Guy Low Price Electronic: 24 Apr 2009

Friday 24 April 2009

Dont Waste Your Money - brad nailer, useless

I bought this stapler based on the brand. I have had good experiences with Arrow in the past and my current manual stapler is very solid. I have a bunch of stapling to do, installing insulation in my attic. The stapler worked quite well for the first 200 or so staples, but then quit working. It would actuate, but the hammer wouldn't move. Turns out, the part that connects the electric plunger to the hammer broke. Upon inspection, it doesn't look like a particularly good design (I'm a mechanical engineer). Other users don't seem to have the problem, and I was very impressed with the stapler prior to its demise. Perhaps this was an anomaly.

When I called Arrow, I thought they would send out a replacement part and I'd be on my way again fairly quickly. Instead, they told me to contact the seller. I did, and Amazon very quickly sent me an RMA and mailing label. I'm returning the tool and am not going to replace it. Arrow Fastener ETFX50 Heavy Duty Professional Electric Staple and Nail Gun

Arrow Fastener ETFX 50 Heavy Duty Professional Electric Staple and Nail Gun

I bought this staple gun for my wife to use when installing insulation as part of a whole house renovation. Her hand isn't strong enough to use a manual stapler for very long. It also works well for chair upholstering and similar chores.

Pros:

- It's sufficiently powerful to drive 9/16" staples into hardwood.

- No misfires, jams, double-staples, etc.; after firing many thousands of staples.

- Sufficiently light, well balanced, and a nice handle, to use all day with comfort.

- You can staple to the edge of the tool, since nothing protrudes beyond the "muzzle".

- The staple magazine and the locking slide is all steel. It works easily every time, and it's intuitive.

- The 10' cord results in no extension cord most of the time.

- A parts list is provided, with reasonable prices.

- The blow-molded case actually works pretty well, and protects the tool when carrying or storing. There's some room for spare staples or nails, but not much.

- Takes 6 sizes of T50 staples (1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 1/2", 9/16", 17/32").

- It's electric with a 100% duty cycle, which means it can used it all day with no breaks. Also, no air-compressor (and hose) is needed.

- It fires BN1810 nails (5/8" 18 gauge brad nails), but since I own two air-pin-nailers, we have no need for another pin nailer.

Cons:

- The trigger lock is located where your right thumb goes, if right-handed. As a result, it's easy to mistakenly set the trigger lock.

- The electric cord is plastic and very stiff, especially in cold weather. A flexible rubber cord, which nearly all top-end tools use, would be a big improvement.

- A larger magazine would have been nice.

- The tool will fire if it's empty, which it shouldn't do.

- There's a staple "view port" near the nose. But it's so small, you can't tell if there are 6 staples remaining, or 100. The tool should have a much larger/longer port, so you could see if it needs reloading before climbing a ladder, etc.

- The staple slide has to be completely removed and set aside to reload. After sliding in a new pack of staples, you reinsert the slide. A better designed stapler would work like any air nailer, where you never remove a slide from the tool.

- Several Amazon reviewers had major troubles with their stapler; from frequent jams to tool failure. It has a pathetic 90-day warranty, when one year is the industry standard. Although mine has worked fine, perhaps Arrow uses multiple factories to make it, which could explain the inconsistent quality.

Other:

- There's some recoil, but it's minor, and as long as the business end of the tool is held firmly against the wood, the staple seats all the way. Another stapler sufficiently heavy to eliminate most recoil wouldn't be as comfortable to use all day. If the tool is held weakly against the wood, the tool recoil might keep the staple from seating (i.e., operator error).

- Arrow rates this tool at 10-amp with a 14-amp surge. "Surge amps" can be misleading for tools like vacuum cleaners or circular saws, since normal running amps is the important number. However, an electric stapler's entire cycle lasts about 1/4 of a second, so surge amperage is the key indicator of power. This thing draws lots of amps; a staple hit a nail head once and tripped a 20 amp circuit breaker as a result.

This machine is a case study in bad design. I wonder once again, if tool designers ever actually try using what they sell.

1. The gun jammed very frequently, particularly when new. Some WD40 and wear eventually helped, but I'd still get a jam about every other stick of staples.

2. To clear a jam required a screwdriver, wrench or nutdriver, and often a pliers. You have to remove a small bolt and nut - why they couldn't have just threaded the slide I have no idea. So don't try it up on a ladder or such where you can drop those pieces and lose them.

3. You can't see how many staples are left in the gun. A simple window in the side of the magazine would be great. A real PITA when going working on a ladder, holding something above your head and ... damn, out of staples.

4. To add staples you have to completely remove the slide mechanism from the machine, find someplace to put it, then slide the staples in. Note point above - if there are two many staples left in the machine (which you can't see), you won't be able to close the slide and will have to remove some.

5. It frequently overdrove 3/8" staples when hanging insulation. Punched them right through the paper. No reason or pattern apparent and no adjustment possible.

6. It outright died after hanging only about 300 ft^2 of insulation. Just stopped working. And I was glad to see it go so I could return the carcass and get something better.

I replaced this with the Powershot Pro from Home Depot for about $15 less. It is much better on all of the above counts - well, can't comment on longevity yet, it's done about 300 ft^2 so far also. Only 1 jam in that time - popped the slide with one hand, and it cleared. - Worthless - Brad Nailer - Electric Stapler - Useless'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Stainless Steel - 8932, watches

Visit Store Now !!

Amazons description is wrong on the case diameter. I bought this watch and the 8926 automatic thinking they were the same size (43mm with crown). Not so, this watch is quite a bit smaller on the wrist, not as heavy(no automatic movement), and the unidirectional bezel is much more loose and cheap feeling.

The model # on the back of this watch is 8932A

The 8926 is a MUCH nicer watch and has been on sale for 70 at various times. Invicta Men's 8932 Pro Diver Collection Silver-Tone Watch

I recieved this watch yesterday and I was very excited. This was not my first Invicta, I've been very impressed with their watches. After I got it home, I put a rubber band on it and then started setting the time. I first noticed that the bezel is very difficult to turn. I thought if I kept working it, it would loosen up. It hasn't so far. Next I noticed that the time keeps stopping periodically. I know it's a quartz, but even early on I expected the watch to keep running in the beginning. Then I look at the warranty card. I admit this is the first time I've had to, and I notice that Invicta wants a $25 check for return shipping. They send me a defective watch and they want money to essentially fix it. I don't think so.....I'm used to very quality from Invicta, so I am very disappointed in this watch.

The watch is the same design as the popular automatic version, but I've found that watches that depend upon movement for power are notoriously unreliable. Thus, I opted for the quartz powered one. The watch design is bold and striking, with classic styling, and a face size that is just right. The box it comes in is deceptively bulky and unwieldy, but the watch itself is a gem. A great gift for any man.

I've owned more than 100 watches in the past 30 years, most of which have been dive watches (Seiko, Omega, Rolex, etc) Needless to say, those watches were between $400-$3,500. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this Invicta but I figured, for 50 bucks it was worth a try.

