - Ide Adapter - Computer Cables - Ide - Cable'

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Flat Screen Wall Mount - wall mount, flat screen wall mount

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I just installed this wall mount for use with a 42" Philips plasma screen TV. As you can see from the picture, the mount basically consists of two plates connected by an articulating arm, which provides the swivel action. The TV is secured to the larger of the two plates via the supplied brackets, which provide the tilt action. The mount itself comes pre-assembled and thus requires only installation onto the wall; similarly, the brackets are also pre-assembled (with the exception of a pair of adjustment knobs for the tilt mechanism which for some reason are not mentioned at all in the installation instructions), and need only be screwed into the back of the TV.



Despite some headaches presented by the construction of my wall (I rent an apartment in an old building in Brooklyn where there is apparently an inch-and-a-half of plaster overlying drywall and studs), I was able to install the smaller plate into the wall using some cheap-but-sturdy toggler anchors from the local hardware store, without a problem.



Where I did run into a problem was when I mounted the TV to the larger of the two plates. Basically, though the mount seems solidly constructed and holds up just fine, it seems as though the articulating arm isn't strong enough at the joint, which causes a distinct and noticeable (about 3-5 degrees or so) right-sided droop to the TV; this despite the fact that the smaller plate affixed to the wall is perfectly level. Now, given that the mount is rated for TVs up to 55", I don't think my 42" TV is outside of its reported weight range. So, given that the wall plate is level, and eliminating the weight of the TV as the source of the problem, I can only chalk it up to a design or manufacturing defect.



Now, the droop makes the whole thing look kind of sloppy, though in truth it doesn't really affect the viewing experience all that much; it's slight enough so that you don't notice it at all once you're engrossed in whatever it is you're watching. And this is definitely the cheapest tilt-and-swivel mount I've been able to find, which offsets a little bit of my disappointment. In sum, I'd say I'm satisfied enough that I won't bother to go through the hassle of trying to return it, but if I were to do it all over again I might have saved up for a slightly more expensive model from a different manufacturer. cheetah Mounts 32"-55" LCD TV Wall Mount Bracket with Full Motion Swing Out Tilt & Swivel Articulating Arm for Flat Screen Flat Panel LCD LED Plasma TV and Monitor Displays APSAMB

I just finished installing this mount and my 50" Panasonic plasma. I bought the articulating mount so I could position the TV in the corner. This means I mounted it towards the corner of one wall and used the articulation to move it to a diagonal position where the edges are flush against adjacent walls.



This mount was very easy to install. Instructions were great. I really liked the built-in level. It was easy to get the plasma on the mount with two people.



The one issue I had was with the tv actually being level. The tv is level when it's flat against the wall. When I articulate it out a bit and to the right, the right edge dips. It's obvious enough to bother me. What I did was adjust one of the brackets that bolt to the tv. I purposely had one bracket one position different (higher) than the other. This resulted in leveling the tv when articulated. However, when I put the tv back against one wall, it's grossly off level. That's ok for me because the permanent spot is in the corner which is level. I think the problem is due to the weight pressing down on the arm. Not much you can do about it.

This mount is sturdy and well built. It was easy to install into my traditional TV cabinet.



The mount adjusts in several different ways, allowing for easy mounting of my Panasonic Viera, which I was told would not be easy to find a mount for as it does not have standard mount holes.



The only trouble I have has was my error, where I did not attach the mount to the cabinet perfectly vertical. Now when the arm is completely extended and the TV is turned its not level. Not really a big deal as I only have it in that position when fiddling with cables.



Overall I'm very happy.

TV: Panasonic Viera 42" 720p plasma (52.9 lbs. without stand)



This was my first TV wall mount that I've purchased. Upon my initial search, I was shocked by the prices of wall mounts, especially ones that not only pivot up and down but swivel out and side-to-side. When I came across this model by Cheetah Mounts, I thought this had to be cheap and I'd be regretting my purchase. I read the reviews and even though many had issues with the TV drooping to one side slightly when extended, I basically just had to bite the bullet and accept that if I want to save money, this product was my best option. Boy, was I wrong.



I unpacked the box and immediately could tell by the weight of the product that this was not cheaply made. The components were tight/solid and the design was simple. There was nothing cheap-feeling about the mount, including the supplied nuts, bolts, washers, etc.



