Guy Low Price Electronic

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Cordless - lithium, m12

I would not trade in my old 18 volt Milwaukee cordless tools, but there are many times I need to get in a tight space or just don't need the extra power (with the extra weight that goes along with it). This set is great for that. The lithium ion batteries are great in that they have the gauge, but when they quit that is it. With the old NiCads you could get that last screw in maybe w/o having to grab another battery. Milwaukee 2490-24 12-Volt Compact Drill, Hackzall Saw, Pipe Cutter, and Worklight Combo Kit - M12 - Lithium'

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Light Weight - frogg toggs, backpacking

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I bought a set of these Frogg Toggs because they are specifically advertised as being a motorcycle/outdoor rain suit. I wore them ONCE for 1 hour on my motorcycle and both legs had holes melted through. The left leg doesn't even have pipes NEAR it and it still developed holes. The right leg didn't touch the pipe and still melted in large patches. I couldn't figure out what happened until I tested the material near my pipes and found that they WILL MELT without touching the pipes - but just by being near them.

Buyer beware. False advertising and a horrible product not designed for its use.

Edit: I've talked with Frogg Togg (the company) and they have agreed to send me a couple of the patch kits which they tell me are heat resistant. Although my previous criticism still holds I have to say that Frogg Toggs is a good company with excellent customer support. I would recommend this rain gear as long as you put the heat resistant patches on. Frogg Toggs Road Toad Reflective Wind and Rain Suit, Black/Silver, Large

I bought the Frogg Toggs after doing quite a bit of research. These work great for my motorcycle, I've heard that they melt on hot pipes. I don't have that problem because my motorcycle is covered in fiberglass. I used these on a road trip and the temprature was in the 90's. The air flowed easily through them and I was cool even though I was covered up. When it rained they kept me dry. As far as I can see it's the best of both worlds and I would recommend these to anyone taking a road trip.

First time I used this rain suit the zipper let loose from the bottom up. I was able to repair the problem and discovered this won't happen if your very careful when starting the zippor. The fit is not that great for short people. The elastic around the waist leaves alot of loose material in the chest area. Made me look like a black Pillsbury dough boy. The material itself is not what I expected. It looks like I could polk my finger through it if I really tried. It does have it's good points. Reflective white piping, a little carrying bag, it keeps the rain off and it does breath so you won't get sticky from traped moisture.

I've really put this gear to the test! I bought the Frogg Toggs Elite Highway Rain Gear specifically because of the reflective properties and design for motorcycle use. It rained ( and hailed a bit ) from the moment I left Denver until I was just outside of Topeka, KS. At every stop along the way and at hotel in Topeka I was bone dry! I love this gear and keep it in the pannier on my bike always. I ride a BMW R1200RT in all types of conditions and never leave home without this gear. It's been field tested on long tours and during local commutes and gets my full endorsement. Easy to pull on over boots and fits good over my other motorcycle gear. As to reviews complaining of melting: I don't know of a rain gear made that withstands heat. Take care of your gear and it will take care of you.

I've owned this suit for about 4 months and it's falling apart. The material is a thin plastic layer coated on both sides with fuzzy plastic. The fuzz wears off quickly, then the thin plastic falls apart. The zipper teeth regularly pull apart without undoing the zipper slider. The upsides of this suit are that it works well at first and is low cost. It would be good as a backup you don't plan to use more than a few times anyway

Pros: cheap, effective(initially), compact

Cons: won't last

I highly recommend this suit, but there are conditions;

Advantages; very light weight, jacket & pant together weight about 1 LB. They compress into a carry bag(included) about the size of a 2-liter Coke bottle. The integrated hood folds into the collar, goes easily under a full helmet and keeps water from dripping down your back. The jacket has good elastic, draw strings and zippers in the right places. The pants are simple and practical. A draw-string waistband, legs have elastic plus zippers at the bottom, would go easily over boots. Has covered slits on both sides to access your pants pockets. The reflective strips are visible to headlights a block away. Material does breath very well, I was comfortable, dry & not sweaty at ride's end.