So far it seems to be a decent watch for the price. The manual is rather ridiculous tho(in my opinion). It presumes that you have no clue what a wristwatch does. I had to laugh when it said: "the battery will have to replaced eventually". Every watch I have owned that was battery operated at least mentioned the lifetime of the battery... 1 year, 3 years, 10 years. I also think the manual could have been more specific as to the model I bought. It is a generic manual which talks about all the types of watches and what the hands are for (chronographs, etc). It assumes the consumer is an idiot as far as wristwatches go. Other than these minor observations I'd say that if you want a nice looking watch that seems fairly well made and is accurate, and you want it to be under $100.... this Invicta isn't bad at all.

The product description says the watch is water resistant up to 200 meters (600 feet). However, I use this watch for around 1 and half month and water has gone into the watch already. I didn't wear the watch to swim or take shower. I just use it normally and sometimes I wear it when I wash hands. How dare they say the watch is water resistant?

Just discov'd. Invicta a few mos.ago.Nice watches,running the gamut from inexpensive to sky high,competing w/ Rolex,etc.My 8932 looks just like a Rolex Submariner. Very pleased;very quick service from Amazon! - Stainless Steel - 8932 - Scuba Diving - Watches'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Book Recommendations - groooming, clipping

Visit Store Now !!

Excellent book that shows exactly how to bathe, groom and clip Show & Pet Poodles. Nice illustrations and pictures for all of the poodle clips. Includes what scissors, clipper, shampoos and other grooming aids to buy. After using this book, I had the confidence to buy professional clippers (I am an amateur) and clip my own Standard Poodle (whom, btw, looks terrific!). I first learned of the book from the library and told my husband we had to own this! *I wish that every breed of dog that needs to be groomed had such an excellent book as this!* Poodle Clipping and Grooming: The International Reference (Howell Reference Books)

I got the 2001 edition for Christmas, as I wanted to learn to groom my own standard poodle. We have survived two clips together since then, and I feel much more confident. This book helped me get the courage to tackle my own grooming and taught me TONS about clippers, blades, scissors, combs, brushes, techniques, etc. It is clear, concise, no-nonsense and pretty idiot proof based on the fact that I can still take my dog in public and she still looks like a poodle! This author was recommended to me by five poodle groomers and it is pretty clear to me that they knew this was pick of the litter.

Everything you ever wanted to know about grooming your poodle, from clippers, hairdryers, grooming tables, trimming your dog's nails (*easy*, if you use a Dremel grinder!), pet clips, US/CA show clips, International pet and show clips (truly wonderful stuff there) to advice on setting up your own grooming salon and participating in grooming contests.I now have my second poodle - a show dog - and I'm doing all the basic grooming on her. A miracle, considering that I never laid scissors on a dog before May (and it's now October). I do have a "poodle mentor" who I love dearly - she has taught me much. But I learn well from books, and Kalstone's is excellent. I spent so much time and money schlepping my dear departed one back and forth to and from the groomers - I wish I'd known just how *easy* grooming can be.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a must for both professional groomers and for poodle owners who want to groom their pet themselves. There is a wealth of information here which is essential for the proper care of poodles. The selection and care of equipment is expertly detailed and explained. Instructions and illustrations abound not only for clipping, but also the proper care of the eyes, ears and nails is given, in addition to the extensive sections on clipping and caring for both pet clips as well as show coats. I would like to thank the authors for sharing their decades of experience and presenting it in such a well-organized and easy-to-understand manner. Thank you!

Profusely laden with photographs and illustrations, this book is a must have for the serious poodle ethusiast. The reader is taken step by step from the basics of trimming techniques on to the most complicated show trims. It is an excellent reference and "hands on" book. Additionally, suppliers are listed for all the necessary tools and supplies. While it won't replace an actual 3-dimensional grooming seminar, it is a most excellent 2-dimensional tutorial.

I planned to take my poodle to a groomer, but a breeder friend talked me into trying it myself with Kalstone's book in hand. We had wonderful results! ...this reference will save you money, and the agony of bad poodle cuts! Plus, I didn't realize how fun poodle grooming can be. It was a real bonding experience between me and my dog.

This book is a great book for poodle owners and groomers who want to learn to groom their dogs and in the process save a great deal of money. Grooming a standard poodle (the largest of the breed) could run $65 and up depending on the cut you have done. This book covers ear and paw care, shampooing and a wide variety of both show and pet clips. Other chapters cover the multitude of clippers, guides and scissors available for poodle grooming. This book is a must for owners of alll three sizes and fans of poodles.

I chose this book because it has been known as the gold standard in poodle grooming books for many years. I am just beginning to groom my two standard poodles and this book is very helpful. It covers trimmers and other grooming equipment thoroughly and has a great chart that explains what type of cut each numbered blade provides, for five different brands of trimmers. It includes almost every type of cut you might consider giving your poodle and each cut has great photographs and/or black and white drawings that help you visiualize what you are doing. The book also has seperate sections for how to groom feet, topknot, tail, face, stomach and ears- I have refered to these chapters many times and they have very helpful instructions and tips. I would highly recommend this book, it will be the only one you need-its so complete. Many people are surprised to find that I am grooming my own dogs and they often comment that the dogs look like they went to a professional.

This book is awesome. The step by step instructions and photos helped guide me through from clipping...bathing...brushing...getting the right equipments down to trims... it's a helpful tool for novices and pro groomers alike. Trust me, it's a wise investment and worth every dollar spent. So for those of you who have it in their hearts to bond and groom your pet and show poodle... this book is it! - Grooming - Clipping - Poodle - Groooming'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Under Counter Tv - under cabinet tv, under counter tv

Visit Store Now !!

I purchased this unit to replace a previous Audiovox unit that failed after 2 years. While I preferred not to get another Audiovox due to that experience, there are not a lot of alternatives for an undercounter unit. I considered the Sony much too bulky, and the Philips unit only comes with the iPod slot which I don't want and consider annoying, so it's Audiovox again. After 3 weeks, I am satisfied with the unit. It is much sturdier in construction than the previous unit, and the design is sleek and handsome. The controls are well laid out and intuitive. Picture quality is only fair (using an analog cable input), but acceptable. When viewing a DVD, picture is actually very good, but who watches a DVD in the kitchen? Sound quality is also fair, about what I expected at this price (this is NOT a premium sound system).

Installation was easy, but I installed under a cornet cabinet, or it would have been a challenge. Who knows if this unit will last longer than the previous unit's 2 years, but at half the cost of the Sony, it seems worth the risk. Audiovox VE927 9-Inch LCD Drop-Down TV with Built-In DVD Player and Clock Radio

I have previously owned a portable Audivox DVD player for my car, which gave me all sorts of problems and Audiovox stopped supporting after only 3 years (in other words, they wouldn't repair at any price). Thus, I entered into this purchase with hesitation. However, I wanted an under-the-cabinet small screen TV, and there are only a few options in this market sector.

I should have learned, but same as my last Audiovox purchase, this one was problem-laden. While it worked (all of 6 weeks) it was adequate. Decent picture, average sound (I didn't expect more for the size and price), and installation was fairly easy.

However, about 5 weeks into ownership, the screen went black. No warning, no power. It happened once, and I thought perhaps a fluke event. However a week or so later it went black again, same thing, no power, no picture. And it never came on again.

I've called Audiovox again, and again their service has been non-existent. They actually recommend "buying a new one" and told me they "can't always get parts for these".

It makes me think they don't actually make any products but pay someone else to make items for them.

I wish I had just tried the more-expensive Sony.

PROS:

* Decent video quality

* Screen can be turned 270 degrees

* Remote is user-friendly

* Includes radio; decent sound.