I will admit that the directions were not exactly clear, but if you just take your time and read through completely (a few times) before actually performing a step, it will all come together.



In my particular setup, I was installing onto 2x4 studs 16" on center (standard wall stud configuration). I can't imagine installing into a concrete wall as described in the directions, if you needed to. This seemed much more complicated.



The one place for improvement I could see in the instructions was the placement on the wall and how to decide how high to hang the mount and how to go about making sure your 4 holes you pre-drilled in the wall line up properly to keep the wall mount level once hung. If you have a stud-finder, a level (supplied with the mount) and common sense, you will have no trouble. If you get this part right, the rest will fall into place.



As described in the directions, it's recommended that you use two people to hang the TV once you've attached the part of the mount that goes on the TV. The wife and I had no troubles getting the TV up and mounted together. We've been known to bicker back and forth on projects and I think the only thing we bickered about was how high the mount should be hung! Amazing!



After installation was complete, we gave the unit some test runs by swinging out the arm in different directions and angles. The mount maintained it's center level through-out the complete range of motion... even fully extended. Again, I owe this to patience in the beginning to ensure the lag bolts that were screwed into the 2x4 studs were level. I experienced zero-droop fully extended and turned to either side. I was very impressed. I'm still not sure what other product reviewers had trouble with.



I am VERY pleased with this product and will buy it again when ever I get my next TV that I want to mount.



I know usually you get what you pay for. In this case, I feel like I got a great deal for the money. Maybe if I could compare this product to a higher priced product that can perform the same motion, I'd have more negative comments, but I don't plan on ever looking for a different product/model again. - Tv Wall Mount - Wall Mount - Flat Screen Wall Mount - Lcd Wall Mount'

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Computer Accessories - monitor cables, vga

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I bought this to connect a laptop to my Samsung LN40A650 LCD TV, but the Samsung does not like the way the pins are wired in this cable. It is definitely the cable, because after trying 2 other laptops without success, I used another VGA cable that was previously on a desktop PC system. That one did the trick. With the 10ft cable I bought, the TV didn't recognize the PC input was connected. The VGA cable from the desktop PC worked, though I can only get up to 1300x768 resolution, not up to 1920x1080.



This 10ft cable still works, because it is now being used for the desktop PC instead. Just don't expect it to work with LN40A650. You may be taking a risk with any Samsung TV from 2008/9.



I also searched online about this problem, and it is a common. Apparently not all VGA cables are made the same way. This one just isn't made the way Samsung needs it to be. It will probably work with most other devices. 10ft Hi Resolution monitor cable (Male to Male)

I am using this cable to connect my compaq presario to my Samsung HDTV LCD 32inch and the image is great. I had no trouble connecting or anything. No loose screws and the quality of the cable wrapping is very good.

I'm using the cable to connect my PC to my 32" HDTV. They were easy to connect and fit perfectly. The picture was very clear. I wish I bought the ones with audio, though. I had to use my computer speakers.

This is very long, ten feet long to be exact. It's also very high quality, it looks very professional. It's an old technology VGA cable, so basically you should buy the cheapest one of these that you can, like this one, because expensive wires on old technology deliver about the same performance as inexpensive wires.



And, if you're wondering, a Male to Male VGA cable means that you plug one end into your monitor and one into your computer. A Male to Female is an extender.



Pros:

+Very long, it can connect anywhere

+Economical

+Sleek and black



Cons:

-Very long, if you only need a short distance, you'll have a lot of extra cord

The only pins wired are the red, Green, Blue video and the Verticle and Horizontal Syncs. Ground return for all signals is provided through the connector shell. While the video quality is good, any Plug and Play functions or PC based power functions (standyby, etc) are non-operational. This leaves many monitors fully powered up even when the PC is in Standby or turned off!

I am using this cable to connect my laptop to my 720p HDTV. With any other cable in the house, my laptop detects my unusual monitor resolution (1360x768) and allows me to select it appropriately in the display settings. With this cable however, the correct resolution isn't even an option. I tested each of the 15 pins, and only 5 of them are connected to anything! I know VGA cables don't need all 15 pins, but when I use a cable that has all 15 pins connected everything works fine. For my application this cable is completely worthless.

