Guy Low Price Electronic: 25 Sept 2009

Friday 25 September 2009

Motion-activate - light switch, hands free

This produce is great under normal circumstances. I have this installed in a pantry closet, the master closet, and in the laundry room. I would not recommend this for the garage unless you dont mind the lights turning on during the day when the garage is opened. Also, there is a setting for how long it stays on. If you put in a room you stay in for more than a few minutes, it will turn off after the set number of minutes. Mine are all set to 1 minute. However, I am in my closet sometimes for more than a minute and I have to walk back in front of the sensor for it to turn back on. That only happens about 1% of the time. The other 99% of the time it's great not having to worry about turning it on and off.

Here's the big flaw..... If your power goes out and comes back on, you will find that all of the lights connected to motion sensors in your house will be on. They will not turn off until you switch to off, then back to auto. If you go out of town for more than a couple days, it's probably wise to turn it from auto to off just in case your power cycles. (Unless you don't mind having your lights left on until you return). Leviton PR180-1LW Decora 500W Incandescent, 400VA, Passive Infrared Wall Switch Occupancy Sensor, Single Pole and 3-Way, White

This product has a much lower price than some of these switches because it fails to make it clear that it will NOT work with newer compact fluorescent bulbs (you will have horrible quirks if you try it). This can be worked around by adding an incandescent to the circuit this switch controls (if multiple bulbs). If you only have one light on the circuit (like a closet) you will have to just use an incandescent. That being said...

I noticed one reviewer mention if the power flashes off when it comes back on the lights will stay on and you will have to turn each switch on and off. I have not had this issue. When the power goes off and back on, the lights do come on but they go off at the interval you have them set at just as they would if motion had set them off.

I find the sensor on this switch is much better than others I've had experience with (certainly better than the GE). So long as you know upfront about the previously mentioned "catches", you can take advantage and get a good deal on a sensor switch.

I was suspicious of this item, at the price, but I bought two of them and they are both working well.

The handyman did not get the three-way wired right, so it is necessary to leave the toggle switch in the on position at the bottom of the stairs, but that's no problem. Sometimes the sensor even picks up the person at the bottom of the stairs. If not, just flip it off and back on once or twice and that triggers the light. Then leave it in the on position. The sensor will turn it off automatically.

If it lasts, it will have been a very good deal.

Works phantastic as a 1-way switch. But there are some minor issues when replacing a 3-way switch: There is an older and a newer version of the switch, but unfortunately the installation instructions were not updated and are not complete (when it comes to replacing a 3-way switch). Luckily the manufacturer's customer service quickly provided me with the instructions. However, I still couldn't get it to work the way it is supposed to (as many others according to some other internet forum). In my case the remaining conventional 3-way switch cannot trigger the light to come on which is fine as the sensor field is so big that it is no longer needed. If your 2 conventional 3-way switches are far apart from each other you can replace both by a Pir sensor switch.

I almost didn't buy this item because of a previous review stating that "it will NOT work with newer compact fluorescent bulbs". Well, I'm purchasing a new home so I decided to purchase three of these sensors. I installed one for the laundry room light fixture which has a "newer compact fluorescent bulb" and it works like a champ.

I don't know yet if it will have a negative effect on bulb's life, but it has been over a week since I installed it and it's working just fine.

"Your body heat turns it on"

The preceeding was brought to you by The Committee To Make People Go, "Hey, I Remember That!"

These sensors are built fairly cheaply and you get what you pay for. However, with judicious use, what you pay for might be exactly what you need. :)

1) These switches will NOT work with CFL's, with lamps using a GU-24 2-pin socket, with any variation of the GX-24 4-pin socket, or any modern (electronic ballast) fluorescent lights. They work with incandescent and halogen lights, as well as old magnetic ballast (T12) lights that are being phased out. I have not tried these switches with LED lights.

2) These seem to be of an older design than the manual-on IPP15 or the commercial-grade OSS10 switches. The light sensors stick out further from the wall, and the sensitivity and timeout controls are hidden behind the wallplate cover. The control gradations are not labeled (i.e. it's impossible to set the timeout to "exactly" 5 minutes, or light sensitivity to "exactly" 100 lumens). By contrast, the IPP15 has a nice timeout dial you can get to without removing the switch cover plate. :)

3) A pair of PR180's can be easily used in a 3-way circuit by following these instructions:

[...]

The setup is actually a dual-switch single-pole (the 3-way yellow wire is NOT used). The light stays on as long as EITHER switch has tripped, and not timed out. One BOTH switches time out, the light turns off. Works very well for hallways and stairways.

So, they're cheap, cheerful, they see me coming down the stairs from fifteen feet away, and you can stick a pair of them in a three-way circuit. Not bad for $20.

Note: Because these switches are auto-on, and have a permanent-on position, they are NOT California Title-24 compliant. The IPP15 is, but who wants to turn the lights on MANUALLY in the 21st century? :) - Light Switch - Motion Sensor - Hands Free - Motion-activate'

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Bridesmaids Gift - back to school, bridesmaids gift

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I recently purchased this bag as a birthday gift. I assumed the bag would be plain and contained only one large pocket. Much to both of our surprise, the bag is very roomy, sturday and contains a couple of smaller inner pockets for cell phone, make-up, etc.

The bag has neatly sewn topstitching which lends a quality appearance and seems to be quite sturdy.

