Tuesday 14 October 2008

Amy Bento - aerobics, amy bento


This is a review I posted in February 2009 (this product is listed in two places on Amazon): "Nothing compares to Amy; I love this challenge as much as I love ASC1 and ASC2. I was a little frustrated when I first attempted it, because I had trouble with the box turn in combo 2; I'm glad I kept at it because this workout makes me feel fantastic. This is especially true during those times when I've fallen off my diet plan; ASC3 is a super calorie burner. I was doing this twice a week, but I'm adding some new Patrick G. videos for variety, until Amy hopefully finishes ASC4. This is definitely an advanced workout and one that stays in my rotation." I still love this workout; I feel even better doing it since I started using kettlebells this year as my primary method of strength training. It makes my step routines fly by! Amy indicates she won't be completing ASC4 until next year, but this video has tremendous staying power. Advanced Step Challenge 3 with Amy Bento

She's very good - enthusiastic and likeable. Music has a good beat too. Took me while to get the moves (I still can't do the reverse stomp, double stomp or whatever) - I'm very uncoordinated - that's why I do step at home and not at the gym :) I skip the power-ups - I'm 42 - are you kidding? Don't have that much energy. Highly recommend.

It had been a while since I had taken a step class but I wanted to get back into it. I purchased another step dvd but it was too basic and I quickly got bored of it. I decided to try Amy's workout and I'm glad I did. What a great workout! It took me a while to learn the routine. Even after going through the previews, I still had to pause and rewind over and over again. But my persistance paid off. It is so much fun! She has five different routines and several mixes, so you'll never get bored. If you already know the basics, you should be able to catch on pretty quickly.

Amy Bento is my favorite fitness instructor for home workouts. I don't like this workout as much as ASC1, but it's good. I feel the choreography is more difficult to learn which is OK with patience. I wish it was slightly simpler on combo 2 is all. I do recommend it to people who like challenging choreography, and the premixes are nice to have for variety and workout length. I wish this feature was available in ASC1.

Great workout! I love the preview moves, it helps a lot. The warm up could have been better but I have another video of hers and that has a good warm up so I use that one. It has two(2)15 minute Ab workouts which I enjoy. If you like step work outs this one is great. Amy Bento's #2 video is just as good too.

Was very excited to get this DVD, until I tried it....I have been doing advanced step aerobics for 20+ years and I was totally lost in this!!!! A few of the moves were broken down, but there were many more that should have been explained in much more detail.

Amy goes through each combo several times so you really get a chance to get the hang of it. I just fudge it until I get the moves down which is a source of much entertainment for my husband who loves to watch me fumble around! It isn't so hard it's impossible, but you definitely have to be an experienced stepper and in excellent shape to do this workout.

Another fun step workout from Amy. Great music, fun moves, what more can you want from a workout? For advanced or intermediate fitness levels. It takes a few times to get the moves down but once down, the workout is so much fun!

As a long long time home video junkie, I am always looking for a new exciting challenge. Amy's video certainly is that. Her energy is unbelievable and I am more than jealous of her stamina and endurance. It is nice to be challenged not just by the intensity but also by the moves, but perhaps with a bit too much challenge on the moves. My main complaint in this video is the poor step training preview to the moves. This is the first video I have ever had to try to train myself on the moves after failing miserably the first run through. I am still struggling in keeping up and often get too frustrated when I can't get the moves down, though I have only tried twice now. If I ever do learn the moves, I will feel very accomplished. This video is only for the very coordinated and advanced stepper. - Amy Bento - Fitness - Aerobics - Advanced'


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Training Fins


I haven't bought these yet (so ignore the rating...will rate when I receive them), but was having a hard time finding a sizing chart. With so many comments about sizing difficulties, I figured I needed one before purchase. On the speedo.com site I couldn't find a chart for the Biofuse fins. I finally found a sizing chart on [...] and have no idea as to its accuracy. However, I thought it would be worth posting here:



Speedo Biofuse Fins run quite small with regards to their sizing chart. If you are on the upper end of any size, we recommend sizing up to the next greater size.