Disadvantages: no pockets in jacket or pants. Material is very thin, almost like tissue paper. It will rip easily, be warned. I can see how it would melt on contact with pipes. I may contact the company to get a patch kit just in case. The reflective strips are good, but in an accident, the suit will give you no protection. The orange is not flourecent, it is rather dull, I would have liked a brighter color for safety(I think new colors are coming out).

Advice; this is NOT for everyday use. It will be good for emergency use if you're caught in a downpour, or have to ride (as I did) on a rainy day. It will not replace chaps or a good riding jacket. It is designed to be cool, it will not keep you warm in cold weather. It is baggy(purposely) but buy it big enough; my X-large goes easily over a heavy armored jacket, but the material will not stretch, it will rip if you pull it too much. The X-large pants would go over chaps OK. (I am 6'1", 200 LB) It is hard to get on quickly over heavy clothes, you need to take your time, any pulling & it will rip. Put it on before it starts raining, you won't even know you have it on, unlike heavy vinyl rainsuits or ponchos that are sweat factories. Follow this advice, it should last you for years.

Ordered these to ride in some potential rain coming back from LA. Glad I had them as it was pelting down.

The only downside was the pants would ride up over the boots. It would be nice to have some elastics to hold the legs down. A small amount of water got in near the crotch. I think the openings for the pockets were letting water in.

Overall not bad though.

Overall this product is fine - it keeps you dry. The material is light weight and breathes well - not like a sheet of plastic as one might expect. My major complaint is that the zipper is of very poor quality. I would have gladly paid five dollars more for a brass zipper. Be aware that this product is made in China, some other products made by this companies are or were of domestic origin. - Frogg Toggs - Backpacking - Cycling - Bicycle Accessories'

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Inexpensive Diamond Whetstones - inexpensive diamond whetstones, sharpening stone

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I used this to retune my chainsaw bar on my Stihl MS 660 Magnum. Bars aren't cheap. This retuned my bar and got me cutting straight with less vibration in 10 minutes. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is it could use a more possitive lock down of the file. It dropped out the 1st couple of passes. Other than that it does what it says and its inexpensive. Pferd Universal Edge Sharpener - Sharpening Stone - Inexpensive Diamond Whetstones - Dakine Edge Tuner - Dakine'

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Droid X Battery - motorola, android

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Mr. Brady couldn't have said it any better, caveat emptor buyer beware. It is obvious that something is up with these batteries, but i ordered it anyway because it couldn't hurt for that price. Any reputable dealer will charge anywhere from $45 to $50 for this battery. Even off-name batteries for the droid x are priced similarly. These are not even half the price, the seller varies the price regularly as these batteries have been priced from as little as $2.51 to $24.14. They are definitely not new and the seller has gotten complacent enough on amazon that they don't bother to remove the inspector sticker that says "New Breed Corp. PASS". This is the company that purchases the batteries from the cell phone carriers. They are probably returns. The battery i received works and appears to be fine but was obviously not new. The seller ships first class mail but clearly doesn't drop it in the mail fast enough took a very long time before i received my battery. NEW MOTOROLA OEM BH5X BATTERY FOR DROIDX DROID X MB810

Ordered 2 of these I was not sure what I would get. I know that counterfits don't charge in a droid X and also don't show remaining capacity but the 2 batteries I got were the real deal and not only work perfect but their labeling shows they are genuine motorola batteries. The capacity of each battery is also fine. I keep one fully charged in my wallet and another in my backpack. At this price everybody should have a few backups to ensure their X never leaves them stranded with a drained battery. I'm buying 2 more.

Works just like the original as far as I can tell

Be wary of those non-oem batteries being sold on ebay and other places, I purchased 2 batteries and a charger for $10 free ship and the Droid X phone says "invalid batteries, use only motorola brand batteries" as of the android 2.2 update and therefore you should stick with these batteries (yes a few bucks more expensive, but at least you can charge them IN the phone and not just in the charger).

I purchased two of these BH5X batteries from seller ACC Stop at Amazon.com. Both batteries seemed to be a genuine Motorola battery with an authentic holographic label and are rated for a 1500/1540 (min/typ) mAh capacity. However, I'm not sure that they were really "new" as claimed by the seller because: (1) the contacts seemed to indicate that the batteries had been used, and (2) one battery arrived with a 60% charge while the other arrived fully drained (0% charge).