CONS:

* Audiovox products seem prone to failure and Audiovox doesn't stand behind them. Warranty is virtually worthless

I love my new audiovox tv.. It was delivered very promptly.. The only problem I had was liviing in a townhouse, getting the cable through and I had to hire an electrician at 250.00... The tv, however and all its features are wonderful...You can adjust the screen to fill it at wide angle or turn it to a portrait angle which does not fill the screen.. I dont mind cooking or cleaning in the kitchen now when my favorite tv program is on and I dont have to run back and forth during commecials. The price at Amazon was the best anywhere!!! Free shipping and no tax...cannot be beat...Picture quality is great and can be altered to fit your preferences. It was fun watching my jpgs on it as a slide show

At $230, pretty expensive for a 9 in screen but that said, the picture and sound are terrific and the installation and set-up are fairly straight forward. A DVD player is included, which I do not intend to use.

Be prepared to drill some holes in your cabinet if you intend to hang it under a counter. The screws supplied are round-headed which would have interfered with the movement of the plates in the cabinet above. I changed them to flat-head screws and countersunk them which made it a neat and seamless install.

I really like this product now that I've used it and recommend it to anyone wanting a discrete TV in a small space. One negative, Audiovox provides a 90 day warranty.... what happened to 1 year??????

First off, the product works fine and overall we are happy with it. However, there are three very annoying things about this TV:

1. The auto-seek tuning makes manually tuning AM or FM stations tedious. You have to push the tune buttons for the proper duration to make them stop on the station you want. It's trial-and-error to find the proper station.

2. When the power fails, you lose the time AND the saved AM and FM station presets. The discovered TV channels survive the power failure just fine. This is especially annoying given how difficult it is to tune the stations in the first place. See #1 above.

3. Even though we have digital cable with many channels, the TV only "discovered" channels 1-135. You can't enter the number for a channel above 135 on with the keypad. You can only use channel up or channel down for channels beyond 135.

The overall picture is ok. The LCD panel mount is a bit wobbly, but if you are careful and don't allow kids to play with it, it should give years of service. Audio quality is adequate and plays loud enough to hear across our small kitchen.

There aren't many choices in under-cabinet televisions for under $300. This is the best we found in that price range. - Under Cabinet Tv - Small Kitchen Tv - Kitchen Tv - Under Counter Tv'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Nail Pullers

Visit Store Now !!

This may be one of the few tools in the world that cannot be improved. A lot of carpenters have pulled a lot of nails over the years with no change in the design Open the jaws, position them over the nail, operate the built in sliding striker and the tiny hardened jaw tips dig in and grab the nail head with little damage to the surrounding material. All that's left is a simple pull back on the fulcrum foot and a 16d comes right out of an oak plank. This whole operation only takes a few minutes of practice before you are a pro. No worries that that hammer swing will slide of an irregular face of a pry or crowsfoot. One hand operation is easy leaving the other to hold your balance in high or narrow places. If you only have a few nails to pull every now and then this expensive gorilla is probably not worth it But if you have a lot of errant nails and you value your labor and the material you are working on this is the probably most economical solution. As with all striking tools use safety glasses when using this tool . Crescent 56 Nail Puller

I dad had one of these that his dad gave him. I couldn't wait so I bought it myself. This is the only nail puller that really works. It will pull any nail with little damage to the wood, it will pull small finishing nail to the largest spikes. Dont waste your money or effort on any other puller than this one. It has the durability to be handed down generation after generation.

Drive a 16d with an air powered framing nailer. If you don't like it, pull it right out with this. Any other bar or pliers will make a big old mess on your material. The way an air nailer countersinks a nail, you have to get below the surface of the wood. This tool does that, with a lift of the handle, then a firm slam down. Then when you rock it back onto the foot, the nail is pinched tighter than any thing else can pinch without cutting the nail. Keep a steady pull on the handle and the nail WILL come out. Amazing. Old ideas are still sometimes the best ideas.

This is one of the great tools my dad had. Besides being a cantankerous old coot, dad was a farmer, machinist, tool and die maker, airframe mechanic and general expert with his hands, tools and machinery. He always had the best tools. If he couldn't buy it, he'd make it. Roughly forty years have passed since I last used dad's nail puller; but, when something works well, I tend to remember it. My back fence recently moved to the top of my honeydo list when my wife decided she wanted every other picket removed. She wanted to better enjoy the view and yet keep wandering kids out of our pool. Exasperated with the splintered mess I was making of the redwood with the Roughneck, Superbar and similar nail pullers available at the local hardware stores; I began searching for a puller like dad had. Luckily, I only had to go half way across the country to find it. The Cooper 56 appears to be the same excellent tool I used on dad's fence forty years ago.

I have always wanted one of these nail pullers, now after years of searching through hardware and home improvement stores never able to find one, my search has come to an end. This model may not be as sturdy as the older models, but this nail puller is more than adequite for most people. All claw type nail pullers rely on the head of the nail being in tact or relatively close to the surface of the wood. Though your first impression may be that this tool is a bit pricey, it can save the do-it-yourselfers a lot of time and frustration. One Caution: While using this tool, make sure you have the jaws in place directly over the nail head. My father has broken two of the old models my grandfather gave him by having the jaws to the left or right of the nail head.

Reviews on this item are a bit exaggerated I think. It's a good idea, but let me warn you, it's not for a situation where you have a fully sunk nail and want to save the board. The hammer slide will sink the jaws nicely around the nail and eventually you'll get them under the head well enough to grab it and lever it out, but it's going to leave a big hole. I guess you can still re-use the board if you're going to paint it, simply by filling the damage.

Do be careful using the sliding hammer though, I got too enthusiastic and didn't have my hand in the right place, ended up with a blood blister of enormous size even though I was wearing leather gloves... a real pincher!

Before spending $40 on this item, you might think about what it's actually doing for you, because the best part of this tool is that it squeezes it's grip on the nail as you leverage it out. You can do pretty much the same thing with a large pair of channelock pliers, but of course those won't hammer themselves in to grab the nail below the surface.

I did find this to be a great tool for removing rotted siding because it would sink past the head of the nail in a single slam, making big nails easy to pull because when you extend it, you have a lot more leverage than with any hammer.

Plus this dude will never wear out and probably won't break unless you drop it from the roof onto concrete.

$40 is a lot for a nail puller. There are other little wedge-type pullers that cost a lot less and you can knock them under the nail head with a hammer, causing less damage to the board. Your choice of course. I have it and I'm not sorry I bought it, but... well you know.

This is one of the finest tools I have ever owned although it is also the ugliest. I found mine in a small hardware store in central New Hampshire 30 years ago. It was cheap then and I thought it was a hoot not realizing what it could do. Even though it weighs too much and is too long, I always keep it in my tool bag. I love to see the look on the faces of even experienced carpenters when I use it. Can't leave it lying around a job site if you know what I mean.

The secret to using it is to set one side of the jaws at the nail head and then lightly tap the sliding handle until the jaw seats under the head, then keep tapping it as you lever the tool over the head. When the other jaw is engaged just pull the nail out with a wonderful creaking sound. You can get pretty fast with it after a while.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Accurate Scale - taylor, glass scale

Visit Store Now !!

First, I love this scale. Easy to read, day or night. Very stable. Rounded corners rather than sharp. Sleek design - I love that I can see the pattern of the tile through it.

