Fitness - fitness, heart rate

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I bought this watch to replace a hand me down Polar S210. Let me just say that I can set up a vcr, but I could never properly set up the polar. I wanted a hrm that told me my heart rate and yelled at me when I was out of my zone. That's it. I know what my heart rate zone should be, I didn't want to go through the endless options of the Polar to setup a single stupid heart rate range.



This Timex is not complicated. It does not have the advance features of the Polar. I know my way around the plain Timex Ironman and when I got this watch it took me about 5 minutes to figure out how to manually set the heart rate zones and to arm the alarm. There's also a dedicated button to simply turn on the heart rate. The manual's there and it's complicated, but it doesn't need to be read.



The Heart rate is a little goofy every now and then when jogging but that's usually because I'm not sweating enough. The watch is probably half the volume of my old Polar and not nearly as fugly. The watch face is appx 3cm high by 2.5cm wide... just a little larger than a plain Ironman Timex. The watch band's max accommodation is just over a 8 inch circumference. If you're a bigger guy, I'd go for the other model the T5H9xx



There's probably other features of this Timex that I'll never use. 4 out 5 stars because I'm pretty sure the watch amazon sent was a previously returned item. Timex T5H881 Zone Trainer Digital Heart Rate Monitor

This is my second Timex heart rate monitor and I would never buy anything else. I've experimented with Polars and was highly disappointed. This watch fits nicely and I recommend the black color so that dirt doesn't change the color. I wear it all day and then throw on the chest strap when exercising. I love checking how many calories I have burned and its easy to use. I highly recommend this heart rate monitor!!

This watch makes it easy to do zone training - exercising so that your heart is in one particular "zone" (a percentage of your maximum heart rate). For example - if you are exercising in Zone 3 (70-80% of maximum heart rate) you will get 3 points for every minute exercised and the idea is to accumulate a certain number of points per week. The watch tells you how much total time you exercised, and how much time you spent in your target zone. It doesn't tell you how much time you spent in any other zone or for that matter, points accumulated per exercise - two data points that would have made it much easier to follow the zone training suggested in the manual provided with the watch. Given all the data the watch provides, it would have been trivial to provide these data points as well and it's really beyond me why Timex didn't bother. Seriously guys - time to hire product managers with a functional brain. The heart sensor is, as far as I can tell, pretty accurate and the watch is easy to read. The heart monitor strap can be uncomfortable - being a guy I have all of a sudden, newfound sympathy to women who decide to burn their bras.

I weigh 190lbs with a 34 in waist and the chest strap just fits. I have a small frame (albeit somewhat overweight) so I can see how larger men would have a problem with the chest strap. But, it fits me so I went ahead and gave the watch five stars.



The more I use this thing the more I like it. I wear reading glasses or bifocals at 2.0x power. I can still read the time (the instructions were a different story) without my glasses. In the chronometer function the HR range is displayed above your elapsed time. Your current HR is a little black cursor above the HR range. You can see this in the product picture. This is cool because (even without my glasses) I can see if I am starting to get out of range as the cursor approaches either the high or low end of the range (while still being able to see the chronometer). If you would rather just watch your HR you can switch to make that the dominant display with the chronometer in a small font above it.



You can set an alarm tone to sound when you get out of your HR zone, too.



It will calculate your HR recovery over a 1 min or 2 min period. And, when the recovery period ends the watch is smart enough to stop sounding the HR TOO LOW alarm. However, if your HR goes out of range during recovery the alarm tone keeps sounding. The watch also starts the recovery period as soon as you press stop on the chronometer.



There is a review function so that you can see AVG HR, peak HR, min HR, etc. If you enter your weight in the setup then it will estimate calories burned, too. It just keeps the stats on one session.



After you put in your values for low and high HR for your HR range, you also select your fitness "zone" by selecting if you want to loose weight or work on aerobic fitness, etc. The watch then uses a different percent of max HR to calculate your target HR range depending on the zone you have selected. This "zone" is in the setup so if you want to switch your workout goals everyday then it might be a pain to switch that every day... but at least you wouldn't need to enter values for HR or figure the percent of max that you want to use for that day.



Ok, I found an annoyance with this watch. I set the alarm tone to notify me when I am above or below my HR range. When you stop working out the watch doesn't know when to quit. You can stop the Chronometer, reset it... you can even take off the chest strap, and the watch keeps beeping. The only way that I have found to turn off the alarm is to separate the two (like my kids) so that the watch can't receive the RF signal from the chest strap.