Is this important? Some sellers would like you to believe that it is not but this is patently false. Lithium Ion batteries have a limited life. Three things cause them to deteriorate: (1) recharge cycles, (2) age, and (3) heat.

Li-ion batteries can be recharged from 400 to 1200 times as long as they are not subjected to too much heat. Some manufacturers claim their Li-ion batteries can be cycled more than 1200 times but this is usually wishfull thinking under "optimum" conditions---500 cycles is probably more typical. If you buy used batteries, they may still perform "like new" but they may have lost half of their life or more, depending on how many times they've been charged. This means that there is definitely value in getting a new battery instead of a used one.

Even if they are not cycled often, Li-ion batteries will naturally deteriorate with age---this is true even if they are left on the shelf and never used. One of the batteries I received was dated 03-Nov-2010. The other was dated 04-Nov-2010. So they were about 5 months old when I received them. This should be fine. By the way, I purchased my Droid X in early March 2011 and the battery that came with it is dated 27-Dec-2010.

The greatest "enemy" of Li-ion batteries is heat. It will reduce their life faster than anything else. This is yet another reason why a new battery is better because you never know how much heat a used battery has been exposed to.

Both of the batteries I received tested well. I tested their recharge rate from 0% to 100% and both batteries charged at a normal rate (approximately 10% per 13 minutes). One battery reached a full (100%) charge in 2 hours 9 minutes and the other reached full charge in 2 hours 17 minutes. This test was done in my Droid X using the stock Motorola AC charging adapter with the phone turned off. I plotted their rate of charge during the test and they matched a known good battery. I also monitored their temperature and they remained cool during charging.

Here's the charging rate of one of the batteries:

0% - start charging

5% - 2 min

10% - 7 min

15% - 6 min

20% - 6 min

30% - 11 min

40% - 12 min

50% - 13 min

60% - 13 min

70% - 12 min

80% - 12 min

90% - 14 min

100% - 21 min

-----------------------------

Total Time: 2 hours 9 minutes

My test of their discharge rate was a bit more subjective: I turned off the display "screen timeout" and played a video until the phone died. Both batteries seemed to last about the same time as my original battery.

Overall, I'm happy with the batteries I received from seller ACC Stop---even if they are used, their price was less than 1/4 the price of new batteries from Verizon or Motorola. However, I wish there was a way to confirm whether the seller's claim of "new" is true. There are many sellers who are selling rejects and heavily used batteries while claiming they are "like new" which makes it difficult on us buyers.

The only negative I can cite was the shipping package. ACC Stop shipped both batteries in a single cardboard envelope with no padding of any kind. I would have preferred them to have been padded---fortunately, they arrived okay.

I have no experience with other sellers of these batteries but I've read of many problems. So if you are not buying your batteries from a reputable source, then you are taking a chance.

I hope my comments are helpful. - Android - Droid - Battery - Motorola'

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Electronic Arts - college football, football

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I must preface this review by stating that I have been a fan of the NCAA Football series since it was "Bill Walsh Football". I have become accustomed to each year only having a few updates and modest improvements and those have been enough to satisfy my needs as a college football enthusiast.

THIS LATEST INSTALLMENT LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED.

I play this game as follows: 50% of the time is spent in dynasty mode, 25% is spent playing against friends, 25% is spent playing online. With that said, dynasty mode is the mode that I obviously really focus on. I was alarmed to find out as soon as I booted up dynasty mode that it starts soliciting you to buy "add ons" that you would think would be standard. You have to pay an additional $2.50 per add-on ($12.50 for the total dynasty add-on package) -via the PSN store- to have things such as a second pipeline state, a recruiting advisor etc.

EA could have greatly improved dynasty mode this year by releasing these new options as standard features instead of gouging for more $$$.

It's not that the add-ons are expensive, but its that they are unwarranted and it is a matter of principle. I can honestly say that this will very likely be the last time I purchase a release from the NCAA Football series. NCAA Football 10

EA Sports has finally made a challenging football game. Playing the CPU on Heisman mode is like playing last year's Madden on Your Level. The game now adapts to the way you play just like a real (good) coach does. You can't run that option over and over, you will get stuffed!