Several people have commented that about the consistent, repeatable weights that it shows. Well folks, there's a price for that! The way the scale seems to operate is that unless you weigh at least half a pound or so (maybe a tad more) different than the last time you weighed yourself, the scale automatically shows the last weight. This apparently is how the manufacturer makes it repeatable and consistent. (I determined this with a lot of testing, weighing myself, then weighing myself plus a few ounce of nails, a few ounces more, etc. etc., and then working backwards.

If you care about the ounces and want to see every little .1 lb change*, don't get this scale. Otherwise, it is a great scale for a very very good price.

*PS - like my last digital scale, this scale gives readings for every .2 pounds (i.e. you never see xxx.1, xxx.3, .5, .7 or .9). An odd thing! Taylor # 7519 Ultra Thick Glass Scale with LCD Blue Backlit Readout

We redesigned our bathroom in January with glass accents so we bought this scale to replace our Taylor Body Fat Scale Model 5596 (Which has been an excellent product - and we gave it to our neighbor and he now LOVES that scale)

This scale has proven to be just as excellent ! It has a very large surface area (for my husbands size 14's) and honestly has been both consistent and accurate in its weight measurements. The Back Light really makes the Display crisp & clear, very easy to read.

Taylor has proven to me over the past few years that the scale products we have purchased have been both style appropriate while performing to our expectations.

Highly Recommended !

I love this scale! Easy to read ,lighted LCD readout. Nicely designed scale that looks great in any bathroom. Love the look of that thick glass as well. Oh,and it is accurate to within a pound of my weight at the doctor's office. Buy this!

This truly is a VERY NICE, and well built (this thing is HEAVY - not cheap, light, or flimsy like some of the cheap thin glass scales you see at Wal Mart !) and appears to be accurate based on my recent weigh in at the Dr office. I weigh my self twice a week - and the scale has proven to be "consistent" within a lb or two (you know....water weight !) The display is easy to see - I see how some would think the Blue Glow is "cool" but it is not necessary. Did I mention the Glass is THICK - it has a large standing area and is easy to clean with a bit of Windex.

I really like this scale a lot - it was not as cheap....or "low cost" as some of the other glass scales available - but it is worth the extra money and like the other favorable reviews I would recommend this scale as an excellent product.

I was looking for a basic, easy to read scale without any bells and whistles. This is exactly what I wanted.

I've had the scale for about two weeks now with no problems to report. I weigh myself every morning, and each time I weigh myself, I step off and reweigh. It has always been consistent. That is the most important quality.

The display is very easily read with the backlight.

Aesthetically, it is a very nice looking scale. Much better looking when you take it out of the box than what you see in the pictures. Built more solidly than I expected.

In order:

(1) the scale is really sleek and beautifully designed, and well-made: very thick, limpid glass; steel accents; and a clear blue readout. In products such as these, looks matter as much as performance. You're climbing on every morning. You want to look at something pretty. This scale is gorgeous.

(2) The scale is accurate (I compared it with a manual scale, with added weight on me).

(3) The scale is a fantastic bargain for $23 -- you won't find anything like this in a brick/mortar store at anywhere near the price (cheapest comparable scales at BB&B were at least $50), and nothing on Amazon can compare either. I couldn't be happier with this purchase (and have thrown away my ugly, cheap-looking, plastic Conair/Weight Watchers). A definite keeper.

From what I can tell it seems accurate. I weigh about what I expected to, I also threw a new 25lb bag of rice on it just for fun and it read in at exactly 25.0lbs so I guess you couldn't really ask for much more.

It does need to be on a hard surface otherwise its readings will be off by as much as 50% or more.

It also only takes 2 AAA batteries, not the 4 AAA batteries that the description says.

As others have stated, this scale tends to give variable readings. Quite a shame, for the balance of the scale is what I am looking for. The instant on feature is nice, the numbers easy to read, and quite attractive. - Taylor - Digital - Glass Scale - Weighing Scale'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Snuggie

Visit Store Now !!

We got one of these for every member of the family. We live in a very cold area and for early morning we need no robe with one of these. We just put it on backwards for walking around and frontwards for lying down or relaxing. Awesome product. Not too heavy! Cuddle Blanket Plus Super Cozy Body Blanket w/Sleeves

Such a comforting concept, but so disappointing in reality. First of all, the fabric is too thin to provide real warmth. Secondly, and most importantly, the distance between the sleeves makes it impossible for anyone smaller than an elephant to wrap it all the way around. Makes a good dog bed, however (The cat won't go near it!)'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Battery Organizer - battery holder, eneloop

Visit Store Now !!

Reasonably priced (a bit less than $1.50 each in lots of 6) storage cases for AA and AAA batteries. The AA batteries fit side-by-side parallel to the short side of the case. There are 3 zones, one in the center for 2 AA batteries only, and one on each side (two overall) for either 3 AA batteries or 4 AAA batteries. Inside the side zones, the 4 AAA batteries sit perpendicular to the two AA batteries in the center. If any AAA battery is used in a side zone, that zone cannot hold AA batteries at all, and vice-versa. So each case can hold a max total of 5 AA and 4 AAA, or 8 AA, or 8 AAA and 2 AA. Any number of batteries in the allowed combinations will be lodged firmly when the case is closed, and will not rattle around. The lid closes with two small clasps that have a positive snap. The hinges of the clasps, and the hinge of the lid may not be very durable, I have no means to tell yet. Worth the price for me. I use a lot of small batteries. This case is a convenient means to carry around just what you may need. AA / AAA 8 Cell Battery Storage Case Bundle of Six Cases

I mainly use AA batteries, and carry a LOT of them for my photography equipment, especially the flashes. I already have a bunch of holders that holds 4 batteries each, but wanted to try something different.

The Good

-- Can hold up to 8 AA batteries

The Bad

-- I accidentally dropped one case that was full of AA batteries, on carpet, JUST ONCE, and it cracked like an egg.

-- After less than a month, the locking flaps on two cases, one flap each, already cracked at the hinge from normal use.

-- Most electronics, especially when it comes to photography equipment, like a flash, typically use no more than 4 AA batteries. I prefer to keep my charged and discharged batteries separate, and with this 8 battery holder, which sounded good at first, but after using it for sometime, I realized that I easily get them mixed up. So, I found myself going back to using the typical battery cases that only holds 4 instead, with each case labeled, that way, there is no way that they will get mixed up. Also, for my needs, this case is twice as wide, compared to a case that holds 4, I prefer to use a case that holds 4, because they go in and out of my camera bag easier, that is just my own preference.

-- As another reviewer has stated, he/she is concerned about the longevity of the two locking flaps and the closing hinge. I have the same concern, and already experienced the locking flaps failing with two cases.

-- The batteries goes into the case a bit tight, in a way, it is good. But, after a bit of use, I feel that it makes it a little more difficult to put the batteries in to it.

Final Thoughts

-- When it comes to the case completely cracking like an egg, even though dropping it was my own fault, which is inevitable, that everyone will sooner or later drop it here and there, I expected it to be a little bit more durable, especially when it was only on the carpet. However, the cracking of the locking flaps was totally unexpected, especially so soon. Now, I am wondering when the hinge may fail, which I may not know, since I decided to go back to my holders that holds 4 batteries instead.