I read alot of reviews on heart rate monitors. upon recieving the item I took it out of the box and followed the directions. It was easy and simple. It comes with the chest strap. As the instructions suggest I ran my finger under tap water. With my finger (after it was wet) rubbed it on the monitor and put on the strap. It worked withing 30 seconds and conitinued to monitor my heart rate in real time. Works like a champ. - Heart Monitor Watch - Fitness - Exercise - Heart Rate'

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Coffee Table Book - fashion history, style

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I had the opportunity to view this book in the store and it is gorgeous. Gigantic glossy photographs, many of Ralph Lauren and his family. I was waiting for this book to come out because I am a huge Ralph Lauren fan. That said, in my mind, I sort of thought this book would dissect his fashions over the past four decades. While his styles have the reputation of being timeless, the designer certainly has evolved and a book that started with his ties to his initial designs, perhaps examples of the tweed jacket he bought for his wife, etc. then moving to the polos, Blue and Black Label, Home and lifestyle, that would have made a fantastic book. This is not quite a book on the evolution of Ralph Lauren designs over the past four decades. This is more a collection of very beautiful photographs and some editorial. It is beautiful, no question. But had I purchased it sight unseen, I would have been expecting a different book, a forty year retrospective, with initial designs, runway, retail versions, fabrics, British lifestyle influences, etc. Ralph Lauren

First....This is an AWESOME book. No doubt about it. It is HUGE. It weights 14 1/2 pounds!!! It is really beautiful. The photos are just what you'd expect from Mr. Ralph. Sweeping, grand and elegant. There are over 700 photos..Large and small. Not a lot of text but enough to keep you well wrapped up.



BUT....Well...Really 2 buts....I am a HUGE fan of Lauren's western vintage inspired line of clothing called "RRL" or "Double RL". Have been since 1993. Was a little let down that there are only about 8 pics related to this line which Ralph admits many many times is his true passion and love in his vast empire of styles and brands.

On the upside...There are LOTS of photos from the first western collection in 1979 that was really the groundbreaking for all his RRL and Western/Roughwear/Santa Fe collections since. Many not seen in some 25 years. AA++ on that.



SECOND BUT....There are little to NO STORE photos. Inside or out of the shops. In my humble opinion...This is about 75% of Lauren's pure gift. HIS STORES!! There are unlike any other stores in the world!! Th sheer scope that each store has..It's own style depending on it's location, the accents, the style direction, etc. You can spend hours just wondering through his stores in awe. MAJOR minus in this book. DDD---



Upside again....There are many many photos NEVER published before. Most from early ad spreads. Lauren's early ads were often 15 to 20 magazine pages long...Like mini movies. Remember them all quite well from my early adulthood. Very nice to see new/old images. AAA+++



OVERALL...Excellent book. We all know Lauren could have (without any effort due to the wealth of material to draw from) split this book up into 3 or 4 or even 5 volumes. His life, the stores, the ads, the designs...hell....even the millions of dogs just used in his ads alone could fill a 200+ page coffee table book. I guess to totally cover all the Lauren aspects, you'd need a 30 pound book!



If you and Mr Ralph are very very close friends. You will WANT this book. Well worth the hefty price. Thanks Mr. Ralph for 40 years of letting us live our movies with you as the director, scripter and set designer. GREAT RIDE!!



P.S. You will need a REALLY BIG and REALLY strong coffee table for this book. Take my word.

An abundant feast- a gluttonous selection of images beautifully bound- This will not dissapoint hard core fans and will thrill those poor readers who haven't joined the cult -yet. Printed in Italy by Rizzoli you'd better have your chauffeur pick you up when you tote this baby - it is a whopping 14.6 lbs of paper and ink.



The accompanying text is simple, elegant and sincere, page 29 "Personal style is about having a sense of yourself and of what you believe in , which is basically self-confidence.When you have that confidence you can wear whatever you want and project something personal about who you are and what you feel.Dressing,then,can be an adventure.You can dress for the role you are playing on a particular day."



The premier American designer and virtual pioneer of the global classic american lifestyle brand(ing) exemplifies American ideals of freedom / paradox by explaining that it is after all about belonging AND being an individual...I surrender!



There are tons of pictures black and white and color, chronicling the product and RL lifestyle, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the label.It's a great book to have.

I previewed this book at the bookstore as well and I can't wait to purchase it! I'm a thrift store type of person, so I am saving up for a copy:)



What a totally beautiful book! I noticed people made barbed comments about Mr. Lauren having so many pictures of himself - and I say why not? To me, nobody wears a cowboy hat quite like Ralph Lauren - or wears his clothes as well - he is the best advertisement of his product there is. He has beautiful eyes and a real presence and he is just great to look at - and that goes for his wife and children also! It's fun to escape to his world and I never tire of looking at the Ralph Lauren style.



I hope someday soon he comes out with a book on his stores, like another reader had suggested. I remember a library room that was done up for the holidays (in his New York store I believe) that I still think about - it was absolutely beautiful. To have a book full of his store "rooms" would be heaven!



Ralph Lauren is one of a kind and we are richer for it.