XXS - Men's 3-4 Women's 5-5.5

XS - Men's 5-6 Women's 6-7.5

S - Men's 7-8 Women's 8-9.5

M - Men's 8-9 Women's 10-10.5

L - Men's 10-11 Women's 11-13

XL - Men's 11-12

XXL - Men's 12-13 Speedo Biofuse Training Fin, Large (10-11)

I bought these fins after using 2 pairs of Zoomers. The Zoomers left my feet blistered, even after I tried a different size and using socks under them. These Speedo Fins fit really well and I feel the same level of exertion as I did with the Zoomers. I've only used them about 6 times so far, for about 4000 yards total, but I'm very satisfied with them.

Several people have indicated that these fins are undersized. This is an understatement. I finally received a pair that seems to fit. As I write this review I am wearing the new pair of fins just received in the mail. Even though they are two sizes over my normal size, they are still slightly tight but reasonably comfortable. With this in mind, I am not writing about the swimming efficiency of the fins, but about their sizing.



My shoe size is normally a 10.5 men. Based on a similar Speedo training fin product this is roughly a large. Unless, I missed something I couldn't find an adequate sizing for the fins on this site. Taking the advice of other reviews, I ordered an XL. They arrived. It was like Cinderella's shoe on everyone else. The lack of fit was obvious. They didn't fit. I sent them back.



As a footnote, be careful what you check as the reason for return. If it is Amazon.com's fault, they will pay for shipping. Totally improper sizing in my humble estimation is their fault. After checking the correct box indicating why I was returning the item, Amazon.com finally agreed we me that it was there fault and paid for the return. (Be forewarned when you check your box).



I reordered an XXL. They arrived today. They fit. As I write this review, my feet are still comfortable in the fins. The lessons learned are as follows....



1. A men's 10.5 shoe size is normally a "L" but is an XXL size in these fins. Use this as a reference for your shoe size.



2. My guess is that if your shoe size is an 11.5 or 12 or greater, you might want to forget about these fins and search for something else. XXL is the largest size.



3. The sizing on the actual fin indicates the following information: XXL is US size 12-13. Wrong!

I am currently a masters swimmer and former competitive swimmer in my youth. I have the "no kick gene", and always am looking for tools to help strengthen my kick. Over the last couple years I have used Zoomer's (red and blue) and TYR split fins. The Speedo Biofuse worked my legs, calves, much harder than any of those others. I have yet to see if it has helped drop my times in a meet, but they are helping my kick in practice. They fit my flat feet well, but I found the sizing to be small small, so size up to get a decent fit. I also believe it is good to "rotate" training aids, like fins and paddles, to get optimum effect and help avoid boredom. These fins deserve a rotation in the swim bag if you are more than just a casual swimmer.

These are great fins for adding to your pool workout. I've been using them for a few weeks now.



Caution: sizes run small. I usually wear an 11.5 in most boots and shoes (Nike 12). I ordered the XXL fins that report to be for size 12-13, and my toes stick out the end of these fins. If Speedo offered a XXXL, I'd be inclined to return these for a switch. Since they don't, I just deal with my Fred Flinstone-looking feet sticking out of the front of the fins.

I wear a 13 in regular shoes. For whatever reason, Speedo seems to have left us bigger footed folk out of the design loop for this one. Perhaps they feel that our feet are big enough to serve as fins? Not sure. But, if you have big feet, DON'T BOTHER. Check out the Speedo speed training fin instead, at least it comes in larger sizes.

I've worn the Speedo Biofuse fins just a couple of times now, both in the ocean and in the pool, and I've noticed a considerable difference in the leg workout compared to the snorkling fins I used previously. I feel it both in the thighs and the calfs, as opposed to just the thighs, where I felt it with other fins. I ordered up one size based on other reviews I had read (normally wear a size 8 shoe, and ordered the large, size 10-11 fin), and though they're slightly loose, they stay on just fine and are comfortable. I don't think I would have fit in the smaller size.

So far, I'm really happy with them, and they're easier to fit in a backpack or in my panniers if I'm on foot or bike.