This is exactly what you need, best bang for your buck on vga-vga cables. It also comes with a built in audio-in cable on each side. Makes me happy! It's a thicker cable compared to others that usually ship with a monitor (which is good), It carries the signal better, and I see a slightly better picture when using this one.

I basically used this cable for a simple monitor hook up, because the standard 6 ft cable would not be long enough for the office setup I had. The image it produced was noticeably blurry, with a slight shadow effect. I thought I might be able to just ignore, but it was too frustrating. I returned it for a refund and ended up purchasing this cable on Amazon: "Cables To Go - 29607 - 12ft Ultima HD15 M/M SXGA Monitor Cable", which works beautifully. I highly recommend going for the better quality cable here. - Monitor Cable - Male To Male - Vga - Monitor Cables'

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Color Laser Printer - color laser printer, multifunction printer

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I'm one unhappy customer.



I've had several laser printers before this one, and it's adequate in terms of its functions. However, the Canon seems to have created a business model that enables them to make most of their profits from the sale of replacement toner cartridges. In the past, I've gotten around this by buying a cartridge refill kit: you melt a hole in the side of the cartridge with a special tool, refill the cartridge with (much less expensive) toner, tape over the hole and you're on your way.



In this game of countermeasures and counter-countermeasures, Canon has now installed a counter chip in its cartridges. At a certain number of copies, the machine gives you an out-of-toner message AND JUST QUITS! No warning and no "light" copies to get you by.



When I attempted to refill the black cartridge, I discovered two things. First, it was more than half-full when the chip decided that it needed to be replaced. I'll control myself and refrain from disclosing my emotional reaction when I realized how much toner I was forced to throw away.



The second thing was that when I refilled the cartridge I expected, perhaps naively, that the cutoff device would sense that the cartridge was now full. OK, so maybe I was dropped on my head shortly after birth.



Some investigation has revealed that the chips are encrypted, such that third-party manufacturers haven't yet been able to create reasonably priced substitute cartridges or replacement chips to defeat the copy cut-off.



The bottom line is that I'm stuck paying on the order of $90 for each of four cartridges, three color and one black. The manufacturing cost for these cartridges is about $15. The company can make nothing on the actual machine and because of the rip-off profits on the consumable cartridges, finds the overall product line immensely profitable.



I've considered dropping this printer from the roof of my house, but it's so heavy that I'd have to set up a pulley rig.



Needless to say, I will be very careful when I replace this printer to make sure that I can refill the cartridges myself in the next brand that I buy.



==================



11/30/10 Update: I replaced the black toner cartridge only 2 months ago, and with fairly light usage, the display reports that the black cartridge's toner is low! The cartridge is half-full or more. However, the counter chip has caused the machine to stop printing AT ALL. No way around it.



Worse, When I print in B&W or color, the edges of the pages are smeared with reddish & yellowish colors. It's bad enough that it's making the copies hard to read. I use the printer at home and sometimes print documents to carry with me for later reading. Ugh!



The machine is out of warrantee, so I will have to pay for any repairs. Since estimates tell me that the cost of repair is a sizeable fraction of the cost of a new machine, I'm getting rid of it.



I'm planning to ship it back to Canon with a letter telling them two things.

1. I will never buy any other canon product.

2. They may keep the machine since to me, it's now a big, ugly, heavy, expensive paperweight. Canon Color imageCLASS MF8350Cdn All-in-One Printer (3555B001AA)

The features of this printer are awesome for the price, and I would highly recommend it. I purchased this product on sale for $569. I was also seriously considering the Brother DCP-9045CDN, which has slightly lower ink prices (with their high capacity cartridges), but I'm pretty sure that I won't regret sticking with the Canon brand. After purchasing several Canon products (including this one), I have a lot of respect for Canon's consistent product quality, customer service, features, and value.



This is my first home laser printer. I'm quite pleased to finally graduate from the world of inkjets: no more slow printing, annoying print head cleaning cycles, frequent cartridge replacement, or tedious management of print settings to save every drop of ink! The cost per page is about the same, but the reliability is so much better!



Some features that I really appreciate include:



1) Reliability: This printer always _just works_ when I need it to. Beats even the best inkjet printer out there. For my usage level, I fully expect to do zero maintenance or cartridge replacement within the next 2.5 years!

2) Speed: Wow, this thing makes quick work of any job!