This was purchased as a gift and was a real winner. The book is masterfully done and the quality is far above average. If you are into Mr. lauren's products or high fashion, you will not be disappointed. However, your house guests may become captivated during their visit and ignore you...great item to have and worth the money. - Decorating - Style - Fashion History - Fashion'

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Ethernet Bridge - netgear, ethernet bridge

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I bought this item, because, on the back of the box, it shows the WG602 being used as a bridge to connect to a WGT624 access point. This is extremely misleading, and well, plain wrong, as a couple of other reviewers have pointed out. I was on the phone with extremely unhelpful tech support (that they outsourced to India, I believe), and it took several hours of run-around for the support guy to actually admit that the two products are not compatible (he had to ask someone else). Had he researched this properly in the beginning, hours would have been saved. I was eventually informed (after being told to upgrade firware, change numerous settings, etc.) that the WG602 would only bridge to another WG602. THE BACK OF THE BOX IS WRONG! Don't buy this if you're looking for a bridge that's compatible with any other AP. NETGEAR WG602 54 Mbps 802.11g Wireless Access Point

I bought a WG602 to extend my wireless network (being established by a WGR614) - after two hours of trying, I gave up and started searching the internet for results. Just then, my friend google *told* me that the WG602 only works with a limited number of other APs (the WG602 and WG302 seem to be the only ones compatible as far as I know..). But that doesn't seem to bother Netgear, they don't give any hint at all, neither on the package, nor on their website. This is a darned cheek! It's almost like having them say "Hey, we're selling cars!" and after buying one of them you discover its disability to drive...



CONCLUSION: If you need a AP, try it, it might actually work - if you need a repeater, just keep your hands of the WG602's!!!!





...words from a frustrated consumer...

I purchased this access point about a month ago for my girlfriend's house. Her existing setup consisted of a Zoom cable modem connected to an SMC Barricade 4 port broadband router/firewall. I went over to her house, plugged an ethernet cable into the router and the acess point, plugged in a wireless PC Card into her laptop, and it was ready to go. All together no more than 15 minutes to get it up and running. I haven't had a chance to play with the advanced features and security, but from the initial setup, I have to say that I'm impressed, perfect for networking newbies (although I am not, I like the idea that this hardware is easy to use and easy to set up, as all hardware should be).Performance wise, I couldn't be happier. As a test, I had the AP set up in a room on the second floor of her house and walked outside with the laptop. Roughly 70-80% connection quality around 3/4 of the exterior of the house and roughly 50-60% connection quality on the farthest side of the house, which is not bad IMO considering it's going through several walls. The AP also works flawlessly with both 802.11b and 802.11g clients.Although when a "b" client connects, all "g" clients are dropped to 11Mbps, this is a behavior that is common to all current generation "g" chipsets. I am a "b" client while all the users in my gf's house are "g" clients, works flawlessly.Aside from the above, the Netgear WG602 is probably the best looking AP that's out there on the market. It's very stylish and unobtrusive. Sizewise, it's not much larger than a sandwich. It comes with a very practical vertical stand for added convenience. As a side note, Netgear is perhaps the only manufacturer that gets these stands right; it actually holds the AP up stably.In summary, this is an excellent choice for customers who already have some sort of wired network in place. It's great for those who are less technically inclined as it should pretty much work right out of the box.

OK, I'm gonna have to laugh. Many of the reviews you see around the Web for electronics are laden with complaints about customer service. The reason I have to laugh is that I think this is more a symptom of our self-service society than any given company's customer service. I mean, I've been having issues with an item I ordered from Home Depot, and the hospital where my son is getting treatment has lost his blood samples and then lied about it.But I digress. This product was a breeze to set up and has been working flawlessly for seven months. I've had several Netgear products in the past, and have never had a problem. I'm using encryption and MAC-filtering and both were easy to configure via the browser interface.My only complaint is WPA support. This particular AP doesn't support it, and according to Netgear's website, never will. The "V2" will, but not this model. When I first purchased this, I was under the impression that 802.11g and WPA were synonymous. Apparently not. This AP is 802.11g compliant, but does not support WPA. If that is important to you, get the V2.

Purchased the wg 602 to expand my current Netgear wireless system only to find out that as a repeater it will only work with another wg 602. The box that the AP came in shows a typical network setup utilizing a wgr 614 wireless firewall router and the wg 602. Why would netgear clearly show this compatibility when its not the case? Support on this issue was a joke.

As of today, Amazon doesn't specify whether WG602 on this page is WG602 v2 or not. Product specification on this page indicates it is WG602. WG602 hardware isn't software upgradable to WG602 v2 which has WPA and other additional functionalities.



I purchased WG602 more than a year ago. It's been working fine without any trouble. Just like GW511, I was hoping WPA would be added to WG602 through firmware upgrade. However, Netgear released WG602 v2 which doesn't share the same firmware with WG602.



Irecommend you to confirm which version your are purchasing.