I was hesitant to purchase these at first, because it's almost impossible to find information on women's sizing. I'm a shoe size 8-1/2, so I decided to get the small ones (based on feedback on another review). Turns out the small fins are just right for me, and I enjoy using them very much. The only downside - I wish you could get them in another color combination than grey/green for the small ones.'


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Etiquette Essentials - style, men


The main reason I purchased this item was for its numerous illustrations. Just about every page has a full color picture of clothes. From a glance I can tell just how long a blazer should be. Or perhaps how long a sweater's sleeves should fall when wearing it over top of a collared shirt.



I use this book as a reference manual on how clothes should fit. Need to buy a new tuxedo? Turn to the formal wear section and read up! It also gives you a few basic ideas on how to wear things. For instance, how to match a shirt and tie with jeans and a blazer. It won't tell you exactly how to wear things but just offer you guidelines with some great pictures.



For the $20 this book costs you get a free 1 year subscription to Details Magazine ($10 value) along w/ a ton of up to date information (Published October of 2007) so it's definitely worth it. Details Men's Style Manual: The Ultimate Guide for Making Your Clothes Work for You

This book should become standard issue for every man after college, if not high school. While style and fashion is a very personal and very individual process, it pays to understand men's clothing.



Chapters are broken down by article of clothing, from shirts, pants, jeans and polos to coats, gloves, hats and leather, everything is covered. And it is all explained in a very direct, excuse me ladies, but man's kind of way, like reading a car manual - almost. It is as good a read all the way through as it is a quick reference guide. In fact, it's as a reference guide that this book really shines. When dressing for any occasion, a quick flip through the book can help you choose the appropriate attire for any event, while feeling both confident in your look and comfortable in your attire.



All in all, men and the women who shop for men's clothing should check this out - especially if you want to start filling your closet with a wardrobe that is ready for anything. Great job, Details.

Covers the basics very well, and gives quite a few ideas on how to change things up. Also includes a card for a free year (or year extention) to a Details subscription. Worth the money.



EDIT: Just went back through parts of the book again, and forgot to mention one key item. There are several points in the book where they suggest a new way/item to try, with 3 different levels of "difficulty", for example, wearing a sport coat with a tie, then a sport coat with jeans, etc. Something I hadn't seen mentioned before, even in their mag, and it's a great idea.

Like most other guys, I'm an imbecile when it comes to fashion. Luckily, I realized this recently and started trying to correct the problem. The Details Manual is a book I picked up, seeing that ratings-wise, it was the best selection. I'm really impressed with it. The book contains guides and models on what should be a mans closet; it touches on most subjects regarding a mans wardrobe options: Jeans, Shirts, Blazers, Suits, etc. The book gives you the basic parts of clothes, and how they should fit. I'll use the first chapter (shirts) as an example; first is shirt basics (parts of the shirt: cuffs, collars, etc.), it goes on to shirt options giving a few examples of decently nice shirts, after examples it tells you the characteristics of a perfect fit like how it should feel like when sitting down, from here it goes to collar types, dressing options, a kind of challenge for the chapter (challenges are on every chapter), and finally ends with the don'ts of shirts (EX. Don't unbutton your shirt too far, and it tells you why). I don't really agree with the person who said this book is for 20 to 30 year olds, I think this is a great, standard manual so to speak, for a man at any age, thats my opinion though.

I recently made a resolution to stop dressing like I'm in college and to start dressing my age, so I picked this book up on recommendation of a friend. The best thing about this book are the excellent photos showing different outfits. I passed up buying some of the "classic" style guides that didn't have good photos. Not all of their recommendations are "me", but it has been very helpful in establishing a good baseline for beginning to build a wardrobe.

As something of a men's fashion neophyte, I bought this book on the recommendation of several friends. It delivers exactly what it promises. It explains the basic articles of clothing a man might own or wear to various functions; what the various qualities denote; how to determine when it's worth it to splurge or not; mini-interviews with famed clothing designers about their personal stylistics; and much more, including a free one-year subscription to Details magazine.



The book is written very much like a manual, but the writing style is more of the energetic, upbeat style one would expect to find in Details magazine. I would definitely recommend this to anyone else who is clueless about fashion and trying to change that.