Also, the inside of the bag is decorative in addition to the outside. We were both very pleased with the bag and feel it is well worth the money we paid, especially after comparing to some comparable Vera Bradley bags.

Would definitely recommend. Belvah Quilted Damask Print Large Tote Bag - Black & White (18 x 14.5 x 7)

Graduate student in college that needed a LARGE bookbag that fit all of her books (approximately 5-6 with a laptop). The bag I previously had had no pockets and the straps killed my shoulder for some reason. This bag is wonderful. Its large enough for all of my books and laptop (but not that obnoxious as some of the larger bags you see today). The print with the bow is adorable. Its a great fabric-easily washable. The straps feel great even with 50 lbs. of books in it (literally 50 lb.s) it had tons of well hidden pockets that fit all my pens/glasses/etc. and it was cheap. Im ordering another one for travel :)

Got this for my Mom for Christmas. She LOVES it. She uses it as a tote bag to bring her stuff to and from work. She has gotten lots of compliments from her coworkers. It has little metal stands on the bottom so its nice to set down on the floor and not worry too much about the bottom being all nasty. My Mom is 5 feet and petite so this size is a little too large for her frame. I wish I had looked closely at the size. She loves it though - so who am I to say anything?

It's okay for the price. Very classy for something so casual. I use this when I run errands, stop by the coffee shop etc.

Not good for rainy or snowy days.

So far, everything is intact.

But I wouldn't buy it again.

I was hesitant to buy this at first but I'm so glad I did. I bought it for my maid of honor and then had her name embroidered on the front in hot pink. She loved it and I'm so glad it didn't cost a fortune!

My husband and I got his mother this bag for Christmas and she loves it! She loves that it's spacious, a beautiful pattern and really durable. She can fit all kinds of stuff into it, including her laptop. She also loves the inside pocket because she can keep her cell phone and wallet in there. So now, instead of having to carry her purse and a bag for her laptop, she can use the bag for both purposes!

I was excited to get this bag for the upcoming school year, to use for books & other school supplies. Sadly, when I received the bag the zipper was defective, it tore the lining open making it unusable. The bag is rather large; I'm very petite so it looked kind of silly on my shoulder. Other than that, it was a cute buy, I'll just have to try again with something else!

I use this tote for everything. Sometimes for books and sometimes to spend the night at my sisters. I get nervous putting to many things in it, because I don't want it to break! I like bringing it to the mall and putting my shopping bags in it so I only have to carry one book instead of 3 or 4. I have the matching duffle bag too. This is my favorite print. - Back To School - Bridesmaids Gift - Overnight Bag - Accessories'

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Kickass Games

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First of all, I will not say that this game is better or worse than Black Ops considering how different they are. From a campaign perspective, I think Bulletstorm is hands-down a better game than Black Ops. BTW, I play a lot of Black Ops and, for the most part, I think it's a better game than reviews indicate.

Anyway, Bulletstorm is tons of fun to play. I'm not much of a sci-fi guy but the story is good and the action is a blast. Kicking guys into cacti, leashing an enemy to pull him into a metal gate and impale him on a piece of rebar...awesome! The variety of ways you can kill never gets old. I adapted very easily to the controls and the physics of the game and am easily able to switch between this and other shooters without any problem. If I were judging strictly on campaign, I would give this game 5 stars without question.

Unfortunately, the multiplayer is quite lacking. If the Treyarch guys put too much into multiplayer and not enough campaign, the developers of Bulletstorm are guilty of the opposite. It's fun to play but there is only one mode (Anarchy) and no way you can actually battle other players. It's just a team of players going against AI enemies. Like I said, it's fun but pretty weak considering the competition out there in the FPS genre and it gets boring pretty quickly. I bought Black Ops in November of last year and I still play the online multiplayer. I still play games that are 2 or 3 years old because of multiplayer but I don't suspect the case will be the same with Bulletstorm. I will probably play the campaign through one more time on a harder than normal difficulty and shelve it.

I disagree with the reviewer who claimed that this game is all about shock value because of some coarse language. There are about 5 R-rated movies released in any given week with more coarse language than this game. Even if you are offended by foul language, it's incorrect to say that this game is about shock value, there is some definite substance here from a gamer's perspective, I'd just like to see them take the multiplayer further. Bulletstorm

Looking trailers and hearing its reviews, I had little to no expectations for this game. But then I liked Gears of War and Shadow Complex games and since this was also being released by Epic, I thought why not give it a shot. After finishing the campaign mode and trying Ecos and Anarchy modes, I have to say I am quite surprised.

***********PROS.***************

-AWESOME COMBAT SYSTEM: This is the best aspect of this game. You can slide, leash to pull enemies, kick them and use variety of weapons with primary and second fire and pull a huge variety of combination off of them. At first you may feel like it may get redundant, but thanks to variety in levels, there are a huge variety of things you can do. Thanks to that you won't get bored till the end of the campaign.

-VARIETY IN LEVELS: Other than awesome combat, there is plenty of variety in levels. Throughout the campaign you experience a variety of environments including the space, woody greenery filled areas, abandoned factories, building high in the sky that is about to fall apart and list goes on.

-SURPRISES: There parts during the campaign where you will be surprised by certain events and the gameplay that will follow it. I really don't want to spoil it for you, but trust me you will like it.