3) All the little things that Canon gets right. Just one example: the print driver can automatically detect whether to use color or B&W mode...something I've always wanted a print driver to do for me!



The only notably missing features are:



1) The automatic document feeder only supports single-sided scanning/copying. So doing double-sided scan/copy requires manually flipping the stack and passing it through again.

2) No built in wireless.

3) Photo quality, while very good for a 600dpi consumer laser, is not competitive with inkjet-based photo printers. I still use this printer for many photos and am happy with the results, but I keep a second inkjet photo printer on the side for times when I really care about photo quality (i.e. scrapbooking, etc).



Although those features would be nice additions, I'm still very happy with what this machine can do for the price.



BTW, Canon's own online store had the best prices I could find for cartridges for this printer, with free shipping. - Color Laser Printer - Network Printer - Multifunction Printer'

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Universal Micro Usb Car Charger

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The AT&T retail store was asking $29.95 for this charger, so I decided to look online. I found it on Amazon for less than $5.00, which is less than I would have paid on eBay. The seller shipped promptly, and the item was well packaged. [AT&T Sealed Retail Package] OEM AT&T Car Charger w/ USB Port for BlackBerry Bold Curve Storm 2 Tour LG Banter Bliss enV Touch enV3 Motorola DROID Clutch i776 i9 Rival Nokia Twist N97 Samsung Code Exclaim Freeform Hightnote Instinct HD Intrepid Messager II Amazon Kindle 2 DX

Universal Micro Car Charger (AT&T branded) with an additional USB (extra cable not incl) port to charge two devices at once.



Works great.



Be advised simultaneous charging of two phones may take significantly longer due to circuit board limitations.

charger works! slows down a bit when you are charging 2 devices but that was expected. only gripe is the white LED light is REALLY bright. I have to angle it away from me in the car so its not blinding my peripheral vision.

Nice to have a USB port in a car-charger. It definitely comes handy when charging your ipod (or other non-micro USB gadgets) as long you have the standard USB Cable that comes with it. The center white disc lights up nicely when plugged in, and can light up the interiors. The coiled cable is a nice feature.

What I did not like about this charger - 1) There is no light indication if a charge has been complete. I question it's ability to auto-shutoff when the phone is fully charged. I haven't been able to confirm it.

2) The center light is nice but can be too bright during night driving. Some may like it though. I'm going to apply a tape over it to cut its intensity.

Overall a good buy for price.'

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Reverse Polish Notation - graphing calculator, scientific calculator

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It's 10/5/06 and I'm editing this review right up front with the first paragraph, because this little calc has a problem that I hadn't noticed initially. The new HP keys, as I describe below, are great. They have a solid click and a good rollover ability - meaning that you can push the number 1, then push the number 2 before letting go of the 1 entirely, and you'll still get "12" on the screen. That's perfect. Here's the downside: Rapidly enter the number "1100." Click-click-click-click. And yet my screen says "10." Why? Because a rapid double-click of a numeric key results in the calculator noticing only the first click. If a typewriter worked that way, I'd be attending metings every day instead of meetings.



**UPDATE - 10/14/06** One of the commands available, not documented in the 50g material, but documented for several earlier HP calculators, is a KEYTIME command. Quite simply, replacing the default keytime with "500" eliminates missed keystrokes. This corrects the problem I described above.



And now back to my original review:



First, the keypad issue has been addressed with this model, and each key has a feel that is similar to the HP41 - just about perfect for data entry without needing to look at the keypad. Now all that's necessary is for HP to return to the complex keys that allowed for print both on the top surface and the beveled edge; that would allow for some improvement in the user interface. But overall this is a major step forward from the HP49 line.



Next, the display is bright and legible with good contrast. These multiline displays still aren't quite as good as the single line displays from years past in terms of visibility at odd angles but we're coming close. There's plenty of information here with a seven line stack in the default mode.