I found this book to be helpful. It presents different types of clothes (shirt, pants, jacket, tie, etc.) and gives examples, when each might be appropriate, and how to combine them with other things to make outfits. It's not a very in-depth book, though. There's not as much as I would like on why something looks good vs. something else doesn't. There's also not a lot on dressing different body types or how to disguise some things while drawing the eye to others. It's a good beginning book.

The best part of this book is the visual support for each style suggestion. Not of all of the advice is mind-blowing; I have been keeping up on my men's style mags for about two years and I could have written 80% of this book. The other 20%, however, is thought provoking--especially the sections on three levels of difficulty with a "look" (such as white pants). If you enjoy reading Details/Esquire/GQ, then I would anticipate that you will enjoy having this condensed reference. As noted in other reviews, this book aims to cover everything from trendy to timeless, so if you already know that you want to look like Cary Grant or Andre 3000, then you may want to find a more tailored book. - Clothing - Men - Style - Fashion'


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Kids Crafts - kids crafts, loom


I purchased this as a tool for my daughter in law to learn how to do tapestry weaving. The size and structure are perfect for learning the different techniques; its portability is excellent. Overall, it works beautifully for my objectives.



It will function quite nicely for anyone wanting to learn standard weaving techniques on a budget. It also would be a good product for making handwoven placemats and other items for use in the home. Harrisville Designs Style B Laploom

I used to make wall hangings as a child with homemade looms. I recently met someone who weaves huge items and after seeing photos of her work my interest in weaving was renewed. I like the simplicity of these looms but do have some comments. Firstly, the frame is wood with plastic pegs. A screw in each corner holds the frame together but mine is a bit loose. I may need to tighten later. Instruction booklet is well written, read all the way through before starting because there are tips later on in the booklet. Parents please note that every other row you must insert a second flat shed stick into the loom. It's not complicated, just takes time so be aware if your child may not have patience to do this.

My only complaint is I ordered the bigger size B loom and in the photo on Amazon it showed yarn in orange, yellow and reds so I bought a refill yarn kit called Sierra because it was black and red and I thought it would be nice to have both but when my loom arrived I see the size B comes with the black and red yarn and the smaller sized A has the oranges. So now I'll have two black and red items :( I don't know where the photo came from but it should be corrected!

The manufacturers website shows the correct colors but I didn't go there until after I got my loom. I would also recommend spending $10 more to get the Wonderloom. It helps push the yarn down evenly.

This loom is a good size for making place mats. - Kids Crafts - Loom'


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Nook Color - memory cards, 16gb


According to the manufacturers of this card on their own forums, this does not work properly in Android or Windows phones. I guess it is a problem with the way this card is partitioned or formatted. Symptoms of the problem are regular freezing of the phone you put it in (requiring a battery pull to reset) and the card eventually becoming corrupted (losing all the data that is on it and requiring a reformat). On the official acknowledgement of the problems posted to their forums they give no indication of what we are supposed to do with these cards that don't work. It might be possible to repartition and reformat this card yourself to get it to work but I haven't been successful at that yet.



I'm not sure how a card that fails in the vast majority of devices you would use it in gets released and hasn't been recalled yet. It is too bad as Partiot is usually a decent manufacturer. I have contacted support asking them what I am supposed to do with my defective cards but have yet to get a response. I don't want to return them because these will be great cards when the problems get sorted out (they are very fast), but right now they are worse than useless as they make any device I put them in unstable and corrupt any data I put on them.



I definitely can't recommend this card right now unless you don't plan to use it in a phone or tablet (which is about the only reason I can think of to buy a microsdhc card).



Update: Patriot support was not able to help me but they said they were willing to RMA in exchange for a class 4 (which will hopefully work). Sure I paid for a class 10 and a class 4 would have been cheaper in the first place, but I just want something that works at this point so I am willing to swap for something slower if it fixes the problem. Patriot Signature 16 GB Class 10 MicroSDHC Flash Memory Card PSF16GMCSDHC10

I was a bit skeptical when getting this card, because it is priced significantly less than other 16GB Class 10 cards on the market, but since it's a new product and it's for my phone, I was willing to take a bit of a gamble after seeing a couple of other positive reviews around the web.