-GREAT GRAPHICS AND DECENT ART WORK: The first time I saw the trailer for this game, it really looked unpolished to me. But now that I have finished the campaign, I can say that since then they seem to have refined it quite a bit. Certain levels just look gorgeous. I guess never doubt the power of unreal engine.

-VARIETY IN WEAPONS: There are 8 different types of weapons and that is not including the leash. Each weapons (including leash) has devastating alternate fire mode. There is just plethora of combos you can do if you mix and match these weapons. I personally enjoyed each and every one of them. Also, while some weapons may look and sound familiar from other games, they will play very differently in this game. For example with sniper rifle in this game you can change the direction of bullet after you fire it. I personally have enjoyed the variety very much.

-UPGRADABLES: To top of each weapon is upgradeable with the skill point you earn by killing enemies in creative ways. This rpg element will truly encourage you to creatively kill enemies and get as many skill points as possible. While this rpg element is not as well thought of as other games, it still adds incentive to do your best.

-ONLINE PLAY AND ECOS MODE: While not my favorites (see cons.), after you finish the game, you can stay busy by playing online multiplayer (anarchy mode) or Ecos mode which has the same levels as campaign but gives you stars on your performance.

************CONS************

-RELATIVELY SHORT CAMPAIGN: Hate how games these days have such short single player campaigns. Unfortunately bulletstorm is one of them. While I enjoyed each and every moment of the campaign I found it to be very short (~7-8 h max and that is because I explore a lot).

-MINOR GLITCHES: I had my character stuck while jumping over objects at least 3-4 times. Unacceptable. All the games have glitches, but under no circumstances your character should be stuck like this. I mean you can't even kill yourself. Restarting the level is the only option.

-MEH MULTIPLAYER AND ECOS MODE: Compare to some other games these days, I didn't enjoy the multiplayer so much. I got tired of it rather quickly. Also the Ecos mode felt the exact same as the campaign. I wish they had added more varieties.

-LACK OF NEW GAME+ MODE: This is a game that can really use a new game+ mode (i.e. start with all the weapons you collected etc.). Unfortunately, it doesn't have it. So there are some really cool weapons and upgrades you get towards the end of the game. Unfortunately, if you want to use them again, you will have to play the game again and you will only get to use them for last few levels. Just very unfortunate.

**********CONCLUSION****************

Simply speaking I am looking forward to Bulletstorm 2. Partly because I enjoyed this game and partly I have faith in the developers that they will improve the weak aspects of this game. All and all I enjoyed pulling off crazy combos in beautiful, but destructible environments, but I wish they had longer campaign and had fixed some of the things described in the con section. I give this game 8.5/10.'

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Leviton - programmable timer switch, timer switch

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I find the comments on this product interesting. They range from simple installation to it doesn't work. First of all, this is for a single pole switch, which means the light that the regular switch controlled had only one switch that turned it off and on. Single pole switches normally only have two wires coming to them plus a bare wire for a ground. In order for the light in a room to operate, it needs the power wire and the neutral wire connected to it. A switch breaks the power wire to the light. There are two wires coming into the switch, one wire brings the power to the switch and the other wire takes the power from the switch to the light. To make a general statement that wiring this timer is simple and done in 10 minutes is very misleading. Yes, some houses have been wired by bringing the power wire and the neutral wire into the switch box, splitting the power wire and letting the neutral wire run through the electric box behind the switch and on to the light. This is rare for it takes more wire to do wiring this way. Still there is not a red wire and this makes the wiring instructions almost worthless. One has to understand house wiring in order to wire this timer. If there are only two wires (insulated wires) in your switch box (don't count the completely bare copper ground wire), then you will need to have the neutral wire brought to the switch and this can be very time consuming and costly if you are paying an electrician to run the needed neutral wire.

In the majority of the situations, installing this timer is not a simple operation. Even if the correct wires are present, one needs to know which one is the power wire, the neutral wire, and the wire caring the power from the switch to the light. I believe that the comments that said this timer does not work, do not have it wired correctly. The instructions are not at all helpful to anyone who doesn't know anything about house wiring.

Definitely make sure you are installing this where a single pole switch was used. A three-way switch normally has a red wire in the box, but it is not the red wire that needs to be connected to this switch. You will have a three-way switch if two switches can turn the light off and on. One usually finds them at the entrance to a room and the exit from a room if the entrance and exit are at different locations. Woods 59017 Mechanical Repeats Daily Wall Switch Timer

These switches work perfectly. I like how these count down the time remaining with the green LEDs. More presses adds time. There is no option to leave the switch on indefinitely, which is great since it is supposed to be a timer. It's nice that there is only one button under the red LED, it is easy to find in the dark. Mounts flush with the switchplate for a clean look. Solid.

I replaced the of/off switch to the bedroom ceiling fan with this. Now if I don't want the fan running all night, I just click the number of hours for it to run.

ALso folks, this thing has a brother scaled in 5-10-15-30 minutes. After being pleased with the ceiling fan switch I replaced the bathroom vent fan switches with these.. After a shower, I just click however many minutes I want the vent fan to run to remove the steam and leave. Don't have to remember to go back turn it off which is important if the vent fan is pumping out your air conditioned or heated air.

These switches are white, so if you're installing them in an almond colored switch plate (and maybe in a two switch plate (light/fan), for $3-4 at the local big box you can replace the almond colored switches and plates with white ones to make everything match.

These things are much cheaper at Amazon than they are at big boxes, especially if you have Prime.