The manual is where the calculator loses a star. While the new manual is an improvement over the HP48/49 series (though it has less information, it is more understandable), it is nowhere near as complete and useful as the HP41 series manuals were. HP needs to bring back a well-written manual series with use of color, high-end paper, and quality typesetting. For example, the calculator comes with a user's manual; on page 1-20, it says that additional references can be found in Chapter 1 and Appendix C of the calculator's user's guide. What user's guide? They don't mean the manual since that doesn't have any Appendices (or an index, for that matter). Where would I get the user's guide? Then I discover that it is included, and is on the CD-ROM in pdf form. Apparently it is a larger version of the user's manual, with additional information, including an index. Much of the information in the Guide is duplicated from the Manual - but we still don't have complete programming and functional command discussion. Don't get me wrong - everything you need for standard operations is here; but if you really want to get into the capabilities of the calculator (and that's why you're spending $129, right?), we want the full manual. Oh, and bring back the manuals that are spiral-bound so we don't have to weigh the book down with something each time we turn to the calculator to try something.



Here too is a connectivity kit of software, none of which runs on my Mac. I tried plugging it in to the Mac using the standard USB connecting cable (included) but nothing happened. Since I didn't buy the HP with any need to hook it up to my Mac, it's not a problem, but what good is connectivity if noone bothered with the Mac software?



There are a few little nits that still need to be picked. For example, the stack is right justified but data entry is left justified. It is much easier to quickly review an entered number and compare it to numbers on the stack if they are similarly justified. The enter key needs to return to double-width just above the numeric portion of the keypad, and HP should finally pick a standard numeric/operator layout and stick with it. The HP41 had the major operators on the left. The HP48 put them on the right and changed the sequence. The HP50 keeps them on the right but bumped them all up by one key. For those of us who essentially touch-type on calculators, this relearning is a pain.



I must admit that if HP simply rebuilt the HP41C series with more memory, they'd have a clear winner. And given the prices that those models sell for on eBay in new condition, HP could clearly do well with such a product.



The connectivity issue would have cost another star, but the overall build quality, computing capabilities, programming capabilities, and incorporation of RPN on the 50g make it clearly worth 4 stars. HP 50g Graphing Calculator (F2229AA#ABA)

At first I was somewhat disappointed with the HP50G, since it essentially has the same form factor and functionality as the HP49G+ (which I also own). Just changing the color doesn't justify a new model designation, IMHO. Wait a tick... the keyboard seems a bit better... played with it for awhile... switched back to the HP49G+... ack! I never noticed how horrendous the keyboard was on the HP49G+. The keyboard on the HP50G is velvet in comparison. If you have been frustrated by the clunky, clicky keyboard on the HP49G+, then the HP50G is the answer. Otherwise, stick with the HP49G+, since it is essentially the same calculator. - Scientific Calculator - Graphing Calculator - Calculator - Rpn'

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Adventure Travel - humor, travel writing

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Beginning in the mid-1990s, Peter Allison worked as a safari guide, primarily in Botswana. In Whatever You Do, Don't Run, Allison tells stories about his life in the bush. There are animal stories aplenty--a herd of elephants clustering protectively around its calving matriarch, a giant Python intent on crushing the life out of the author, an infestation of mice so desperately hungry they took to chewing on bald men's heads. But guides have to deal with paying guests as well as wild animals, and Allison does not shy from criticizing the spoiled and stupid among his tour groups.



In the hands of a more witty writer (think J. Maarten Troost's The Sex Lives of Cannibals), the material at Allison's disposal might have resulted in an unputdownable read. Allison's book isn't, but his stories are cute and amusing, and the author himself is likable and agreeably self-deprecating. Most interestingly, Whatever You Do, Don't Run gives readers a glimpse of an unusual llfestyle that most of us will probably not have given much thought to before: what's it like, day-to-day, to lead tourists around herds of impala and crocodile-infested rivers? If the subject matter is of interest, or if you like to browse the lives of people with jobs far different from yours, Allison's book is worth a quick read.



-- Debra Hamel Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide

While I haven't been on safari, I'm guessing that this book should be required reading for anyone who is able to make the trip. Peter Allison's book was a nice, quick read filled with lots of great stories about his experiences. All in all, I would recommend this book highly. Several stories made me laugh out loud.



Enjoy.

Mr. Allison's, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T RUN is filled with hilariously funny sometimes irreverent stories about his experiences as a safari guide in Botswana. The title is what drew me to his book, only food runs! You can't put it down, it is laugh out loud funny and you don't want it to end. Please write more! I can't wait for your next installment.