I'm glad I did! This card performs great and gives me plenty of storage space. I ran one of the many available free benchmarking tools on it (you can find plenty on Google) and it wrote to all of the storage space to verify there were no problems with the card. It clocked the write speed at 11.6MB/sec, and the read at 17.5MB/sec, so the speed claim by Patriot holds up. I popped the card into my HTC Evo phone and it was great seeing how much faster applications stored on the SD card were loading up.



Note: I ended up buying the card on Newegg because it was quite a bit cheaper there than Amazon's current price, also with free shipping. However it looks like Amazon has accordingly dropped the price, so I recommend comparing the two before buying.

This card is super fast. My speed test on my HTC Evo 4g write =11mb/s and read= 15mb/s... I am very happy with my purchase. My old card was by sandisk 32gb class 2 and my speeds were write 8mb/s and read 1.75mb/s....great improvement!!!!



Side note I bought from NatechGadgets and my ordered was delivered 20 hours after I ordered it.



My best purchase this year!!!!!

I bought this for the same reason many people are picking it up...to boot OSes on the Nook Color. Sadly, it is incompatible with the NC's card reader. It works for some things, but not for all and data gets corrupted easily. I tried it in a Motorola Droid X with the same result. It's just not stable or reliable.

Worked perfectly fine for a couple of hours and was amazingly fast, but for whatever reason after I rebooted my phone (Samsung Galaxy S 4G) once I could no longer see the card from either my computer or the phone. I don't know if it just died or what but either way it became useless after that. At least Amazon has a good return policy.

Not much to tell. I needed lots of space for my phone and this is it. Registers as 30.91 GB and the fastest I got it to write at was 9.77 MB/s. I had bought a cheap class 2 off of ebay for $20 and it screwed up the same day I got it. Some things you just have to pay full price for.

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

Update: Found a program for testing memory cards and here are the results. Also, my card did screw up one time, but I don't know if it was the phone or the card. Reformatted and everything was okay.

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

Sequential Read : 19.882 MB/s

Sequential Write : 17.003 MB/s

Random Read 512KB : 19.642 MB/s

Random Write 512KB : 2.059 MB/s

Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.254 MB/s [ 1038.6 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.019 MB/s [ 4.7 IOPS]

Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 4.577 MB/s [ 1117.4 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.026 MB/s [ 6.3 IOPS]



Test : 50 MB [K: 3.2% (1.0/30.9 GB)] (x1)

If you're looking to buy a Patriot Signature MicroSDHC card then don't buy this. The description is wrong. It is in fact part of the LX series. Nowhere on the packaging is there any mention of Signature, which is what I paid an extra ten dollars for. There is, however, a giant LX label on it. I searched NewEgg's wares and there is a big difference in packaging. LX is supposed to be Patriot's lower-grade line and that's why I went with the Signature. If you search the model number you will find results with pictures that show it is clearly LX. So if you plan on purchasing a specific type of sd or microsd card then I suggest you search the model number before you commit to buy.

Bought this card to root my Nook. Worked great. Formatted it after the root to use as extra storage and run Apps that need a card. It's been in the Nook ever since. Two weeks later, my Nook no longer sees the card. When I pull it and put it back in it tells me the card is damaged or corrupted and it needs to be reformatted. It works for a short time and then it's corrupted again. - 16gb - Memory Cards - Class 10 - 16gb Sdhc Memory Card'


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3d Blu-ray - panasonic, streaming video


This blu-ray player has excellent picture quality. The Netflix,Blockbuster,Vudu work great. You also receive a free movie download with Blockbuster and Vudu if you register the device on their website. Works excellent with a wired connect and as soon as I connected my ethernet cable it update the firmware. And you can attach a flash drive to the usb on the back for extra storage for the BD-Live Content. I used my 20.00 credit from Madden 12 to get the player for 58.00. Even at 78.00 this is a great player. Toshiba BDX2150 Wifi-Ready Blu-ray Disc Player - Black

I give it a 4-start for the following reasons (or points of improvements):1. The player does not remember where it stopped playing. So, I have to start from the beginning after power cycle.2. When the blue-ray disk is being loaded, somehow there is relatively loud noise. Every time. But it is quiet when it plays.