I just got this a week ago along with a Netgear WG511 PC Card. It looks really neat. And works great. The setup was a breeze. I just connected the access point to an ethernet switch connected to the router. Installed the PC card and it immediately detected the WLAN. Configuring the access point took a little while because my network's IP range is from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.255. The access point comes with a preset IP address of 192.168.0.227. To access the AP from a PC that is connected to my network over ethernet, I had to change the IP address of that PC to start with 192.168.0. The PC card shows the signal strength as "EXCELLENT", "VERY GOOD", "GOOD", "LOW", "VERY LOW" etc. I did some benchmarking on this. In the same room, the signal strength is shown as "EXCELLENT". I copied 25MB of files from the other PC to my notebook. It took 1 min 7 seconds. Over an ethernet connection between the same two computers, it took only 53 seconds. Then I took the notebook to another room (2 walls) and the signal strength was shown as "VERY GOOD". With 3 walls in between it was still "VERY GOOD". Interesting thing is that I didn't see any noticeable delay in copying the same 25MB files. I took the notebook to upto about 180ft (2 walls in between). The signal strength became "VERY LOW" and it also got disconnected after a while. With more than 2 walls in between, irrespective of the distance, it becomes very unreliable. I keep my access point in the basement in a corner room. I cannot get signal on my ground floor at the opposite corner of the house. I think it is safe to assume that we should get upto 200 ft with no walls in between. - Access Points - Netgear - 80211g - Ethernet Bridge'

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Facial Cleanser - acne treatment, neutrogena

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First off, I'm in my early 20's and have combination type skin with occasional, mild to moderate acne. I used nearly two whole ProActiv systems before switching to a Neutrogena kit and have found that this clears up my skin much better and faster. I find it very convenient that the Day Lotion includes SPF 15, whereas the ProActiv Repairing Lotion doesn't, even though ProActiv advises you to use sunscreen with their system when going outside. That would probably prompt you to buy their oil-free moisturizer with SPF 15 as well ($$ smart business move $$), thus adding another step to your skin-care regimen. I would recommend anyone with my acne/skin type who is thinking about subscribing to ProActiv to try Neutrogena first.



Anyway, the Neutrogena kit lasts around 5 months for me. I still get an occasional zit or two, but with less frequency than I did in the past. I use a Neutrogena Rapid Clear spot gel for that with success.



Word of advice: It might be best if you shake the tube of acne cleanser before you start using it. When I was finishing up what was left of the last tube I used, I discovered that all the "micro-fine beads" were gathered there, afloat at the very top somehow. I've been wondering where those were all along... Neutrogena Complete Acne Therapy System

I am in my early 30's and have been experiencing severe and embarassing break-outs along my jaw line, chin and cheeks for the past couple of years. I have tried Murad, Proactiv, AcneFree and many other systems without success.

A month ago I picked up the Neutrogena system when I saw it on sale. Within five days days my skin started to clear. Now, I have a completely clear complexion and have not had a single break-out since starting the system. I have had no problems with drying and my skin is much softer than before. Finally, a product that works and comes at a decent price!

First of all, I understand that not every product will work for every individual. But, this one is far exceeding my expectations. I did some research online before I bought this. What I found was that what seemed to work the best for people was a combination of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. I looked at the wide array of acne treatments I had at home and they were ALL salicylic acid, but no benzoyl peroxide. I thought it was worth a shot.



I'm 35 and acne runs in my family. My mom still has it. I was starting to develop very deep, painful acne that would heal in one place and then show up in another place. Nothing I was doing was getting rid of it. I found this Neutrogena system and I noticed some improvement the very next day. I'm a little over a week into it now and I can't believe the improvement! I'm going to recommend this product to anyone I know who battles with acne, like I did.



Realistically, I know I'll probably still have the occasional breakout. But this worked wonders on the constant problems I was experiencing before. One of the things I REALLY like about this, is it's only 2 steps. Wash and moisturize/protect. I don't have the time or the patience for a whole routine with various products. I love that I just have to wash and apply cream. Overall I think this is a wonderful product and half the price of Proactiv (which I understand is a 3 step process anyway).

I'm 29 and NEVER even had so much as a tiny pimple anywhere...until I got pregnant. My daughter is now 3 and I've been struggling with acne ever since. I get large, deep, cystic acne on my chin and sometimes on my forehead, and tiny, puss filled pimples on my neck, chest and back. I have tried Proactive for months on end with far less results than were worth the time and effort of all the steps involved (and the price). I have tried a variety of precriptions for washes and ointments/foams/creams from my dermatologist including Benzaclyin, Evoclin, Tazarac Cream, Clenia, and Zyiana. Some dried my skin out so badly that it actually cracked and was very painful, some didn't dry the pimples out enough, and some would clear up breakouts, but not prevent future outbreaks. None of them came with a moisturizer, so I never knew how to fight off the dryness. I was always afraid that using a drugstore moisturizer would defeat the effects of the meds by clogging my pores and causing more breakouts, so I'd just suffer with uncomfortable and ugly flaking skin in hopes that the acne would atleast stop. No such luck.