I recently read the non-fiction book Whatever You Do Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide. This story is about Peter Allison's detailed and amusing tales from when he moved from Australia to Africa. I have never been out of the country, nor on a safari but after reading this book I felt as if I had just been on one. I always have wanted to go on a safari in Africa and now I want to work as a safari guide there, too. All the crazy and unbelievable stories that Allison shares opens up the reader's eyes on how different and sometimes scary a new continent can be, but also extremely rewarding.



In the beginning of the book I didn't quite understand why Allison would want to move from his suburban home in Australia to the far less developed continent of Africa. There are so many creepy bugs and diseases you can catch, but then I realized that there are more than dangerous organisms living in Africa. There are beautiful sunsets, majestic animals and the awesome stories that come with living in Africa. Allison had a thirst for adventure that needed to be quenched. This was satisfied when he traveled to Botswana.



Allison easily admitted he made lots of mistakes while being in Africa. He drove a Land Rover right into a river infested with hippos, and he also had to search for a half-naked tourist who is a member of the British royal family. While reading this book, I learned that it is ok to try new things and to be not so great at them. Allison had no idea what he was getting himself into, he had originally planned only to stay for two years but he spent at least a dozen years being a safari guide. He fell in love with Africa and its many endangered animals.



After reading this book I am going to try to convince my parents to take me to Africa and go on a safari. And I am recommending this book to anyone who likes a good laugh and some very odd yet pleasing stories.

I was a bit hesitant about this book at first because of the very different style. Not in-your-face, nor condescending, not pretensious. Peter Allison is very funny and refreshingly self effacing. Humble, to use an old fashioned word.



But it was the adventure, the outrageous tourists, and the really unexpected turns of events that had me up way past midnight on a working day. So I was a bit out of it with clients. It was worth it!



Superb!

In the book Whatever You do Don't Run the author Peter Allison, the main character and safari guide, tells stories about his astonishing adventures in Africa. This book was so good! I love how it was non-fiction, but reads like a realistic fiction story. As a freshman in high school I would recommend this book to all my friends.

One of the major reasons why I liked the book a lot was because the stories Peter wrote about were so interesting. My personal favorite is when Peter went swimming with elephants and had to maneuver around them, so they wouldn't notice him. Along with this one there are plenty of other breathtaking stories. Another characteristic I love about this book is its comedy. This book was hilarious. Some of the absurd stories about animals and tourists just made me laugh out loud.

When looking at other ratings of this book I couldn't find many negative ones. However, I did find one stating that Peter talked negatively of his costumers (the tourists). I would agree that not all of his tourist stories are positive, but on the other hand these ridiculous stories make the book great. For example Peter wrote about a few tourists that would not follow his rules. They would feed the wild animals and constantly take pictures. Although the author did say negative comments about these people, they created an interesting and funny story for him. There were also times in the book when the author spoke very highly of his customers.

I really think the author's purpose of this book was to show the reader what it's like to be an African safari guide. I also think he wanted to show what it would be like to be a tourist. Peter Allison did an amazing job of this. He went into to ample detail about his job, and every event that happens with it. This book was definitely a page-turner, and it was a pretty quick read. I can't wait to read the sequel, Don't Look Behind You! - Botswana - Travel Writing - Africa - Humor'

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Passive 3d

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I bought this set about a week ago and I've ran it through the ringer to test out everything. So far I'm pretty impressed.



The drawbacks aren't very many and they're not too much of a game-changer. One, there are no audio outputs from the tv other than an optical output. If you have a legacy sound system that doesn't have an optical input, it's not the end of the world. For an extra ~$25 or so you can get a stereo adapter that transfers the optical signal to coax or composite RCA analog. $100 to get yourself one that'll do dolby surround (which I had to do). It was a bit off-putting, and I was tempted to just get a new home theater system, but it was necessary for me to get (and save a couple hundred more dollars) who has a ton of extra gaming and video devices that I use. It's easier to just run an audio out from the television to the home theater system and plug everything into the tv to not have to mess with too many settings. I think you'll find audio output sparsity with most newer sets anyway. Digital age is taking over, I suppose.