In addition to making CPU play harder and more realistic, there is a new mode called Season Showdown where you chose your favorite team and everything you do on and offline gets tallied toward an end of the season winner. In Season Showdown mode, you get points based on many categories including Skill (making certain plays yourself), Strategy (Choosing the upcoming play type while on defense and successfully stopping it), and Sportsmanship ( where good sports that don't go for it on 4th get points and those that do or run up the score get them taken away). There is also an online trivia component where you go to the EA Sports website and answer 10 trivia questions each week for points. During the season, each week you can play your team's game online against players from the other team to get points. You get points whether you win or lose, but you get more for winning. Season Showdown is a great way to show support for your favorite team and it also gives a rating so when you are in a lobby you can tell if someone who is participating in Season Showdown will go for it every 4th or not and if they know how to stop plays by looking at their Strategy rating.

Teambuilder is another new mode where you can go to the EA Sports website and create your own school and design the uniforms, stadium and player names and attributes and then download it into the game. And you can use your Teambuilder teams in online dynasties, which is pretty cool.

Online dynasties are better, you can now create a custom team conference by swapping your members teams with teams in an existing conference. For example you can swap all the Big 12 teams with all 12 of your dynasty member's teams. This makes it easier for scheduling user vs user games. They also fixed last year's bug where you talked a player into staying (from going to the NFL draft or transferring to another school) they and they still left. The recruiting process is more involved now, you can talk down other schools the recruit is interested ins attributes and you have a recruiting adviser that tells you when someone is ready to sign, is interested in your school or gets a call from a mom who tells some of a recruit's interests.

The other new addition is Road To Glory, which has been in the game before but is vamped up with a video segment on your player after winning games that is hosted by Erin Andrews, who discusses your play during the game with Herbstriet and shows auto saved highlights from the game. Look for a similar video show presentation in Madden NFL 10 which will have a video show for the online leagues showing highlights from members of the leagues teams each week.

PROS

Season Showdown - It has brought a new sense of competition to the game, where everything you do helps your favorite school in the rankings.

Adaptive CPU Play - You have to really be on your toes to win against the CPU on Heisman mode now. All American mode is as hard as Heisman in NCAA Football 09.

Road to Glory - Your player is now ranked so you can see how others playing on your favorite team are doing. Plus you get to see Erin Andrews. lol.

Family Mode - This is another adaptation from Madden, which has an easy mode. Now, you can play a tough game against grandma. Family mode is a very simplified set of controls where even your sister can make a TD pass. So now, just about anyone can play and be good at it.

PS3 Trophies - For the first time you get trophies for your game play.

Tweaks to Graphics - Close ups are more polished, although most of the graphics are the same. Marching bands are now shown pre game and they have added additional uniform settings and TD animations (My team, USF, can now do the horns hand sign after TDs)

Players Are More Realistic - No More sub 4.3 40 yard dash players. Speed is not as much a factor as ability to catching or running through a tackle.

Ability to Tweak Team Play - Now you can tweak how your D and O play on different aspects such as blocking or tackling, with choices being Aggressive, Normal, And Conservative.

Cons

EA has now gone the money route. Additional items, like "Dynasty Accelerators" where you get things like an extra pipeline state in Dynasty Mode you have to play for, WITH REAL MONEY! You want to be a 5 star high school recruit in Road To Glory? You can pay for it now, 2 bucks. If you lost your manual for the game, you won't be able to download your Teambuilder team to the game without paying for it. And if you want to download other teams you have to pay for each team. Its not quite as bad as they have done with Tiger Woods Golf, but look for more of it in future additions depending on how successful they are this year.

Adaptive CPU Play - I know, I said it was a Pro, but its both. I am seeing players struggling in Dynasties that are set at Heisman mode, good players. When someone is ranked high against other players (top 1000) plays a game against the cpu in Heisman mode with Penn St and loses to Akron, you know something is wrong. Luckily, the CPU sliders are still included in this addition. Sliders can be adjusted to so that CPU and User play can be adjusted, like increase the likelihood your receiver will catch balls or your QB will throw more accurately.