I was surprised when I received these cases. The picture on the page shows a plain case, but the items I received have the seller's website address stamped on to the case (I've uploaded a picture). The printing is not a label, and it can't be scraped off without scratching into the plastic. I ordered plain cases, had expected plain cases, but I got an item with printing on it. The cases do work as expected, so it's not a question of function. I would probably have ordered these anyway (if I'd known about the printing), because the pricing is pretty good, but I felt deceived. I contacted the seller (through Amazon), and after a bit of back & forth got a satisfactory explanation. Apparently Amazon wouldn't let them post a picture showing the printing, because it would amount to advertising...yet that's how the items actually look. Hopefully, Amazon let's my picture stand so people can make an informed decision. I had also received - on the same order - the 4pk case from the same supplier. AA / AAA 4 Cell Battery Storage Case Bundle of Six Cases That item has the printing on it too.

I bought these to store my rechargeable batteries. The quality is decent. The locking tabs could be a little sturdier. I used my labeler to print out stickers indicating which case has charged batteries. I like that I can use these to keep track of which batteries I have charged and which need to be charged.

A few of the reviews I read said negative things about these storage cases so I was hesitant, but took a chance. I'm very glad I did. It's nice to be able to organize your batteries into these little cases and not have to dig around in drawers.

Some reviewers were concerned that the the little closing tabs were weak and would break off. The cases snap shut and are secure without even closing the tabs if you snap it shut properly. But I don't feel the tabs will break off if you treat the cases with respect. I'm very happy with these cases and I think anyone who owns them will be too.

These are handy cases for keeping batteries together and organized. I purchased extra cases so that I could mark "Charged" and "Discharged" on them. When I'm switching batteries out during a shoot, I can keep track of which ones I've used and don't waste time looking for the fresh ones. The boxes do have "www.thomas-distributing.com" on them, but this doesn't bother me as I just covered it up with my own labels. The only downside is the little clips that secure them feel like they could easily break off, but it's nothing a rubber band won't take care of if they do. For just over a dollar a case, I think they are a good value.

These seem a little bit cheaper than other cases I have tried, Tenergy and BATTERY CASE FOR AA BATTERIES. I do like how I can fit in 8 AA in one case, but wish instead of one case that fits both, two separate size cases. The latches are a bit tricky to get closed, but seem pretty sturdy once latched. I'm a little concerned how the hinges will hold up. Pretty good bang for the buck if keeping them at home in a drawer. - Battery Organizer - Battery Holder - Eneloop'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Electronic Lock - keyless deadbolt, electronic lock

Visit Store Now !!

For years we have been using a key pad activated deadbolt for front doors in our various homes - no keys to lose or give to various family members - only four digit codes. Up until now, all of the key pad units we have installed, extend and retract the deadbolt using a small battery powered electric motor.

This issue we've encountered is when the batteries become weak, the motor (in some cases) does not have enough power to retract the bolt and we must revert to another entrance to get into our home. Although these unit allow one to use a key to override the electronics, we never seem to have the key "on us" when it's needed. Fortunately we have a keypad on our garage door and that serves as an alternative entrance when this occurs. These deadbolt retraction failures have been occurring more and more often even with fresh batteries. I suspect the motor is or has worn out.

With this in mind, I shopped the market for an electronically activated dead bolt with manual bolt action. In other words, instead of a motor extending and retracting the deadbolt, one would use a lever or knob to perform this function. The keypad (electronic segment of the unit) would serve to activate the manual knob or lever. I found the Schlage BE365VCAM619 Camelot Deadbolt Keypad, Satin Nickel on Amazon at an extremely reasonable price and it has all of the features I wanted - electronic key pad activation, manual extension and retraction of the deadbolt upon activation.

The unit arrived yesterday and after a few problems with the unit being confused as to whether the bolt was retracted or extended (my fault), the unit works perfectly. Note, I already had a deadbolt lockset on the door, so it was a simple process of removing the old, and installing the new.

It's an extremely high quality unit without the cheap plastic casing my prior unit had on the inside casing. It's all metal. Changing or adding key pad codes (combinations) is relatively easy. One must enter the units six digit master code (don't lose this code, keep it in a place that you can go to each time you wish to change the codes - Using a permanent marker, I wrote it on the inside of the lock), and then enter your personal four digit code. We use two codes however the unit can store many codes. You may want to add a temporary code to let a service technician into your home, then delete that code when the work is completed.

One feature I like is the lighted key pad which our old unit did not have. If we forget to turn on the porch light, by simply pressing the "schlage" button at the top of the keypad, the keys light up.

Here's the basic operation.

When you're leaving the house, close the door, press the "schlage" button, wait for the click, then extend the deadbolt. You'll hear a confirmation click confirming that the locking knob/lever has been disengaged from the deadbolt after the deadbolt has been extended.

When you arrive home, simply enter your four digit code, you'll hear a click, then manually retract the deadbolt and enter the home. I you wish to use the keypad light; simply press the "schlage" button to light it up. Obviously this is not needed during daylight hours.

Basically the nine volt battery is operating the keypad, a knob/level engagement solenoid and the keypad back light and should last for hundreds and hundreds cycles.

Bottom Line - I highly recommend this high quality unit. Schlage BE365VCAM619 Camelot Keypad Deadbolt, Satin Nickel

I have had the brass version of this deadbolt for bout a year and I love it. It is th best one that I have come across (and yes - the most expensive - but you get what you pay for). It is eye-catching rather than an eye-sore. Be careful, some of the cheaper competitor's models have a plastic back that is very unappealing for a main door. The unit is smaller than many by requiring only a 9 volt battery because it does not lock/unlock the deadbolt for you. You do it manually.

Pros:

1) Appealing design (front and back - no plastic)

2) Smaller than most (due to use of 9v battery)

3) Keypad lights up when you touch it for nighttime entry

4) Never get locked out. Give the neighbor a temporary code to get in.

Cons:

1) Pricey ut you get what you pay for

I installed one of these for a client and it seems to be a good product as all the reviewers say. What no one has talked about however is the standard Shlage key that can also be used to open the lock. It seems to me that this would allow the possibility of using a "bump key" to open it. One of the benefits of digital locks is their immunity to bumping. If you want the keypad just for convenience, that is fine. Just remember that any lock that can be "bumped" provides zero security.

We were consistently running into problems with the number of house keys we had given out to: contractors, landscapers and house cleaners. At some point there's no way to track who's coming and going into your house and whether or not they left the keys.

This little gadget eliminates the issue. I can now program the lock with one-time or multiple use codes unique to each individual coming to my house. It installs as easy as any other deadbolt and programming new codes takes about 10 seconds. This has quickly become my favorite new gadget.

I purchased the Schlage electronic deadbolt to allow entry into our house in case I didn't have a key with me. It works very well. Only drawback that I see is that it needs to be placed on a solid door without a glass panel as the lock has a lever on the inside that operates the deadbolt. There is no option for key locking from the inside, only the lever. Locks only keep honest people out, so it's better to have a deadbolt that is key lockable from both sides if you have an exterior door with glass panels. No need making it easier for a thief to get in than is necessary. - Schlage - Electronic Lock - Keyless - Keyless Deadbolt'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Exercise - calories, exercise

Visit Store Now !!