What a piece of junk:

It will not fit in a dual or triple gang wall box. They don't tell you that. In a sneaky way they say it "fits a single gang box".

It broke on the second day.

It is junk. And I thought Intermatics were bad!

I purchased this timer to replace the lightswitch that controls my outdoor christmas lights. It could easily be used to replace any switch in your home that you'd like to have on a timer. To set the timer, there are 48 tiny switches around a dial labeled with the hours of the day. Each switch controls 30 minutes. Flip out all of the switches for the times during the day that you'd like the lights on. Then twist the dial so that the arrow points at the current time. I posted some pictures to illustrate this.

You can also manually turn the lights on and off by moving the slider switch at the bottom between on, off, and timer.

Installation is easy if you are comfortable working with your home's electrical wiring. Flip off the circuit breaker, grab a flat-head screwdriver and the instruction sheet from the package, and you'll be done in 10 minutes.

This does exactly what I want to do, easily and simply.

fantastic product for the price works on even low wattage halogen bulbs but remember you most have a white constant wire on the wall if not this wont work because it needs a constant electrical current to keep the timer working..

Works great, if you installed the switch correctly and have a neutral wire in the outlet box. I bought this to turn on/off the porch outlets for Christmas lights, since my wife/kids kept forgetting to turn them off. Hopefully this will last a few years. - Bathroom Fan Timer - Leviton - Timer Switch - Programmable Timer Switch'

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Headphones - amp, headphone amplifier

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This headphone amp will serve my purpose well. It's plastic, and lightweight, so it seems a little less rugged than one might expect, or desire, but does the job. I was pleasantly surprised that it actually has 8 headphone jacks, four on the front panel and four on the back, but the level can only be controlled four the four main outs on the front panel. The unit has a source level and a headphone level control so you can easily get a nice strong signal and trim back the output volume with the headphone level.

I record a podcast and sometimes have 3 or more people joining me in the studio. The Behringer Ultra Compact Headphone Amp does the job, allowing us to all monitor our studio mics and whoever we're voice chatting with online for the show. I recommend it for podcasters who need extra headphone outs for co-hosts and guests.

You'll need headphones with 1/4 inch stereo phono plug, or an 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. adapter for headphones with smaller plugs. Behringer AMP800 Four Channel Headphone Amp

This is the 2nd and last Behringer product I'll ever buy. It works and does what it's supposed to, but it's so incredibly cheaply made that I can't imagine this thing surviving a year of normal wear and tear. I assumed the casing was metal from the picture, it's not, it's extremely cheap plastic. I also had a Eurorack Mixer by Behringer, but that started having all sorts of electric issues (noise, certain functions not working, etc...) after about a year of owning it. Behringer is now synonymous with cheaply made, mass-produced-in-China electronics in my mind. No wonder they're so much cheaper than everyone else !

I can't help but be amazed with what you can buy these days for so little money and just have a great time listening to. The fact that the Behringer AMP800 has two independent stereo inputs was important to me because I have two PCs in my setup. The output power is more than adequate. The Sennheiser Headphones in the HD 515 and 595 I recently just bought are 50 ohms and are driven so easily by this amp that the input lights on the amp barely even come on at loud volumes. Out of the box for PC use you will need some adapters. It is marketed for pro use as it uses 1/4" mono connectors for the inputs and the output to separate amp. (It can be a second Behringer AMP800 or a different type of amp altogether as I'll explain) You can order the RCA female to 1/4" mono adapters right here at Amazon.com or get them at a Radioshack. For the headphone outputs we have 1/4" stereo connections and the same applies for 3.5mm stereo female to 1/4 stereo adapters. They are also readily available.

I'll describe exactly how I have it connected and for what purpose before I discuss the actual sound quality. It really is a super versatile piece of equipment.

On input A I have my PC connected to the Behringer AMP800 from an older Soundblaster X-Fi Extreme Music. I'm running a 3.5mm stereo cable from the left/right/main output that breaks out into two RCA cables with RCA female to 1/4" mono adapters on the end connected to input A left and right. I'm running two 1/4" to RCA adapters connected to the left and right output running a stereo RCA cable to my Gemini XG 3001 stereo amp. So in short you can run headphones from the AMP800 with input A and when you turn off the AMP800 you can run your stereo power amp to power speakers when not using headphones for the same source. Pretty awesome stuff right there. That capability is only possible on input A.

On input B I have my other PC connected using a USB Sound Card from Sabrent that uses a C-Media chipset that offers 24 bit 96khz audio in Windows 7. It is a simple connection of a 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable and two female RCA to 1/4" mono adapters. To activate input B you press button on the headphone channel you are using until the green light comes on and turn up the volume dial for input B. Its as simple as that. Now how does it sound with my gear...

Compared to the output of various receivers and the headphone output of the sound cards I'm using that don't have a built-in headphone amp the sound is really good. I've tried a lot of combos including the Soundblaster Live 24 bit, Soundblaster Xtreme Audio, Soundblaster X-Fi Surround USB, Asus Xonar DS, and various C-Media based USB sound cards of which I will review separately. You have to try different things before you understand the sound signature of an amp and can judge its performance. The AMP 800 does a great job keeping mids and highs very pronounced while having good bass output and provides absolutely no audible noise. It really has a very good soundstage with my Sennheiser HD 515s and even more so with the Sennheiser HD 595s. The 515s can be harsher and the 595s are more neutral and I can listen for hours on end with this amp. I also bought the FiiO E9 and a Soundblaster X-Fi HD USB and that combo aint that much better than this. For the price the Behringer AMP800 is a great start to headphone bliss with headphones that are reasonably priced and reasonably easy to drive. To call this amp versatile is an understatement as I did not even discuss the uses for musicians.