Graphics and Presentation - While I know that they have worked more on game play and features this past edition, it would be nice to see a better presentation. Not all the mascots are in 2010 yet, there are more in the PS2 version. Many of the lines of the commentators are the same they have used for several versions now. The graphics are pretty much the same, although you get a glimpse of some better graphics during the brief close ups after plays.

Putting your D on Aggressive Stripping the Ball results on face mask penalties on just about every play. Its pretty much useless.

The video is pretty repetitive in Road To Glory. Heck Erin doesn't even have a wardrobe change. It would be nice to see her change wardrobe, and spice up the video some.

Overall, great improvements to last year's game. Much of this is because Tiberon, who makes the game for EA Sports, let seasoned NCAA gamers have a day with the game early enough in development to get input and use it to change and tweak the game before it was shipped. They also did this to Madden this year.

UPDATE: The more I play Madden, the less I like NCAA 10. Why? On the harder settings its like work. And conversely, Madden is pretty fun, even when you are losing. On the harder settings in NCAA 10, one mistake can cost you the game. The game presentation is boring and rather dull compared to Madden. Even though I am #1 for my school in Season Showdown, I still am considering selling my copy. Hopefully next year EA Sports will take the things that work in NCAA 10 and Madden separately and include them in both of next year's offering. - Ea Sports - College Football - Playstation 3 - Football'

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Computer Backpack - laptop bag, computer backpack

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I want to preface this review by saying that prior to purchasing the Swiss Gear Synergy, I owned a Swiss Gear Maxxum pack for about two and a half years (see my review of that pack as well). I wore the Maxxum about 6 days a week, with a consistently very full and heavy load and was extremely satisfied. But, after 2.5 years, the shoulder straps started to show their age, and I decided it was time for a replacement. I knew before I began my search that my next bag would also be a Swiss Gear, and perhaps another Maxxum.

I visited a local store that had 5 models of Swiss Gear packs in stock (but sadly, not a Maxxum) and gave them all a good looking over for features and construction as well as a check for personal fit. I was quickly able to eliminate a few of the smaller models as they simply didn't have the raw storage volume I require for my daily load. The final three in contention were the Cobalt, Pegasus, and Synergy. I next eliminated the Swiss Gear Pegasus (a great looking bag) from consideration, for while it was clearly designed for carrying very large laptops (17"), aside from the computer, this bag was obviously meant to hold generally flat things. While I gladly would have paid the higher price for the Pegasus, it simply would not accept the larger and roughly cube-ish, cylinder-ish or sphere-ish shapes I often need to carry (camera bag, lunch, water, soup thermos and more).

In the end, I selected the Synergy, and I'm VERY glad I did.

DECIDING FACTORS

VOLUME AND SPACE USABILITY - Of the bags I was considering, the Synergy has both the largest volume as well as the best configuration of that volume for my real world uses. Additionally, while several of the bags I was looking at had side zip water pockets, only the Synergy's felt generous enough to entirely contain a reasonably sized bottle when completely zipped. The total cubic capacity of this bag seems very similar to that of the Maxxum, but the pack has a more vertical and usable orientation of that volume. While the compartments of the Maxxum get shorter the further you move from the packplane of the pack, the Synergy takes very similarly sized compartments and arranges them such that they are in a taller, more back hugging overall shape. The Maxxum really sticks out quite a way when it's fully loaded, while the Synergy hugs your body more closely. I find this a great improvement.

BACK PAD VENTILATION - Having humped the Maxxum around for the better part of three years, I know how well the design of the back pad moves air around your back. The Synergy has the same back pad as the Maxxum, and to me, that's a big plus. I've carried this pack, fully and heavily loaded for very long periods, both standing and walking, and it's always been comfortable, even on warm days.

DURABILITY - The Maxxum and Synergy are very similarly constructed, and I can tell you that my Maxxum held up to very rough treatment for the full span of the two and a half years I had it. These are very tough bags, inside and out.