I love this watch. I've had it for about 3 weeks now and it does it's job perfectly. I love the zone system. It allows me to run much farther and for longer than I have before because I don't exhaust myself by running faster than my body can manage. The beeping feature (that can be turned off) that features two tone beeps to let you know whether you need to slow down or speed up to stay in your zone allows you to pace yourself without having to look at the watch. This model features a bar at the top of the display that shows the lower and upper limits of the zone you want to be in and where you are within (or outside) the zone. This is particularly useful if you decide to turn the two tone beeps off. Not all heart rate monitors from Timex feature this.

The batteries on the chest strap and the watch can be replaced by the user - an uncommon feature I believe.

The chest strap is quite comfortable and picks up signals very well - my wife tried it and she had no trouble with it either (the strap sits on the lower side of the chest). I found that if I put it on about 15 min before I exercised, my body would generate the sweat needed for good pickup.

Some reviewers have commented that the indiglo feature where the numerals light up (rather than the face) made for difficult reading. I found that if I tilted the watch slightly (rather than place the face at right angles to the line of sight), the numerals were clearly visible. I think I prefer this to the old method of lighting the face.

It is a fairly handsome watch - a bit on the thick side (about 14 mm x 42 mm or so wide) - perfect for a man even for daily wear but certainly large for a woman.

It took me a while to decide on buying this watch. Lack of clear size information (their midsize, large and extra large size indications are meaningless) on the Timex website meant that I had to scour shops and call customer service a couple of times to have them measure the watches for me.

PR Timex T5H911 Unisex Digital Fitness Heart Rate Monitor Watch

The last Polar HRM I had died and I assumed it was the battery. Nope the whole thing died. So, I decided to get a Timex this time. I liked that the watch battery has a long life and you can change it yourself, vs mail it back to Polar.

The use of this HRM is a little tricky. You HAVE to use the CHRONO feature or all you get is HR, no calories, etc. Now that I figured that out, I love this HRM. It gets a signal much faster than the Polar, and it seems accurate. I love the zone feature and the recovery feature that keeps track of how much your HR drops in the 1 or 2 minutes after you stop your workout.

This HRM is SO worth the money - equal in features to HRMs that cost hundreds more. I am very satisfied with this purchase!

Update - almost a year to the day, the heart rate button stopped working, rendering it useless. :(

I'm 6 feet 4 inches and 210 pounds. The watch is just the right size for me and the band seems quite heavy duty and has a nice feature where the tail of the band has a tab that fits into a notch in the buckle piece so it doesn't flap. The HRM sensor fits comfortably on my 42 inch chest with the detachable band expanded to it's maximum extent. I think it would be too tight for larger chests.

I run the sensor electrodes under the tap and strap it on and the watch always gets a solid heart rate signal. I wear it while using a number of cardio and weight-training machines and in exercise and stretch classes flexing into a lot of crazy positions, and the sensor has yet to drop out. The batteries were fine out of the box.

The watch has a number of fancy watch features, most I don't use. One great feature is the dual timezone setup. I keep the second zone set to UTC and a push of the "start split" button accesses it. If you are into HIIT, note that the timer feature doesn't have the capability for doing (for example) 30 seconds HI and 60 seconds recovery.

The only problem is that I have been unable to get the sensor to work wirelessly with the Precor and Nautilus machines. Note that the product literature doesn't claim that this should work and there doesn't appear to be any standard for interoperability between machines and wireless HRM devices. Some reviews for Timex HRM devices claim that the sensors DO talk to machines. If someone has gotten THIS specific product to work with machines, please tell us how in a comment to this review.

Otherwise I think this product gives very good value. I give it 4.5 stars and if it worked with the cardio machines I would give it five stars. Some may feel it is unfair to downgrade a product rating for lacking a feature it doesn't claim to have: I think a five-star rating should indicate total satisfaction. I really wish the industry would get together and create a standard so these things can work together!

I had used a Garmin E305 to monitor my heart rate and performance on my bicycle during rides. As the Garmin became more flaky, I decided to take a step down to less complex tech... something that gave me the information I needed without complicated features that could become intermittent and frustrating. I decided to use a simple heart rate monitor (HRM) for information about me, and an old wired bike computer for information about the ride. After some research, I settled on the Timex T5H911. Here's the details:

1) The buttons are reasonably easy to learn to use. As with most such items, there are few buttons. So they are multi function. That's not terribly intuitive. You need to read the instructions to figure them out. I did read the instructions and I still have to fiddle around with them from time to time. But it is far from the most confusing piece of gear I've ever had to puzzle out.

2) It captures heart rate quickly and accurately.

3) The booklet that it comes with describes two simple exercise tests that you can do in your own home with the HRM on to determine your max heart rate It only takes a few minutes. After that, you can have the HRM calculate your zones. It also allows you to define custom zones if you want to.

4) Here's where we start getting to the cool stuff... you can select a target heart rate zone before you start exercise. The HRM will measure the full duration of the exercise AND the amount of that time you spent in your target zone. This is a really cool feature to help you determine if you are exercising at the level you want to.

5) It calculates calories. As with most such HRMs, I think it is generous in its calculation to make you feel good about yourself. This isn't a failure of this one product... it is a feature of ALL of them.

6) And another cool feature... you can select whether you display actual heart rate or percent of max heart rate. So if you have trouble remembering the heart rate zone boundaries (let's see, 92 to 110, 110 to 128, 128 to 146, and so on...) you can just just ride the percentages (oh this is easy! 50% to 60%, 60% to 70%, 70% to 80%, and so on...)

7) And yet another cool feature... one of the best ways to take a quick snapshot of your fitness is how much your heart rate drops over a fixed time interval after you stop exercising. This is called initial recovery. The more fit you are, the larger the drop in heart rate. This HRM will automatically measure your initial recovery when you press the stop button. You can select either a one minute interval or a two minute interval. As you become more fit, you will see a greater drop in your heart rate over that first one (or two) minutes after you stop exercising. I had always done this math in my head. It is MUCH easier to have the HRM do that for you while you are still struggling to bring your blood oxygen level up to where you can remember your own name (much less remembering how to do math!).

I strongly recommend this product. It is reliable. Relatively easy to use. Has great features. Get one. - Watches - Calories - Exercise - Heart Monitor Watch'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Ipod Cable - iphone, cable

Visit Store Now !!

I purchased this longer cable so I could talk on iPhone while keeping it charging but the cable doesn't work. I plug it in and I receive NO response from my iPhone. I tested cable with 2 other iPhones as well and it doesn't work! I tried AC adapter and 3 different PCs (USB ports). The cable is physically undamaged yet doesn't work. 6 Foot Long USB Data Sync Cable For iPod, iPhone 2G 3G 3GS, iPad, iPhone 4, All Models Compatible

This cable arrived on my doorsteps faster than I promised, and I was excited. When I opened it, it was as long as promised, and looked to be exactly what I needed. I plugged in my ipod, and everything seemed fine. A few hours later, I noticed it was not charging. I unpluged it, and was still at half battery. It look a lot of wiggling for the cable to charge my ipod again. I tried a buddys iphone, with the same problem. Now, after about 2 days of ownership, no amount of wiggling seems to make it work.

When my shipment first arrived I was upset to find that I had received the 3 foot cables instead of the 6 foot. After an initial difficulty contacting CablesOnline, they were very forthcoming and very easy to deal with. Within a week, they sent the correct cables at no extra cost and gave me the first set of cables for free. I recommend both the product and the seller.