I have been using the Neutrogena system for about 2 weeks, and I can confidently say that this is going to be the LAST acne regimin I will ever follow again. When I bought the set at Target, it came with a free bottle of the spot treatment, which I think is vital to the success of this system. Within a few days, I noticed that the tiny pimples on my chest were drying out and no new pimples were forming anywhere. Now, almost all of the pimples - even the deep ones on my chin - are either gone, or DRAMITICALLY reduced. I will also add that I started this system about 12 days before I expected my period knowing that the worst pimples of the month were on their way. I did experience a bit of drying, but nothing that was at all painful or really red and irritated. The best thing about this system is that it comes with a daytime moisturizer, so your skin will never be cracking and flaking the way it would with other treatements. The slight drying was actually beneficial for me because I have olive skin, and I get hyperpigmentation (dark marks) where pimples were. They normally take several weeks to fade, but the drying effect of the nightime acne lotion helped to really exfoliate those spots and the result has been a dramatic lightening of those marks.



I would definately recommend giving this system a try. Get the spot treatment as well. I started out using the wash and night time acne lotion as well as the spot treatment at night, and then the wash and moisturizer during the day. Now that most of the pimples have cleared up, I'm not using the spot treatment. There are so few steps to this system - it's not time consuming or tedius to keep up with. It's affordable (the bottles are large enough to last over a month even if you're using them on your back, chest and face as I am), it's quick, easy, and most of all, effective. - Skin Care - Neutrogena - Facial Cleanser - Acne Treatment'

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Dungeon Siege - hack and slash, dungeon siege

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The original DUNGEON SIEGE was an unforgettable game that one can still greatly enjoy today. Its first sequel, DS2, was not as fun to play as it suffered from a number of issues yet it managed to retain the character of the series. Sadly this is not true for the third installment.



A VAST SELECTION OF...FOUR PREMADE CHARACTERS

This is the first thing that hits you. Unlike both previous DS games, DS3 offers only four characters: a Swordmaster (Lucas), a Gunslinger (Katarina), an Archon/Fire Elemental (Anjali) and a Mage (Reinhart). Can you change their gender? No. Can you alter their appearance? No. Can you personalize their stats? Since there are no stats, again: No.

Choose the Swordmaster and after a while realize that he is exactly that: a Sword-only warrior. No bows, no crossbows, no slings, no range weapons whatsoever! Not only are the classes limited, the abilities available to each one of them are severely restricted as well!

Now, when in a cRPG, I cannot identify with female heroes so the fact that in DS3 I cannot play a male gunslinger was major drawback. Such character restrictions are not only a major divergence from the DS tradition but also a serious flaw for any cRPG.



KNOW BLIND TYPE, WILL PLAY. OTHERS MAY ONLY TRY

Reeking of a hasty console port, the controls are a nightmare for the PC. You move with the W and S whereas you turn the camera with the A & D keys. You change your fighting stance with the Q button, you select your abilities with the number keys above whereas you block with the space-bar; you open your inventory with the F(?!) and your character page with the C key; and you need to keep hitting the E key every time you want to pick up or interact with something (more on this later). Did I mention the mouse so far? No. Since consoles cannot use a mouse, when it is eventually used (to attack) it feels like an...afterthought.

Now, since I always play using the arrow keys and rebind keys around them to every other function, were these settings modifiable there were be no problem - but for some unfathomable reason they are not! Hence, more often than not, two-fingers-typist me kept opening the inventory instead of rotating the camera right or opening doors...

Dungeon Siege series fans will remember that these are PC games - playable mostly with the mouse. Click on the character icon to open his inventory, click on the ground to move; click on a chest to open it. Since when did DS games require either a full keyboard or a ...gamepad!



PIXEL HUNTING? IN 2011? HONESTLY?

Approaching a container will pop an icon (an open hand or, quite redundantly in treasure chests, another...treasure chest). However, you cannot click on said icon to open the container. You have to hit E - and in order to do so your hero has to approach and step on the right spot. Now, you did all that, the container opens and the contained item(s) and gold drop on the floor. Can you click on them to pick it up? Strangely no.

The gold is automatically picked up by walking over it (but not walking by it or even standing on it!). More often than not your companion will even oblige you and pick up (most of) the dropped gold. However, that does not happen for items.

That makes sense, to avoid stuffing your inventory with items you would not want - until you realize that in order for the pickup-icon to appear over an item you have to, again, reposition your hero juuust right - and THEN you have to hit E once more. So, a game with awkward controls requires you to pixel-hunt to open chests and pick up loot from the floor. Come on, who thought of that one guys?

And, to add insult to injury, items already explored (say, a note on the floor) do not hide once viewed but remain there to further confuse you.



IMAGINE NO COMPANIONS...AND NO MULE TOO

Playing a DS game always meant you would be managing up to 6 companions, at least one of them being a pack animal with a much larger inventory. Selecting and balancing your companions and then equipping them and setting their default spells or attacks was a great part of the fun. In this third installment there is no pack animal and you only get one companion at a time - and not all the time.

The inventory is much larger now so I can understand why the pack animal could be omitted. And your hero (no matter his class) can transmute loot into gold so that covers a handy ability your party mage would have. However, such transmutation, for some reason, is only offered for some but not all of your unequipped items and can only be accessed by opening the Character(?) page and selecting the Items tab - but not the Inventory. Please read on.