I was deciding between this and the Presonus 4 channel, ended up getting the Behringer because it was cheaper. I was surprised to find its decently loud (not ear bursting like the presonus), quiet, compact, and users can listen to two separate tracks (2 pairs of 1/4" mono inputs on the back, a button next to each headphone port selects channel A/B, each channel has separate gain and balance controls too). XLR inputs would have been nice but the unit would have to be made bigger. Plastic case feels fragile, dont try to sit or stand on it!

Overall Im very pleased with the AMP800. Its not in the same league as the presonus but does a pretty good job for half the price.

its perfect for its size, its an eq period, it does what it is supposed to do, no xlr connectors so what. its got balanced trs, same thing, what does anyone expect for $50.00, it does not have rack ear mount screw taps. I velcro it in it works fine, its 1 space half wide.

fits next to Shure wireless receiver - Headphones - Behringer - Headphone Amplifier - Amp'

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Laptop To Tv - adapters, pc to tv

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I have just received this adapter in the mail. Shipping was prompt and came earlier than estimated. Plugged it into my laptop to the tv, made a horrible sound. Tried all combination of colors to the tv, nothing. Hooked it up to another tv in the house, same thing. All I could get out of it was a low reverb from the left channel.

Hooked rca cables up to a dvd player and tv, work fine. Hooked laptop vga out to another moniter, worked fine. All variables are ok except the adapter.

I called the seller and left a message.

Will update on exchange.

1-18-11

Dustin

Tx

*EDIT*

1-29-11

Talked to a tech on the 27th and they said they will send me another one no charge. Very nice of them. Will see if that works. If nothing else the seller is very nice and sends emails and contacts through phone no problem. Best experience I've had with seller service. VGA Adapter to TV S-Video RCA Out Cable for PC Video

Same as previous post. I have a laptop (SVGA) that I wanted to hook to my new 32" LCD TV (compostite and S-video). Neither output of this cable was able to drive the TV. Tried several different configurations on different TVs. Don't waste your money or time. - Pc Vga To Tv Converter - Pc To Tv - Trash - Adapters'

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Digital Dvd - camcorder, hd camcorder

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Pros -

Sharp picture

great low level lighting shots

lots of internal memory

great battery life

can snap pictures while in video record mode.

cons -

slow load time

confusing menus and scroll function

can not automatically go back to record/picture mode from the viewing menu, must exit out of the sub menus completely

all in all its a great hand held pocket size mini-hd camera. well worth the price and comes with lots of extras such as mini usb to HDMI cables, A/V cables, software etc.

**** this product is not MacBook Compatible! **** Toshiba Camileo X100 Full-HD Camcorder (Silver/Black)

I read the reviews of this camera and was on the fence but took the plunge. First the good. For general conditions this video camera takes good HD video for the price. You have to keep in mind that this is NOT a high end camera and you can't compare to more expensive camera. The HD quality is good for this price range. For generally, well lighted video shots, this camera is pretty good and I really can't complain on the quality. Parades, outdoor parties, vacations outside, can't complain.

Now the bad. Some features that I thought would be givens in any camera are not. First, once you change battery, you lose your settings. So if you don't remember to reset the time and date, you will loose the cronology of your pictures. That is a pain. Second, you can't shut off screen to save battery, so your battery will drain fast. Working the menu takes some getting used to.

Low light conditions are where this camera really fails. Night shots or shooting in areas that are not well will dissapoint. And, the light that comes with the camera, ONLY works for flash photography. I have read manual and searched and searched, but this light will only work with FLASH. If anyone has figured out a way to turn it on while doing a VIDEO, I would be interested to know how you did it. The manual says digital light, but that is not light coming on, just some enhanced digital effect which is not the same as have a light. My low digital camera even has a light on feature. Tried calling tech support and Toshiba's numbers are all messed up.

The only reason I am giving this 3 stars is because the quality of the video is good in well lit conditions for this price. Oh, and it does take pictures also while you are doing a video, but at the resolution that you are doing your video. What's the point? I can do a screen shot.

This a great camera with very good picture quality. I just don't understand the negative reviews, unless they are trying to be professional cameramen taping the local news with this $150 camera. Just buy it, trust me.

Good camera for the price with Full HD 1080P recording but poor on zoom with other resolution & super bad battery life. Battery only lasts 20 mins so definitely consider the cost of separate batteries or buy something a level up.

This is a great camera and the price is right. You can't go wrong. Read the manual! It is PDF and easy to read. There are NO adjustments - just a few settings. The touchscreen is well designed and works intuitively. Great ergonomic design! Use macro-mode to get it to focus up close for hummingbirds, it has motion detection and time lapse. 6 hours of lo-res high speed from a 32GB SDHC card. What a nice little machine!

all around this camera is a bit of a let down... some things you just aren't going to get in an entry level camera, and i understand that, but some things should be easy to do and aren't in there.