STRAPS - while the straps were the first part of the Maxxum to "fail", I have to admit, with the load I put in mine, I fully expected the straps to have given out after about a year ... but they didn't. Not even after two years. Even at two and a half years, they hadn't exactly failed, they were looking pretty rough, and I decided to play it safe. I never weighed my pack full, but those who tried packing it often remarked 'What do you put IN this thing, bricks?' Well, a very heavy laptop + very heavy adapter + very heavy spare battery make up the worst of the load. Add in a camera, voice recorder, notepads, books, wireless mouse, lunch, assorted papers, vitamins, address book, keys, umbrella and more, and the bag gets very heavy. This size bag holds a lot, and if the straps aren't super strong, all that weight would rip them out by the roots (which has happened to me before with lesser bags). But not these straps. They're tough. As for those of you who prefer a waist strap, I've tried packs with them before and didn't like them for myself at all. This pack keeps the load right where I want it and keeps it comfortable for long stretches of time.

POCKETS - After volume, durability and fit, it's all about the pockets for me. Like the Maxxum, the Synergy has a truly brilliant combination of pockets for those of us who have to carry a mobile production studio on our back. If all you have is a laptop and some flat notebooks, the Pegasus looks like an awesome pack, but if you need to stuff in gloves, hats, cameras, accessories, food, water and more, the Synergy is the pack to get. How many pockets? Oy ... let's count.

PC COMPARTMENT (closest to your back)

1) Main padded PC pocket(red) with securing Velcro strap. NOTE: When you open the compartment nearest your back, the PC pocket is located away from your back. This provides more buffer between back of pack and the PC ... I like that.)

2) Netted accessories pocket next to PC pocket

3) Open center area within PC compartment for papers or notebooks (against your back, providing potentially more padding)

SIDE COMPARTMENT LEFT

4) Zipper close compartment for water bottle

5) Netted open top stretch pocket, wrapping around zipper pocket

SIDE COMPARTMENT RIGHT

6) Zipper close compartment for water bottle

7) Netted open top stretch pocket, wrapping around zipper pocket (not for nuts ... the squirrels WILL find them and eat through the net :) )

Now, moving to the front of the pack and working our way back toward the PC pocket.

FRONT MOST POCKET

8) Small zip pocket could hold CD/DVD player, wallet, address book, calendar or similar sized object. Good for quick access items.

PERSONAL ACCESSORIES COMPARTMENT (2ND from front)

This area is designed to hold small personal items like pocket cameras, keys, business cards, pocket knife, loose small items, pens, pencils, etc. Red liner makes it easier to find small stuff when in low light.

9) Large zipper "pencil" pouch (a pack of 12 highlighters fits in there well)

10) Elastic Netted "camera" pocket (for pocket camera)

11) Velcro flap cover "Pocket knife" sleeve

12-16) 5 card/cardstack pockets

17) Key ring clip

18) Open area in front of smaller pockets for larger calendar, papers, etc.

SHIELD POCKET COMPARTMENT (3rd from front, with Swiss Gear shield facing front)

19) This single medium/large sized compartment is perfectly sized to hold my winter gloves, sunglasses in case, warm hat, hairbrush and umbrella - accessories that I don't always need but REALLY want handy when the weather turns against me. Or in hot weather, this could hold a sun hat, shorts, t-shirt, flip flops etc. This compartment is tall, wide but not very deep, so it wouldn't work for a soup thermos, cubical lunch container, camera bag, etc., but for assorted flatter things 2-3" deep, about 10" wide and over a foot tall, it's perfect.

MAIN HIGH CUBE STORAGE (4th from front)

20)The main storage area within the 4th zip from the front is cavernous. I could easily fit my camera bag, lunch and a bunch of other stuff in here. Over a foot tall, about 4"to6" deep (depending on what you put in adjacent compartments), close to a foot wide, I also use it for spare clothes, jackets, towels or other bulky objects that need some serious room. This compartment allows this pack to be a really usable weekender, as it can hold spare clothes and personal accessories, while other compartments store the PC and tech gear.

21) Zipper net pocket - good for small important things you don't want flopping around in this BIG main compartment. Easily holds 5"x7" sized papers/cards, wallet, small notebooks, etc.