This player is fantastic. I was first surprised by its size. It is TINY! Light as a feather (which scared me at first), but that doesn't seem to affect its quality. The picture and sound are awesome, the apps are great... Can't go wrong with this player, especially for the price. I can't speak to its longevity, of course, since I only bought it earlier this week, but since you can get a warranty on SquareTrade for like 11 bucks... no worries (:

Great product....has as many features as many blu-ray players 2x the price. If internet capability is desired, just connect with a ethernet cord or get a wifi adapter, the choice is yours. Be sure to add this HDMI cable for excellent results!:



Fanatic Digital HDMI-to-HDMI Cable Ultra Clarity 6'

DVD reader defective from start: very sluggish reactions to remote control commands, in spite of changing the batteries. Sometimes the DVD reader respond immediately, sometimes I had to press the button 10 times to get a response. All material received new in pristine condition, but defective material that I had to return. Will try another brand next. Amazon has a very straightforward and simple return system fortunately.

Well I received my player on yesterday as the seller promised. I was super excited and eager to see how it worked. I purchased an adapter based on the recommendation from Amazon pop up. The specifics does not state you need an adapter for the product, it isn't on the box and it wasn't written in the product descriptions. So it was very disappointing to find out that even at a great buy - I have to spend at least $40 to get a "Toshiba" adapter because it will not work with anything else. Very disappointing - I would have prefer for them to include the adapter and charge more for the unit. So until I get an adapter I have yet to see how good this unit really is.

This Toshiba entry-level Blu-ray player performs most tasks competently; however, I cannot recommend it for two reasons:



1. The remote control is not particularly well laid out, making it hard to use it in the dark. This is a minor issue common to entry-level media equipment.



2. The true deal-breaking missing feature of this player is that it does not remember your place in a disc after a power cycle. If you are watching a movie, turn the player off, then turn it on later, it resets to the FBI warning as if the disc had just been inserted. Especially for TV shows, where six or seven one-hour episodes may be on one disc (and so the disc may be in the player for several power cycles), this is unacceptable.



Technical support claims that the missing feature is a way to differentiate the lowest-end player from the other models; in reality it distinguishes the device as less useful than my first CD player. - Blu-ray Player - Panasonic - Blu-ray - Streaming Video'


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Energizer - energizer, battery


Because of temperature extremes in the car Lithium is the only type of battery I'll use in my accessories. Other types end up leaking. I also like the long storage for seldom used applications. I want them ready when I need them. Energizer Advanced Lithium AA Battery 4 Pack

These Energizer Advanced Lithium AA batteries are a wonder for my portable compact disc player and Wii remote. I'll put it to you this way. I have listened to 20 cds all the way through plus cds that I skipped around on and they still have juice (with anti-skip on). I put a fresh pair in my Wii remote and played Super Mario Galaxy 2 for the first time. I put in many many hours on the game even with the remote speaker on a lower volume (the way I like it). I beat the main quest while collecting over 90 stars and they were literally 2 hours away from making it it all the way through. I am happy to know that there are batteries like this nowadays that I can just put in to these devices and just forget about swapping for a long while.



Other pros: Lighter than alkalines (another plus for the Wii remote and certain other portable devices)

Better and Safer for the environment.



Cons: Some would say price, but thinking about it. I think it's justified. You don't have to swap out as much, carry as many around, they last about 3 or 4 times longer than alkalines (depending on device). And they are better for the environment.

I am going to stock up on these sometime for sure.

I have had pretty good luck with the Energizer lithium batteries. I have used them in a Digital Wall Clock and it lasted about 2 years. I also have used it in an AA battery camera and it seems to do about 2-3x longer life than regular Energizer or Duracell batteries. What is amazing is the lower prices for the product as I think they were 2x as much.