You can't turn the screen off... so time lapse is limited to an hour or two (unless you're plugged in)

there aren't many customizable settings, it's quite basic

You can't turn the auto focus off, so if you do a timelapse sometimes it just slowly unfocuses itself over the period of the video...

the strap isn't adjustable enough for my smaller hands, and the thumb buttons are a little hard to get to; i have to stabilize the camcorder with my left hand to reach with my right thumb, and the action of the thumb wheel feels restricted

every time you turn the camcorder off, your settings are erased... want to conserve your battery by turning it off between shooting stuff? you'll have to go back and tell it all of your preferences (except picture quality, it remembers that)

panning in and out is a little slow

even where they printed "camileo x100" you can tell, at least on my camera, that the print is crooked

still pictures are hard to get focused, and there are very few options to get it to take better pictures

I think Toshiba can do a lot better than this :(

Before buying this camera, we read reviews for it at several different places. A couple of reviews said they didn't know why people were complaining about a strange red streak at the corner of the view finder. I can't find the reviews that said there was a problem with this, so I bought the camera and the first thing I saw was a red streak - actually more like a red smear acros the middle of the view finder. I downloaded the videos and pictures that I took to my computer and low and behold - the red smear is on them.

I just got this camera and haven't had time to learn all the bells and whistles, however from what I have used on it so far, I love it. It's very easy to use and the sound is good. The picture is good and now I feel like a dummy because I missed one little piece of plastic that nearly made me send this camera back. I had checked all the places where they have the plastic (and yes they do have plastic on the end of the battery) but I missed the one that was directly on the small part of the lens - not the view finder. It had a red streak on it and therefore, that is why my pictures and video's had the red smear. Removed it and now the camera is fine.

This seems to be a great value so far. Can't wait to really use it and use all the features. I do have to say that it is strange that when we called the company to ask what could be causing the red smear, they said they had no idea and said I should send it back and they would send us another one. I would have thought that maybe they would have asked if we had found that tiny lens plastic.

Just an update to say that we have this camera for a while now and just took it on vacation. We also use it to keep up with our growing grandchildren and we still love it. We have been satisfied with the quality and sound of videos and are so happy that we found a camera that allows us to take pictures also. I still need to learn to edit videos but I really haven't worked with that yet. Still say it is a good deal - just wish it came with a better case. We were expecting more than that velvet bag. - Camcorder - Review - Toshiba - Hd Camcorder'

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Computer Duster - compressed air, air duster

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This air duster product is one of the very best. As a computer scientist, I use compressed air on many products... CDs, DVDs, Cameras, Monitors, Computer hardware, and even glasses. This has NO BITTERENT in the product.

BITTERENT-based products leave a horrible film on fine hardware, and even spraying it in a room will ruin coffee, soda, and leave a horrible-tasting film on your lips just being around it in a well-ventilated area.

Again, this is NOT a BITTERENT product.

I always use this to blow off fine debris from DVDs and glass. And, on glass and monitors, using this BEFORE cleaning with a fine & clean microfibre cloth will prevent deep debris-scratches from expensive sunglasses and monitors.

A great product for what it costs and that it's PRIME ELIGIBLE! Stoner 94203 GUST Easy Air Duster - 12 oz.

Just about everyone at one time or another has either used, or owned a can of compressed air. For those little hard to reach places where the old stand by of puckering up ones lips doesn't cut it, it can just about clear the field. Most of these compressed air brands are all but the same as far as its propellant. I mean how many different formulas can there be for compressed air. It basically all comes down to the delivery system, that is the nozzle, and the price. Amazon sells a lot of different brands of compressed air. I believe Memorex is the oldest going name in the air duster business. At least they claim to be. However it is also the brand with the worst nozzle design of them all. I have never used a Memorex that didn't eventually jam, break, pinch,...etc. The Stoner has the same design, but a little more quality. I buy Stoner's all the time locally and never have a problem with them. Here on Amazon I feel it is the best deal going for compressed air. It's not the cheapest, but at the time of this writing it ships free when bundled. I would suggest buying these cans in bulk anyway. Saves time, money, and a lot of aggravation over the long run. The Stoner also is a full 12 oz. as opposed to the 10 oz Memorex spray. I highly recommend that you never be without some kind of air duster in your home. For it serves a purpose that when its really needed, absolutely nothing else will really serve as a reasonable facsimile. I also recommend the Stoner brand here on Amazon, and, ordering it either in bulk or bundled so you can take advantage of the free shipping...

There was other reviews expressing concern about the amount of force this can could deliver when trying to clean things like PC. I still bought it because it was so cheap, and it worked very well for cleaning my PC. Will definitely buy again when this can runs out, cheap, prime delivery, and works well!

This is undoubtedly one of the best deals around for canned air, cheap and I got it pretty fast even with Free Super Saver Shipping. It works great although for dust that has been accumulated for quite some time is not that effective, it takes the outer layers but it leaves the dust layers in direct contact with the object. I tried it on a keyboard and I'll have to use either a stronger canned air or a liquid product (in this case I guess no canned air would do the trick)

One advice: Read the fine print. If you are accustomed to use canned products you may shake the can from time to time just as you would do with canned paint or cleaners, but what this will do is just reduce the flow of air our of the nozzle and reduces its overall effectiveness

As someone who may clean out several computers at a time, having a canned air that rebounds quickly is important. Many canned airs get very cold to touch and lose their spray force until the bottle warms back up after use. This bottle has great rebound speed, good force, and overall is a good value-- plus qualifies for prime!