CAN THE VICTOR HANDLE THE SPOILS?

DS3 has no unique items; it has no equipment sets either; and it has no locked levels that become available one by one - luring you to replay the game with higher level items.

Here is another annoyance: items you cannot equip due to your class are automatically stored in your Items storage to either sell them later or transmute them into gold. So you can transmute items you cannot or do not want to use - strangely though, not all of them.

Open a merchant's window (you talk to his...table, not the merchant) and the same thing happens there: you can sell items you cannot or do not want to use - but not all of them! As to the items available to buy, they are all there, regardless of class - and you have to be very careful to notice the class-compatibility! Otherwise you may end up spending all your gold on an item you cannot use.



THE KINGDOM OF EHB NEVER LOOKED NICER.

Because of the pre-release screenshots I had high expectations for this game - and to an extent they were justified. The environments, especially the exterior ones during daylight, are absolutely beautiful. I liked the dynamic shadows, the swinging lanterns and the swirling leaves; I enjoyed the zigzagging butterflies, the birds shying away and the dust stirred up by the hero's footsteps; and I stopped to take in the way flames dance and embers ride the thermals.

Move indoors though and the level of graphical details seems to drop a couple of notches. Moreover, dungeons are also darker than necessary. Even after increasing the gamma, the indoor environments look less impressive than the exterior ones. Come to think of it, even the original DS had more atmospheric dungeons.

So, the graphics overall are nice, not phenomenal but nice. Now, turn your hero around or (even worse) talk to a Non-Playing Character (NPC) and be further disappointed with how they look. Not even Barbara Walters uses so much soft-focus!



WHERE EXACTLY SHOULD I BE LOOKING AT?

The camera is just short of frustrating. Zoom all the way in and you are still looking at your hero from above, greatly reducing the drawing distance (for a game with such beautiful exterior environments, a major flaw). You cannot view from behind the hero, at shoulder height, like in Dragon Age: Origins. Zoom all the way out and you are still looking from an awkward angle, not exactly top-down and, although that was the zooming level I mostly used in the end, not exactly helpful either.

In all fairness, the entire DS series more or less has the same issue - but since so much was taken out of the game was it not possible to improve on just this one?



AND THE MUSIC PLAYED ON

You know how Hemsey's Mind Heist (of Inception trailer fame) makes everything epic? Well, so did the main theme of the original DS (I still use it as a ringtone for a group in my phone). DS3 ...well, not so much. The music stays in the background and it subtly complements the action on screen. It does have its moments - but it does not give your sword swings that extra umph or make you brave it out and risk staying in the battle just a little longer.

In fact, I loaded the game with the Main Theme of the original DS playing in the background and it was a big improvement!



REMEMBER REMEMBER THE SAVES OF NOVEMBER

DS3 has a save system that gave me some trouble at first - but that was my fault. The game will autosave at preset points which are usually spaced too far apart. Relay on them and, whenever your hero dies, you will find replaying from some point that seems ...months ago.

However, in order to make a save, you need to step into the yellow smoke and press E to bring up the save page (the game pops up balloon icons everywhere yet nobody thought to give a hint of this?!). Do this often, especially in the beginning when your hero is still of low level and (if, like me, you just do not do defense), expect to die every couple of hours or so.

You get 40 saves but you can overwrite older ones so there are plenty.



OMINOUS STEAM OVER THE SWAMP

You guessed it, DS3 comes with mandatory STEAM tie-in. With only rare notable exceptions I deduct a full star from my rating for such restrictive DRM schemes. This was not one of those exceptions. If STEAM is not important to you, feel free to adjust for this deduction. Otherwise, you have been warned.



I cannot know whether OBSIDIAN aimed primarily to the console market to avoid competing with DIABLO III (rumored to be released in June but probably still months away) or it simply rushed its PC port for the same reason. In any case, this is a mediocre action cRPG at best in need of numerous patches.



Replay the original DS, it is a much better game.

Alternatively, wait for the price to match the product. Dungeon Siege 3 [Download] - Steam - Hack And Slash - Dungeon Siege - Video Games'

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Small Soldering Iron - small soldering iron, solder

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This basic Weller 25 Watt Soldering Iron Kit does exactly what it should: it solders, and for a basic soldering iron, it does its job well. It's an essential tool for a beginner, basic hobbyist or for the toolkit of a seasoned pro to replace an older version (and yes, have owned a few over the years). It heats up to about the recommended temperature of 750 degrees F, and has a heat-resistant handle that has been a trademark of this tool for years.



It includes three nickel-plated tips: a familiar chisel point, a pencil point, and a flat screwdriver tip. It has a stainless steel barrel, an improvement of the much older models that Weller used to make. And yes, they do last for years.



Wish that I could say the same about the ColdHeat Cordless Soldering Tool, but I can't due to some serious flaws in that product. See my review on it for further details.