I agonized over which, if any, of these cables to purchase. There are so many negative reviews and comments on the 6 foot USB iPhone connector cables. But I decided to take a chance and I'm happy to report they all work just fine.

I ordered from the seller Shivser, but when I checked out, the seller name displayed as Tavas. The return address on the box also said Tavas. Because of all the negative product reviews, I wanted to order with a seller whose orders were fulfilled by Amazon.com so if the cables did turn out to be defective, the Amazon.com return policy would apply. I also decided to order four cables, just in case some were defective, I would have a better chance of getting one that works.

All four cables are new, 6 feet long, white (all what I ordered), and they sync AND charge just fine as far as I can tell. I tested all four cables on both an iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

All four cables were just a little tighter connecting to the iPhone data port than I'm used to, but as far as I'm concerned, that's a positive, not negative. It seems my phone is always falling off my nightstand and getting disconnected. Hopefully with a tighter connection, it will not get unplugged as easily.

It remains to be seen how long it takes to fully charge the phone from a nearly empty battery. Some reviews claim the phone appears to charge, but doesn't really, or charges sloooooowly. We shall see and I'll keep everyone posted.

And finally, I ordered using the Free SuperSaver Shipping and placed my order on Tuesday, March 8 at 10pm. By the next morning, my order had already shipped. The estimated delivery date was March 14-18, which would have been 6-10 calendar days. Much to my surprise, it arrived just 3 days later on March 11th! This has not been my experience with all Free SuperSaver Shipping offers, so I'm very happy to have received the cables so quickly.

Love this cable! I've had it about a month and its definately worth its weight in gold! I travel alot with my job and unfortunately there is rarely an outlet close to the bed. My phone is also my alarm, so it is imperative that its close to me through the night. Problem solved with this cable. Of course it's great at the house too. I bought one for my overnight bag and one for my house. It works great for syncing too. My computer recognizes my iPhone 3GS quickly, transfers quickly. No complaints really. Also surprising is the build quaity. Nice, thick, and sturdy! Definately would recommend to anyone.

I ordered this six-foot USB cable to use with my iPhone and iPad. The first picture on the amazon product page for this cable has what looks like a generic connector that you plug into the iPhone/iPad. That's the type of connector that looks bigger (fatter?) than the slimmer connector that you see on the current real Apple cables. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the cable that I actually received had the connector that was just like the ones you see on the more current real Apple cables. See the picture that I posted at the top of this product's amazon page for the cable that I received.

I bought this cable from amazon marketplace seller 'The OEM Shop' for under three dollars with free S&H. I received the cable very quickly in five days. I do NOT work for 'The OEM Shop' or for Amazon, but I mention the name of the seller because very few people seem to mention the name of the amazon marketplace seller who they bought a product from in their reviews. These cables are "generic" and it is often difficult to tell which seller sold the product that the buyer is either complaining about or praising in a product review. Also, a lot of buyers don't seem to realize that they can select a particular seller and not just take whoever is the seller who may be appearing as the "default" seller on an amazon product page. I don't know what determines who is the "default" seller, but I'm guessing that Amazon comes first if Amazon has the product in their warehouse(s), but if not, then maybe the other sellers are possibly rotated as the "default" seller on the page, and so on and so forth. Anyways, I think it is worth mentioning who is the particular amazon marketplace seller is in a review - especially if the product is generic like this cable and if there are a lot of sellers who are selling the product via the one single amazon product page.

Anyways, the cable that I bought is indeed a nice long six-foot cable. It looks like the real thing. And it was new. I was able to charge my iPhone and iPad by using this cable when connected to a charger plugged into the wall. And I was able to sync my iPhone and iPad with iTunes on my macbook. The cable was also able to charge my iPhone via the USB on my macbook. For my iPhone, I've tried charging with both a real official apple power adapter and also a generic power adapter - and both worked. (Of course, for my iPad, I had to use the 10w charger that came with my iPad because you can't use anything else when charging from an electrical outlet in the wall.) I will be using this nice long six-foot cable for whenever I want to charge my iPhone or iPad for like when I want to use my iPhone or iPad when I'm in bed or if I'm sitting elsewhere like at the kitchen table and if I want to save the battery for later. (I would be keeping the shorter original cable that came with my iPhone/iPad for use with my macbook for syncing the iPhone/iPad.) I'm happy with this purchase and with this cable. - Iphone - Ipad - Ipod Cable - Cable'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Educational Video Games - brain games, brain exercises

Visit Store Now !!

I love brain training games and Brainiversity is one of the best. It's bare-bones design is very appealing. Edison the talking lightbulb is adorable and makes you feel like you have a friend when you play. I like how his words are 'garbled', not actual words..really cute. The only drawback is during some games (like Wordmaker) he repeats himself the whole time you are playing, which is distracting. Therefore I usually turn his voice off (nice to have that option).

There are many different games to play, and all are in big, bold, simple graphics which are appealing. You won't be squinting at the screen! The music is WONDERFUL, sweet and simple, and stops during the actual "tests" which is good (no distractions).

As you progress, different games are unlocked. You get a daily test each day composed of 4 tests. At the end it is recorded on your own private graph. Then you can play all the games individually and each one is recorded on your own private graph for the individual games, too. You can then play again as much as you want (but it is only entered on your graph(s) once a day).

I am 46 and reasonably intelligent and I do not find this game too simplistic or repetitive. I thought for sure the Spelling Test, for example, would be ridiculously easy but it isn't! It's multiple choice and they have come up with some long complicated words to challenge me. I'm guessing the game is created to grow along with the user. A young speller's words would probably be easier, and as you progress, the words get harder. This makes for endless gameplay w/out getting bored.

Similarly the other games get harder as you progress.

This is a sweet and simple yet challenging game, one of the best brain train games I've tried (and I've tried many). Die-hard "experts" will find it too easy, and it does not inundate the user with statistics (like reaction time etc; there is none of that here). It would be a great game for kids and also for seniors. It's not intimidating, its friendly and easy to play.

Highly recommended for all but the most advanced (advanced brain train enthusiasts should try mybraintrainer.com).

You can download a trial version off the internet. No doubt you will be hooked. I bought this as a gift for my sister on her birthday as she fell in love with it playing it just once on my PC. She is 48. Brainiversity

I agree with the other reviewers that the games themselves are fun and challenging. There's one big flaw in the program though, and it's with the scoring system. Specifically, there doesn't seem to be much (if any) penalty for providing wrong answers. In essence what this does is puts a mammoth emphasis on being quick, while relegating accuracy to a byproduct. In other words, you're better off guessing versus spending more than a second to think of the right answer. Here's a concrete example.

There's a memorization and matching game called, "Remember Me?", where the player is given a minute and thirty seconds to re-associate as many faces to their respective names as possible. The results of 3 test runs are as follows:

* In a run involving zero guesses and where I took my time to actually process and memorize the information, I scored an 80% or "Good" mark (17 correct answers, 0 wrong answers, 100% accuracy)

* In a run where I guessed 75% of the time, I scored a 100% or "Perfect" mark (28 correct answers, 25 wrong answers, 53% accuracy)

* In a run where I just chose a random answer (basically closed my eyes and clicked the mouse like mad), I scored a 92% or "Exceptional" mark (24 correct answers, 41 wrong answers, 36% accuracy)

These kinds of results are not relegated to this one particular game, either. The best strategies to obtain the highest scores for every game in Brainiversity is either to just flat-out guess the answer or take a "best effort" approach where it's far more important to be really quick than accurate. Also, there is no option to change how your scores are weighted.