22) Folder Pocket - along the back plane of this large compartment, against the neighboring PC compartment, is a large open top pocket for papers or folders. If you need to keep something flat and the laptop area is full, this gives you another option.

TOP QUICK ACCESS POCKET - RED LINED

23) One of my favorite features of this bag and the Maxxum is the top mounted quick access pocket, lined in bright red, which makes it easier to find small stuff in dim light. Great for small electronics, keys, cables, USB thumb drives, memory cards, or anything small that isn't sharp. The lining of this pocket is softer than some and I wouldn't put anything pointy in there. Keys, pens and mechanical pencils are OK, but nothing sharper.

24) Inner Velcro flapped pocket for MP3 player, cellphone or other small device. This pocket within a pocket keeps delicate electronics both secure and protected from metal items that might scratch them. I think this pocket is just a touch larger than in the Maxxum, probably to accomodate smart phones not just MP3 players.

NOTE: There's a grommet in the side of this pocket that allows headphone/earbud cables to extend out of a specially marked rubberized opening on the top/side of the pack.

That's 24 pockets/pouches/clips in all, which makes this backpack a real workhorse. One note of caution: Filled, this bag can be VERY heavy. The bag can take it, and I find the straps and back pad distribute the load very well and keep it comfortable for me. But I have read where some users were a bit overpowered by the weight this bag can hold. Keep that in mind when loading it up.

BOTTOM PROTECTION FROM WATER - I spend a fair amount of time waiting for buses at bus stops in the Pacific Northwest, where the pavement is quite frequently wet. While most Swiss Gear bags do a nice job sitting up by themselves, of the ones I was considering, the Synergy had the best bottom protection against the wet. Some of the bags were only partially rubberized on the bottom, while one can safely place the Synergy on wet pavement and have total peace of mind.

When my wife and I are heading out for a day or weekend of creativity in the field, this kind of pack is a life saver ... PC, adapter, spare battery, 2 cameras, web access, digital voice/music recorder, notepads, markers, cables, snacks, water, cold or warm weather accessories, spare clothes/shoes and lots of small stuff all fit nicely into one pack that really distributes weight well and never digs or rubs in uncomfortable ways. A truly awesome pack I can highly recommend. SwissGear Computer Backpack - Computer Backpack - Laptop Bag - Swissgear - Backpacking'

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Indoor Timer - digital timer, digital outlet timer

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This is one of the best, most versatile timers I've ever used. The astronomical feature will operate outdoor lighting in sync with sunup and sundown for your particular location. Or it will operate as a regular timer or a random timer (varies your programmed on/off events up to 30 minutes to make your house look more lived in).

There are 28 programmable events for 14 on/off cycles (they can be all on events or all off events, but that wouldn't make much sense). You can have all 28 events on the same day, or program different events on different days of the week. Each event is programmed for the day of the week, the time (hour and minutes), and whether it's an on event or an off event. There are two watch batteries inside that keep the time and run the display. The batteries will keep the time for 3 months if the timer is not plugged into power. This means you can program the timer while holding it, then plug it in when you're done. The on/off events remain in memory without battery power, and if you replace low batteries within one minute, you won't have to reset the clock's time. One very handy feature is the knob used to change all settings. You can go forward or backward for every setting by spinning the knob. Whatever's plugged into the timer's outlets can be turned on or off manually with a button on the front.

If you want to read the operating instructions for this particular timer, you can go to Intermatic.com and download them in PDF format for free. For the features, ease of use, and the price, you absolutely can't beat this timer. Intermatic DT620CL 15 Amp Indoor Astronomic Digital Timer

There are several secrets to programming this device. From reading the reviews you can tell that some people figured them out right away after reading the directions, some had difficulty, and some never figured them out and returned the device as defective.

Secret 1: OK doesn't mean OK. It means cancel the setting I just finished programing. To keep the setting you have to push PROG after setting the minutes.

Secret 2: An event is not an on-off cycle. It is just one time setting. To get an on-off you need to program two events. If you program an on time for event 1 and then an off time for event 1 you will find that the on time is gone. You can do on settings and off settings in any order. The device just executes the change of state when that time is reached for that day.

Secret 3: You have to push the ON/OFF button when you plug it in the first time after programming it. After that it operates by itself.