New in the package lithium batteries, great for use in digital cameras, wireless mice, etc. Will last a long time, before you have to replace it. I was having to replace the battery in my wireless mouse at least once a month. Put one of these batteries in it the day I received them, and it hasn't had to be replaced yet.

So Far these battiers seem to working very well for my wii remotes....have played probably 15+ hrs so far and they are still goin strong. GREAT PRICE!!



UPDATE: These batteries are GREAT. Its been about 4 months and we just had to replace them. The Wii remote is used on a daily basis when playing the Wii and when we arent playing games we are watching NextFlix. Great Batteries, Highly recommened!!

I used two of these batteries in a weather station, probably a low draw application. Manual estimates battery life at 1.5-2 years with alkalines. These lasted two months. Don't know if I got bad batteries or I used them in the wrong application. I'm thinking bad batteries as lithium cells are supposed to maintain their voltage over long periods and when they do finally die, their voltage drop off curve is precipitous. - Lithium - Energizer - Battery'


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Staples


The product works fine. The way it was shipped is the problem. The box of staples was placed inside a larger box with no packing material. The staples were broken into small sections. This makes it very hard to load and get the job done. I will go to Home Depot or Lowes next time. B & C Eagle SDM-114 1-1/4-Inch by 16 Gauge by 7/16-Inch Medium Crown Galvanized Sheathing Staple (10,000 per Box)

The product was fine, the poor packaging left a broken box and a thousand small pieces inside. I would have sent it back if I did not need it right away.

An additional note, I puchased the same 10K staples from Lowes for $26.00 and the box was not smashed.

These are good staples in a poorly designed box. Like the other review, the box had split during shipment. Thankfully, the contents were kept in the brown outer shipping box. The stables worked will on my project. Just make sure you can't get similar staples cheaper at Lowes or Home Depot.

Never got to use the staples... first box arrived broken with a quarter of the staples missing and most of the sleeves broken up. Call and asked for a replacement which they handles quickly and to my satisfaction... But when the replacements arrive the box was also broken open and taped closed with some of the product missing and many of the sleeves broken. Whether it was packaging or handling at fault... the product was of no use to me.'


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37 Lcd Hdtv


It took all of 5 minutes to apply this to my screen. This has to be the best bang-for-your-buck TV upgrade available. Not only do on-screen colors seem a bit more vivid, but this added a nice touch of class to my living room. I'm recommending it to all my friends. LED Backlight Kit for 37"-42" TV LCD Flatscreen (Table Mount)'


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Lithium-ion - lithium-ion, 18v battery


I decided after quite a few dead batteries over the last year it was time to upgrade my Ryobi batteries to Lithium batteries. I like they hold a charge A LOT longer than the NiCad versions and are also lighter in the tool. So far no complaints at all. Ryobi P106 Compact Lithium-Ion Batteries (2-Pack) - 18v - Lithium-ion - 18v Battery - Battery Pack'


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Lithium-ion - lithium-ion, 18v battery 18v battery Lithium-ion - lithium-ion, 18v battery

Knife - chicago cutlery, knife block


I just got these knives and I love them. Regarding the rust problem, all quality knives are made of high carbon steel. They will all rust if left in water. This includes henckles, shun, wustof ect.



Regarding the spaces that others have been complaining about, high quality knives are forged out of a single piece of metal. It is impossible to get a uniform shape for every knife this way. Chicago Cutlery uses a poly handle that has uniform in shape (unlike wood handles), hence the spaces.



These knives are very sharp. You can see how sharp a knife is by holding it loosely by the handle and pulling it over a tomato without applying pressure. I have done this with the sontoku from this et and it slices through like butter.



Handles are a matter of taste. these are thick handles, I like them this way. If you like thinner handles go with Shun. Of coarse one chef's knife will cost you twice as much as this whole set.



The only minor complaint is the steak knives. Steak knives should be serrated; the steak knives in this set are basically long paring knives.



These are great knives and %99 of users will be just as happy with these as with a $500 set from henckles. Chicago Cutlery Insignia2 18-Piece Knife Block Set with In-Block Knife Sharpener

I bought these to replace a set of Mundial 5100's that was lost. I wasn't expecting such high quality from this set, but Consumers Digest selected these above many sets costing hundreds of dollars more (including the Mundial set that they reviewd) and I have to say this set is more than I expected for the price. I am not claiming they are better than the Mundial 5100 block set, but so far they're pretty close.