If the small Weller soldering iron seems too basic for your needs, take a serious look at the Weller WLC100 Soldering Station, an excellent 5-star product for the hobbyist and the do-it-yourselfer alike. Must admit that this is the next one on my shopping list. Weller SP23LK 25-Watt Soldering Iron

This is a good, inexpensive, consumer-oriented general purpose soldering iron for tasks such as automotive and household wiring and medium-sized electronic component work such as that antique Grundig reel-to-reel tape player you picked up at a yard sale. The included "soldering aid" tool is handy for straightening or bending wires and component leads. If you can, I suggest you pick this up at Wally-World - you'll pay local sales tax but, you'll save shipping costs and time.



The Weller brand from Cooper Handtools is outstanding. [...] But, make sure you understand that this particular kit - the SP23LK - is a consumer-grade item. For finer electronics work and somewhat advanced tasks such as "through-hole" and "surface mount technology" soldering and desoldering, the operating temperature of this iron is much too high and the included and available tips are much too large.) If you're just starting out in electronics and are even just somewhat serious about it, the SP23 is NOT the iron to start out on - you'll probably become quickly frustrated, burn up some components, not learn good soldering techniques, and wind up tossing the iron and your new hobby or profession. If your budget can afford it and you think you'll be spending a fair amount of time working with electronics, consider a "soldering station" such as the Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station, Power Unit, Soldering Pencil, Stand and Sponge (outstanding price on Amazon, even with shipping!).



Otherwise, the Weller SP23LK is a good consumer-grade general purpose kit not intended for serious electronics work. I rate it 4-out-of-5-stars only because there are several other equally capable general purpose irons out there.

Great light duty iron that performs well on DIY projects, small repair etc. The "kit" idea I'm not sold on - just buy the iron alone where possible since you'll be needing a sturdy stand and perhaps some "helping hands" anyway for safety. If you do go with this kit then toss out the tired little piece of solder it comes with and get yourself some 60/40 with flux.

THIS PRODUCT WAS A EXCELLENT PURCHASE I BOUGHT IT TO MOD A XBOX 360 CONTROLLER THAT HAD VERY TINY SPOTS TO BE SOLDERED IT WAS EASY WITH THE TIPS THEY GIVE YOU AND THE SOLDER IS GOOD TO WOULDENT THING TWICE ABOUT ORDERING WELLER PRODUCTS AGAIN

I was very excited to try this soldering iron for jewelry work. But, within 1-2 hours, the tip would no longer solder. I followed the instructions on how to tin the tip, and cleaned with wet sponge after each use.. But the tip turned black anyway and would not melt the solder anymore. I tried sanding the tip to remove the black, and that did not really work either. And, there is no way to find replacement tips. I went to Lowe's and Home Depot-- and nothing. But i liked it for the first hour or so it was working. :)

This is a rip off. Radioshack sells a much better made kit for $9, including a three-pronged grounding plug for better safety at a higher power rating (80W). Don't believe that things are always cheaper online, I learned this the hard way by wasting money on this "kit".

Bought this iron for a little soldering. Works fine, but the tips wore out quite fast, after a few times one of the tips was quite unusable. Probably would go for a higher quality actual soldering station next time.

I need a soldering kit to fix small electronic equipment and I started out with my old headphones. The only thing the kit is missing is soldering resin basically, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. There's enough soldering iron to begin with for 2 or 3 small things but you will need more if you're planning to do some serious work with it. The 2 different heads are nice replacements and you can use it as a screw driver too so it's quite nifty that way. The iron itself heats up relatively quick, within a minute or 2 it should be ready to use at max heat. The device also has a orange light that indicates when its on so it's a nice safety feature where most soldering irons don't necessarily bring, at least the ones at this price range.



Overall, the product met my expectations and it's useful at a reasonable price.

Exceptional performance as Weller is known for, but for some odd reason; it unscrews itself - which is can be dangerous for the sensitive component board or for anything for that matter. I found that rubbing the end with a bar of soap (the screw on end) before screwing the tip on (the one you are going to use) has eliminated this loosening of the screw tips. - Small Soldering Iron - Electrical - Soldering - Solder'

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Amazon Video On Demand - roku, digital media devices

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I love Roku and the whole Roku experience. It allowed me to "cut the cable" and save a good bit of money each month. It gives me plenty of programming, most of it free. It's also adding new channels all the time, about 360 or so at the moment.



I current own the previous Roku XD 2050x and love it. It's not a perfect product, but it's a darn good one.



This review is on my current purchase, the Roku 2 XD. It's not a perfect product either and it's just been released. It's also not quite ready for prime-time, but almost...



There are some differences between the XD and the Roku 2 XD. Most are good, but I do have two gripes. The original XD had both a wired connection and wireless available. I use wireless, but wired can be handy. When I first received my original XD, it wouldn't properly connect with my router. So, I hooked it up with an ethernet cable, which allowed it to receive a quick update. This update fixed the problem and I haven't had any problems since. The wireless worked great.