Having said all of this though, Brainiversity can still be worthwhile to play IF you "don't cheat" and consciously make the effort to actually THINK about the problems presented to you. Still, because the penalty for a wrong answer is so insignificant, the in-game tracking of your progress won't be as accurate as it should be.

If you'd like to have a fun way to keep your mind sharp or even improve your mental skills, then this is the game for you. If you're just looking for mindless entertainment, look elsewhere.

I've tried a number of the puzzle-type games which have the word brain in the title and some are fun, some are not. I really wanted something that would be both fun and actually track my results so that I could see how I am doing. I downloaded all the free trials and from my testing I found that Brainiversity was the best. Unlike the others I tried it isn't childish or overdone.

When you look at these games you have to think, is this going to get annoying on day 7 let alone day 120? This game does not make you click a bunch of crap to get between the practice games and tests, and doesn't make you wait for any animation either (which some others I tested did). I do recommend turning the voice sound off on the lightbulb character in the options menu. Some might say that it lacks the cool graphics that others have, and they'd be right, but the graphics don't distract from the game this way and it is more likely to work on old computers.

From the score history and graphing, to the random jokes and interesting facts that sometimes show, there are a some well-designed features. The feature that ties it all together is the score and progress tracking. Without that it would be amusing but I wouldn't use it every day. Because of the tracking I want to see how I'm doing each day, and that's what will help you stick with it and see some improvement. And this game is all about improvement rather than just focusing on your score itself.

I recommend at least trying the trial version to see if you like it. - Brain Games - Brain Exercises - Educational - Memory Games'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Usb Flash Drive - cruzer, flash drive

Visit Store Now !!

The best thing USB flash drives have going for them is their price, which has been in a free fall for several years and about to go below $1 per GB at the time I'm writing this review. In addition, if your goal is storing data independently of any specific piece of equipment - camera, reader, music player - their size/bulk is an advantage because it's so much easier to lose or break an SD card once it's out of its host.

Briefly, this is what it's worth knowing about this item:

- I can't see that I've had a big problem with losing caps but the 'capless' design is quite innovative and it does not hurt.

- It's fast enough to support video transfer but, of course, it does not come close to the theoretical 60MB/sec max I/O speed that the USB 2.0 specification allows.

- Installs itself and does not require any software to be recognized as a 'drive' on a Vista or XP computer. Can't speak for other operating systems.

- It formats and partitions as any 'spinning' drive.

- Can be used to store data, to attach to players (my car plays MP3s off an USB drive) or to move it between unconnected devices.

- Tolerable when used with apps that require some moderate I/O but I would not try to make it a swap drive.

When it comes to Kingston - and, over the years and as prices were falling and the capacity grew, I've bought their 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and now the 16GBs - they never let me down. I don't believe I've lost one bit of data so far and, affordable as they are, I can make multiple copy of the data I can't afford to lose and keep it stored at different locations.

Considering price and reliability, this is a well-deserved 5-star. Kingston Digital DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 - 16 GB Flash Drive DT101G2/16GBZET

Great product. But a little bit thick I should say. Yet still small and portable.

I tested it at once I got it. And it turns out to be much faster than "10M/s read; 5M/s write" as listed in the product detail. Actually it's around 18M/s read and 10M/s write! I don't know if it's gonna slow down after being used for a while, but so far the speed is satisfying.

One thing you should pay attention however is the heat. It heats up significantly while working. So it's not a good idea to keep it plugged in for a long time. But I bet it won't burn if you do so.

Over all it's a great product, high speed and nice looking. Price is fair. It's Kingston, you know.

EXCELLENT product but you HAVE to format the device in order to transfer big files... just as Kingston Tech Support (and other kind buyers) explained:

"In order to copy large files more then 4GB it has to be converted into NTFS. FAT32 has a limitation of only 4GB. To format to NTFS, please follow these instructions. Warning: If you have data on the drive, you should save it elsewhere as this process will erase it all.

1. Go into My Computer and, right click on the drive and select format.

2. Under File System select NTFS and click on Start. If you do not have an option for NTFS, close the format box and go into Device Manager by right clicking on My Computer and selecting Properties.

3. Click on the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager button.

4. Expand Disk Drives and right click on the Kingston drive and select Properties.

5. Click on the Policies tab and click "Optimize for performance and OK.

6. Then go back into My Computer, right click on the drive and select format and make sure NTFS is selected for the file system. Select quick format and OK."

EXCELLENT product.

Nice design, fine looking dongle. Works as a flash drive. However, I was exploring the preloaded software, and was downloading one of the available applications,(Warzone 2100?), and got hit pretty hard with unknown Internet Explorer errors, malware or virus. Had to restore computer to factory settings, luckily able to backup most files. May decide to remove preloaded software on this dongle.

Great flash drive. I didn't do benchmarking or anything like that, but just using it it feels very fast. I regularly transfer videos, music, and PDF files. Previously I was using a Transcend flash drive, and when my kid broke that I was using an SD card with a card reader for a few weeks. This flash drive is MUCH MUCH faster. The first couple times I used it I actually had to open the folder and check to see if my files were there because the transfer was over so quickly I thought there was an error.

Not sure how I feel about the software it comes with. Others seems to love it. I don't know if I'll have a use for it, but I'm happy to have the option.

A few things just to be aware of:

1. The silver swivel cap in the picture is more a dark titanium gray. Looks very different from the picture. Just in case you care, which I don't.

2. You can't open the swivel cap all the way if you have even a small keyring attached to it. Not an issue, just letting you know. The ring blocks the lid. It does open most of the way. I'll post a picture.

3. The swivel cap does not offer complete protection of the USB plug. Dirt can still get up into it. It's really there to protect the plug from being grabbed or knocked hard, I suppose. I wouldn't go carrying it in your pocket or deep in a purse for long periods of time. Note also that the swivel cap does not lock into place. I think it's fine if you're hooking it to a key chain. My key chain goes from the hook by the door, to the car ignition, to a separate (clean) pocket in my purse. So for me this isn't an issue. However, more complete protection would have been nice.

4. The logo in the center is kinda holographic. Looks nice.

5. There's a green light below the center logo that comes on when the drive is working. I don't remember reading this in the description. I like this feature, so it was a happy surprise. However, it's pretty dim and you have to kind of look for it.

6. It's kind of a tight fit to plug in and unplug. Personally I prefer a little tight to loose! Feels secure.

The only problem I've had is that it comes with 2 GB free online storage with SOS Online Backup. Another very nice surprise!!! However, I have not been able to get it to work and SOS has not responded to my inquiries. If anyone knows how to overcome error code 91, let me know.

What I love about it:

1. It looks very nice.

2. It offers TONS of storage.

3. It transfers files very quickly!!

4. I can hook it to my key chain (check out the picture).

5. The price!!! Can't beat it for the storage capacity and product quality.

All the extras were not necessary for me, and half I didn't even expect. So even though they're not perfect, the product itself exceeds my expectations and earns 5 starts. - Cruzer - Kingston - 16gb - Flash Drive'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information