This works well for cleaning out the innards of my PC, and I'm satisfied with how much compressed air there seems to be. However, I should note that I didn't receive the straw shown in the picture -- this may or may not be typical.

I've used canned air before to clean computers, but this canned air is the worst I have ever used. First of all, you have to hold it perfectly vertical or it will blow freezing white liquid all over everything. You can not shake it or it will blow freezing white liquid all over everything.The directions on the can specifically state:

"Always hold can upright when using to expel contents as a gas. Do not shake. This product contains a liquefied gas which will expel as a liquid if can is held sideways, upside down, or shaken when using."

This is totally useless to clean computers.

With other canned air products, I attach the straw and hold the can sideways and spray into the cracks and crevices of the motherboard and other components. But with this canned air, I am required to take the computer apart, hold the motherboard and components directly in front of me and spray. And for God's sake don't be tempted to shake the can while spraying!

If you're looking for canned air to clean computers, buy a different product.

I actually bought Gust to train my cat. If I spray her from a distance, it scares her. It only took one spray to get her to stop biting my feet. As long as it is not held too close to the cat, it's harmless.

I've used Gust on my keyboard, also. It works great. My keyboard was covered in dust and cat hairs and the powerful burst of Gust took care of it. My keyboard looks like new.

Gust sports a quick and easy to use trigger mechanism and a straw taped to the canister. I use extra tape to keep from losing it. Just don't spray your skin too closely. It releases a liquid gas that quickly evaporates, but it can cause frostbite. (This doesn't happen when the can is upright, but I spray my keyboard with the can tilted.)

_______________________

UPDATE: Just wanted to say I did use this to dust the insides of a very dusty, never before cleaned, computer case. It worked wonders in seconds. Problem was, I was then hacking at all the dust flying in the air. Should have been prepared for that, of course. - Compressed Air - Computer - Cleaning - Air Duster'

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Flat Caps - cold weather accessories, newsboy caps

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Not exactly as good as I'd hoped, but not bad for the price. Looks good, sewn well. My only issues are that the material and liner are thin, the wind cuts through it, and that there's no real padding on the inside. The brim leaves a funky dent in my forehead after I take the hat off. New Wool Blend Ivy Cap-Charcoal (S/M) W12S63D

This is a very solid newsboy cap. Nothing special, but the quality is pretty good for the price. Not as great, material-wise, as many nicer caps, but you get what you pay for. If you crave the look without the heavy price tag, this is a good purchase.

Ugliest paperboy I've ever owned, huge ostentatious bill with a button snap so you can unbutton it and appear as a 1940s mailman; a lot of material on top gives it the baggy look. You don't quite get the right idea from the pictures, which I suppose is why you should avoid buying this kind of hat online. If you want quality, pay the price for a Christys' Crown Series. If however, you wish to save some money and buy this garbage, you can have the one I purchased for free; just pay shipping through paypal and I will send you my disappointment.

I bought this hat in the small/medium size. It was a bit large so I washed and dried it on regular. Now it fits perfectly. I like the style of this hat. Has a classic look. Too bad they don't have these in other colors. I'd buy another.

It's not as warm as I would have imagined it to be, and is in fact rather thin material. However, it is a perfect spring/fall hat. It will take some serious head shaping to get it used to the way your head is settled within but otherwise is a great little hat for all casual occasions. It may also be kind of thin but I found myself quite warm inside of it because it is a Wool blend. Do not underestimate this cozy little hat for the price that it is offered as. - Cold Weather Accessories - Flat Caps - Newsboy Caps'

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Brain Exercise - aging, memory

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I've tried several brain age-lowering books and products and think this one is the best. It has a wide variety of puzzles, so you don't find yourself doing Sudoku the whole time. Some of the verbal puzzles are unusual and really fun. The brain games are arranged in order from easiest to hardest, so you can gradually ease yourself into them, your mind growing progressively younger as you make your way through the book. The spiral binding allows the book to lay flat, which is always a plus. Brain Games #1: Lower Your Brain Age in Minutes a Day (Brain Games (Numbered))

This is a good book, but it fails to give any help if you might need an explanation as to how they arrived at the answer. So, you either know the stuff, and are just refreshing your brain, or else you never learned it and cannot do so now! It did get me looking up some things on the internet so I could reason it all out. lol

I gave this book to a friend for Christmas, knowing that he likes to solve puzzles. Just this past week, he told me how much he enjoyed it - especially the variety, challenging him to try some things he might not otherwise have considered. - Brain Exercise - Memory - Aging'

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Yoga Tart - low rise, ballet and dance

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I have a necessity for arm warmers since I get susceptible to the harsh AC conditions in my workplace. My fingers and toes easily turn into ice. (Seriously, and I live in Honolulu where they hike up the AC to 60 because its like 90 outside). Although I dare not wear these to work for fear of dirtying them, these are just perfect to wear under my baby tees, light sweaters, and hoodies. I love to accesorize so these are just wonderful to wear with my favorite pair of jeans, casual dresses, and cute tops. The color is so vibrant and pretty and the quality is just superb! I love the thumb holes because a lot of arm warmers I had didn't have these and I felt handicapped without them. I also had very loose arm warmers so I had to hoist them up constantly and it was very annoying. (They are going in the trash now). These arm warmers are very stretchy and tight at the same time so they don't pose that kind of annoyance to the wearer. Thank you so much for your awesome products! Keep up the GREAT work, KD DANCE!!! New York Black High Quality KD dance Arm Warmers, Durable & Soft On Skin Stretch Knit with Thumb Hole, Cell Phone Texting Chic, Made In New York USA