Now, the new Roku 2 XD only has a wireless connection. If you want a Roku 2 with an available wired connection, then you have to spend 100.00 to go up to the XS. I think this was a bad move on Roku's part. I have no desire to play games on my Roku and I especially don't like "Angry Birds" which is the main selling point of the XS.



My other gripe is that the new Roku 2 XD no longer has the "rewind/replay" button. This neat little button will give you an instant replay of the past several seconds, allowing you to take a look at a movie scene you might have missed or a sports call you might want to replay.



The original Roku XD had this button, but the new Roku 2 XD doesn't have it. Again, if you want this button, then you have to move up to the higher priced XS. Again, another bad call on the part of Roku in my opinion.



As I mentioned previously, I think they might have rushed this product to market a bit too quickly. The main reason is that there are a few common channels (and popular private channels) that won't run on the new XD, while they run fine on the previous generation. Roku is working on the problem and releasing updates, but still, this shouldn't have happened on the scale that it did. For example, currently, Food Network Nighttime won't play at all and all of the NASA programming will actually crash the Roku and cause it to reboot. When the Roku 2 was first released the problems were worse, but the company has been working to correct it. However, with so many glitches at release, they really should have waited to refine the software before releasing it to the public.



Now, I'll move on to a quick list of Pros and Cons for the Roku 2 XD



Pros: 1. Overall faster performance especially in menus

2. Wireless range and signal seems better than the previous models

3. Better looking menus and color schemes

4. Smaller Roku footprint.



Cons: 1. No wired ethernet port on XD and HD, only on the XS

2. No rewind/recall button on remote of XD and HD, only on the XS

3. Seems to run a little warmer than previous models

4. Too much common content (and some private channels) won't work and can possibly crash/reboot the Roku



Overall, it seems as if it'll be a great product, like the previous models, once they work out the glitches.

I do wish they'd have kept the wired ethernet port on the XD at least, as well as the rewind/recall button.



If you have a previous generation Roku XD, stick with it for at least the next couple of months. Hopefully they'll have corrected the video/streaming problems that are plaguing it currently.

Also, if you need a wired ethernet connection, then either stick with or track down a previous generation XD. Otherwise, if you're willing to spend the extra money on the XS, then do it. Roku 2 XD Streaming Player 1080p

Please be advised none of the new Roku2 devices support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless. Although the original Roku devices support 2.4GHz AND 5GHz to provide the option to use 5GHz to help alleviate 2.4GHz interference with other wireless devices in the house, none of the Roku2 boxes provide this option. If you already know you might have 2.4GHz wireless interference issues, you might want to look for any remaining first-generation Roku devices out there instead of this one. Just sayin'.

We recently bought a Roku XD box (right before Roku 2 came out) and we absolutely love it. Hundreds of free channels from all over the world. Buy Roku once, and -- as long as you have a TV (even an old one, like ours) and an Internet connection -- you have free television shows and movies... lots of them.



See, absolutely anyone can create a channel for Roku and -- as long as they have hosting to meet bandwidth demands -- they can place the channel on Roku, free. (Assuming it meets Roku's quality standards, of course.)



As a result, there are all kinds of great niche channels created by enthusiasts for things like surfing, rock climbing, old-time drive-in movies, etc.



Lately, we've seen a lot of Christian programming added, which makes Roku attractive for many people who want more faith-friendly programs. Menorah TV is also on Roku. And, BYU-TV just added their channel, which means we can see "Dogs with Jobs" every evening... among other cool shows, like genealogy shows, history programs, and sports.



More recreational and fitness programming is arriving, and there are so many (mostly English) channels from Asian countries, they have their own category among the hundreds of Roku channels.



I love watching France24 news and other international news shows, live (and in English). My weather channel is now Roku's feed from Weather Underground... so it's for my exact town instead of the nearest city, complete with fresh-every-five-minutes satellite and radar images.



Though it's only part of what we watch, we have Netflix on our Roku programming. It costs the same as Netflix does on your computer (if you already have Netflix service, you don't pay anything extra), and you can also add things like Hulu Plus and Amazon's streaming programming.



But, except for Netflix, everything else we watch is free. That means, after buying the Roku box (less than a month's cable TV bill), we pay nothing extra for our TV service. It's saving us over $100/month in cable TV bills, with far better programming and crisper images. Most channels have little or no commercial interruptions, too. Almost all of them are on-demand, as well.



We can also access things like Picasa, Pandora, and Facebook via Roku. Lots of options!



The only negative to this -- and we hope this is short-term -- is that there's no closed captioning. (However, the hundreds of anime features on Crackle have subtitles... and that programming is free.) I'm pretty sure the channels and Roku are working on this.



All in all, I have no idea how cable TV will compete with things like Roku. Between the price (free) and the range of great programs we can watch, we will never go back to cable TV.



Roku + an Internet connection + a TV (even an old one) = free TV! - Roku - Digital Media Devices - Netflix Streaming'

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