The 2D to 3D features on this set are, well, hilarious. I have to commend the programmers who designed this set as I'm sure trying to write code to fit every visual situation will have a few coding hiccups, and over all it is a great feature. With very well-defined images, i.e. a strong foreground, a background, a middle ground subject, the forcing of the 3d image from a 2d image works amazingly. It doesn't bring anything towards you, mind, but will definitely push the backgrounds back for a pretty believable and often stunning picture. But, there are times when the image on the screen gets kind of confused and makes an approximation. This happens particularly often with women's shirts with words on them. The face will seem to come forward too far, the neck will be pushed back, the chest... well, let's just use the word I used earlier: hilarious. Slightly exaggerated, yes perhaps, but makes you wonder if the people designing feature did it on purpose? Speculation, probably not true...dirty, dirty coders. It's something I noticed, and others may not, but I think it's worth mentioning. 90% positive on this feature of the set, I'll give it.



Navigation on the set is a little weird if you want to get through the menus. It's designed more for the magic remote (the apps, too) I've found, which is pretty much just like using a Wii remote if you're familiar with that. A traditionalist like myself tried using the regular remote which took a while trying to weed through the often clumped-together features. Plus, I'm all for the progress of technology and all, but calling 240hz TruMotion, or whatever they call it, would be easier to figure out for the laymen in the long run if you put an explanation bubble popup upon hovering over an item in the menus. Also, by not listing the 240hz feature leads to a bit more confusion as the settings on the frame refresh sensitivity go from 1 to 10. They assumed people don't know what a hertz is, I suppose. Figuring out trumotions 1 to 10, I had to guess what I was messing with on screen.



Turning off the 240hz feature might be desirable, too, if you are annoyed at fine letters "crawling" on your screen. There was a feature in there that turned down an edge-refining in the picture which would've solved that problem, I think. I found it once, but I have yet to find it again. Another menu issue.



If you're an avid gamer, like myself, you're going to want to turn off all the nice little features that come along with this set. There is about 1/5 of a second lag on the image with doodads engaged. Halo looked pretty awesome with the forced 3D and Trumotion turned on, but that 1/5 of a second is the difference between a headshot and betrayal(s). It was a very unfortunate game I played that day.



I got a chance to look at the previous model (55LW5500) to test the passive 3D features of the old with the features on this one(55LW6500). There was talk that they would improve the 3D resolution somehow as with passive 3d you're essentially taking a 1080 pixel image down to 540 for each eye. I read talk about improvements to this feature, and I think (comparing a couple days apart) the 3D image is improved. I wouldn't know how they improved it as from what I can tell, the polarizing film on the screen I would have thought was set in stone, and maybe some of my own psychological want for the system to be better is creeping into the review, but I think it's been improved. It's hard to tell without having an active shutter 3D system in front of me with the older and newer models, but I'm pleased with the image. If you want the 3D image without the hassle of the active shutter glasses (which I did), I think this is your set.



The picture is great, the colors are great, LED backlighting works well, lightweight set easy to mount on a wall, picture wizard gives you a pretty good approximation of what you would want for a picture. In a phrase, I'm pleased. LG Infinia 55LW6500 55-Inch Cinema 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED HDTV with Smart TV (Included: Four Pairs of 3D Glasses)

These are my first impressions after a couple of days.



We are totally satisfied and wowed. First of all the angle of view is just as good as plasma. There is absolutely no degradation of the picture from even extreme side angels. The setup was easy and LG's onboard program for adjusting the picture to our preferences was easy.



We haven't even watched 3d source content, but are totally blown away the the up conversion from 2D to 3D. We have watched TV HD sources for the "Oceans" series (lots of underwater shots) and Blu-ray DVDs for arial tours of Italy. Both were amazing. The underwater shots looked liked we were actually looking through the window of a submarine, and the arial shots like we were actually looking through a window of a helicopter. Our hats are off to the LG software developers!



The effect is like looking through a window, however, as all the depth of field is created from the screen to the distance. Nothing jumps out at you into the room, but the effect is very realistic for depth of field.



I have followed the active vs. passive 3D debate and I'm very fussy about my HD viewing. That being said, the 3D viewing is a very slight downgrade, maybe 10%, but the 3D effect more than makes up for it when watching the right programs. No problems with headaches. You can look around the room with the lightweight glasses on and nothing appears any different. 2D viewing is most excellent with no motion blur.



We are more than satisfied with the TV. The price on Amazon was the best we could find and the free delivery two days after ordering was a bonus. This is a large TV and you do not want to lug the box home in you car.'

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