Unlike some of the other reviewers, I haven't found anything to complain about. The handles and blades are perfectly matched with no gaps or any other errors that I'm aware of. The blades are sharp, but to get them to the point of slicing produce paper thin they do need a couple of swipes through the built in knife sharpener (which I found works better for these knives than my Henckle dual sharpener). After I sharpened the utility knife I was slicing onions so thin that you could see through them. So I tried cutting tomatoes with the same results with very easy pressure the knife slid through the tomato literally as thin as you could possibly want to slice it.



I know that there are better knife sets out there but you are going to pay for them.



This set is perfect for the average home kitchen and again for the money they can't be beat.

Bought this as my first set of knives. Appreciated the price. A little surprised at the craftsmanship. The knife handles are not made to perfection and there are some rough edges where the handle meets the metal blade of the knife. This does not cause much of a problem other than appearance. The knife block is well made. The slots for the knives go completely through the knife block allowing for ventilation, should you want it.



Pros

+ Price

+ Great starter knives

+ Convenient storage block



Cons

+ Poor visual craftsmanship

The knives are reasonably sharp and do their job. However, the construction is disappointly poor. There are large gaps in between the plastic of the handle and the metal bolster. The finish of the handle and blade is also poor. Understandably, this isn't the most expensive set of knives out there, but I wish they would have spent a few more dollars not making them look like such cheap knives.

I'm not a knife expert but these knives feel good. I was dissatisfied with my last set (J.A. Henckles) which I bought for double the price because they required a lot of tuning. These knives have been holding their edge longer and the in-block sharpener is very convenient and easy to use. The Consumer Reports review convinced me to buy these in the first place and so far they've been holding up to their praise.

I received these knives 4 days ago. I immediately unpackaged and began to use them. They arrived well packaged and in good condition. I have used all but the steak knives on multiple occasions daily. I also read the literature accompanying the knives as well. This way I would not be surprised by doing something ignorant to the knives and ruining them. I have washed them by hand immediately after use and then dried them. I store them in the block for now, which by the way is a superior knife block.



Ok, the knives are great. They are a steal for this price. They cut well and feel wonderful in your hand. They are forged. As such their appearance is as that of a forged piece of high quality cutlery. These knives look wonderful. They were sharp out of the box and I have not had to sharpen them yet. I have used them on vegetables, meat, fruit, and all sorts of items while preparing meals. I look forward to preparing meals with this set. I actually try to make meals that require me to use them because they are truly that wonderful to use. This is definitely a high quality set of cutlery. I inspected and used some German cutlery and can say that these knives definitely hold their own against a set of German cutlery costing 300-500 dollars. If you are searching for a high quality set of cutlery and you are not wanting to spend 300 to 500 dollars to get them, these are a great set to choose.



The block is high quality as well. It is worth 30-60 dollars easy just by itself. I normally keep my knives on a magnetic strip to conserve space. However, this block is so attractive and of high quality I am considering continuing to use it and make a special place for it on my counter. The block and knives just scream quality and I like the way they look.



Please read and do what the directions say when cleaning and using these knives. If you choose not to follow the directions, then DON'T COMPLAIN WHEN YOUR KNIVES BECOME DISCOLORED OR RUST WHEN YOU SOAK THEM OR PUT THEM IN THE DISHWASHER! These are not some cheap 39.99 set of serrated knives. These are a high quality forged set of cutlery. If washing them by hand and drying them immediately is too hard to do then this set is not for you. Get that 39.99 set so you won't get frustrated when the expected happens.



I highly recommend this set to anybody in the market for set of cutlery. No, they are not German made and they do not cost 500 dollars. However, they are high quality and, unless you just want to impress somebody with your high priced cutlery set made in Germany, this is a great choice. Just make sure you understand how to take care of high quality cutlery and can handle doing it. - Knife Block - Knife Set - Cutlery - Chicago Cutlery'


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