Secret 4: Dusk and dawn settings override time settings. I didn't set any dusk or dawn events so I didn't figure out the details of this one but if your device isn't going on and off when you expected it to, check your dusk and dawn settings.

If you plug a cord into the bottom half of the outlet it is then possible to plug in this timer at an angle at the top and it will still work. It is too big to go in straight if something else is plugged in. It is wide enough to take up three spaces on a power strip.

There is a three prong outlet on each side of this timer. Both follow the same program.

Once you figure out how to program it, this is an excellent timer. It has only been one day since I got the program working so I have no opinion on the durability of it. The secrets I listed are explained in the directions but obviously a lot of us didn't pick up on them at first reading.

Wanted something to turn the lights on and off in the house without being at the same time of day - mostly to come on for security

Features I really like:

- Considers geographic location for sunset and sunrise times

- Considers Daylight savings for the clock

- Has a random on/off time for even for the sunset/sunrise settings

- Covers only one of the wall outlets

- A small light comes on when it is on - nice to know bulb/fixture is off

- Fairly easy to program

Only had it a week, but I set it up to randomly come on at dusk and off at midnight - if it tracks the dusk changes throughout the year, it will be perfect.

I am using several of these to turn on various lights in our house at different times during the week. They also work great for controlling outdoor christmas lights when you have multiple strings on multiple AC feeds. With two of these things, I can get everything to come on and off at the same time.

The clock seems to be very accurate and I have not noticed any issues with them running slow or fast. All of our units are still synced with the current time over a year after purchase! I find the programming easy once you learn how the system is laid out. The "owners manual supplied" with the unit provided ample instructions and I have no complaints.

I use another one on my cable modem and router to power cycle them every other night at 3AM to keep our network refreshed and optimized.

I have used a lot of various timers over the years, and this one is hands down the best I have come across.

Some have claimed this thing to be difficult to use...

All I can say to that is... If you are one of those technophobes who's VCR has been flashing 12:00 for the last 10 years, you may have issues. ;o)

I wouldn't have purchased more if I wasn't so impressed. I currently own 6 of these.

A very good timer that works well, but i bought mine at the end of June and it craped out the end of October.

I have a second one I bought and havent used and am trying that. The unit gets quite hot which is one possable reason thy it burns out.

THE GOOD:

BUTIONS and DATA ENTRY WHEEL! Only two things that need instructions: Clearing memory (hold on/off while using a paper clip to push reset) and programming where OK returns to menu PROG steps through the programming settings. The rest is very intuitive (no hold button a and push button b 3 times to do one thing and then push button a three times while holding button b to do something else).

Dawn Dusk look up table the dawn/dusk events can be off set or changed by changing location (for a given state you have "N,NE,NW,S,SE,SW,Central) as well as the manual arbitrary offset.

Random is a mode so you don't have to change any programming to use it, just push the mode button for a random add/subtract from the ON/OFF times.

Can set events to every day, week days, week ends or a single day.

Total of 28 events with no limitations as to how many are assigned to a day interval.

The ON/OFF switch changes state until the next event. i.e. pushing ON turns the outlets on until the next event (if its OFF then the outlets turn OFF, if its On then the timer just takes over).

Real useful wattage and two 3 prong outlets.

Reasonable price.

Nice appearance.

THE BAD:

No day by day or event offset when using Dawn/Dusk times. The time can be offset but that applies to all events using Dawn/Dusk. So no way to account for sleeping in on Sun.

Random applies to the timer and all settings as a whole not to an event.

On most outlets, power strips of cords will take 2 outlets and as the sockets are on the side if both are used will potentially take 3.

Doubtfull durability.

Takes 2 expensive L44 batteries (around $4.50 each at Radio Shack).

THE UGLY:

The timer gets warm and stays a bit warm when plugged in even if not programmed. I don't know what the current draw is as I can't find my watt meter.

No real provision for rechargeable batteries.

It would be nice if there was an option to turn an outlet on when the other turned off.

Overall a big improvement over the other timers I have used and I am planning on ordering some more. - Timer - Lamp Timer - Digital Outlet Timer - Digital Timer'

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