True story: I'm a graduate student in Louisiana, and this evening I was walking to the library around dusk. It was that time of day when the sky turns dimly blue, and it's hard to spot details or colors. So, I'm walking along, and a guy sitting about 20 feet away calls out, "Hey, girl with the green shirt: I like your arm warmers!"...and I say, "Thanks..." and keep walking, when he shouts, "Hey! My friend [the girl sitting next to him] wants to know where you got them, or if you made them yourself?!"...So I turned back, and told her right where to click on Amazon to find these coveted cozies. Long story short, even in the near-dark, people sitting *20 feet away* were so smitten with these long, sleek, sophisticated, and cute arm warmers (mine are a delicious charcoal grey) that they just had to know where they could find a pair of their own. Now *that's* impressive! A bonus detail I love about this item is the slightly looser, ribbed cuff that accentuates the top end of them - it adds a touch of elegance. Highly recommend these - so perfect for spring, when you want to wear a lightweight shirt, and never know when a cool breeze might come along. - Dance Workout - Ballet And Dance - Sexy - Low Rise'

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Bend The Rules Sewing - crafts, amy butler

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Cute book with some nice ideas and designs. The fabric is gorgeous which of course makes a huge difference. There are projects for the living room (Patchwork throw, floor cushion, kitty tunnel, and the cushions on the book cover), kitchen - placemats and napkins, recipe card bags, apron and pot holder, Bedroom - patchwork duvet cover, bedside organizer (very clever idea), lounge pants, and sleep mask, Bathroom - bathrobe, hanging toiletry basked, laundry bag and decorative towels, Office - organisers, document duvet(huh?!), checkbook clutch... and personal style... a beaded sash which is a bit of a filler (free pattern on her site too), simple leather handled shoulder bag (which is so simple it shouldn't even be there - it feels like another filler - and personally I would never make or use a bag like this except for stashing yarn), and a patchwork handbag and clutch bag. I actually bought the book for the last two, as I love making bags and like her patterns. The checkbook clutch was a bonus as I had no idea it was there. Very cute.

The reason for the three stars is because the office projects intro mentions a business card holder - something I would find really useful - and the pattern isn't there, neither are any instructions. I wrote to her site to ask why, and was told that they couldn't fit all the projects in the book and thank you for pointing it out. When you consider how much space in this book is taken up with repeating instructions (for instance, every project that uses a certain interfacing has details on what it is and how to wash it - why not just have this in the techniques section?)

At the very least this should be included as a free pattern on her site. Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects

I love Amy Butler's fabrics and patterns, and I've been waiting for months for this book to come out. I'm afraid I was a little disappointed when I finally received it. If you have never purchased Amy Butler patterns, then you will probably enjoy this book. But for me, there was nothing new. And I felt that many of the patterns have been done a million times -- such as scarves, pillows, aprons, drawstring bags. Amy always has very clear instructions, so this would probably be good for a beginning sewer. But, the book is not as exciting as her individual patterns that can be found on her website.

I, too, was avidly awaiting this book. It is underwhelming. I even thought about sending it back, but I'm sure I'll find something of value in it; the instructions are quite detailed and may be useful for designing my own projects. There are just not enough photographs! Amy Butler's fabrics are SO beautiful and fun and I was surprised that with the combination of Chronicle books and her that this book was so, well, dry. Oh well!

Amy Butler designs gorgeous fabrics, no argument there. Her fabric designs are so lovely I think that's why I bought the book. All the projects just look so darned spectacular. I mean, who wouldn't want a cute kitty tunnel or a fantastic toiletries thing-a-majig to hang on the bathroom door? Oh, that's right. Me. I'd suggest looking at this book, if possible, before you buy it so you know exactly what you are getting. AB's cotton fabrics run $9.00 a yard, if you want to use them and many, if not all, of the projects can be found elsewhere, probably with clearer directions and larger pictures.

As to the included patterns --not so fast. Most of the projects are made with self drafted patterns. Grant it this is no great shakes for a square pillow, etc., and the drafting will probably be a great learning experience. I don't think any of the project patterns would be difficult to draft, just be aware that even the kimono project, only two of the pattern pieces are included, you draft the rest (rectangles and squares, no big deal). The lounge pants too you must draft the legs below the crotch. I mention this in case someone purchases on Amazon thinking they will get 25 patterns included with the book. You do not. In short I returned this book, realizing I'd been dazzled by photos of beautiful laundry bags, place-mats, checkbook covers and quilted throws. For me this book is a solid three star, mostly for the excellent photographs and the inspiration, the rest of the contents you can probably find elsewhere.

I love Amy Butler's fabrics so I was excited when I found this book and loved almost all of the projects. But the book seems sort of unfinished. I was working on the pajama pants and it says to buy 2.5 yards of fabric for the trim. So I put the pants almost all together, and the instructions were great and spelled everything out step by step. Then when it comes time to put on the trim, it just says to put on the trim. There is no pattern piece for it, it doesn't tell you how much to cut out, if you should press/hem the edges....it's very strange. I also noticed that one of the projects they mention in the office section isn't actually in the book! When I buy a book, I feel entitled to at least have it be finished and well edited.

I am currently engaged in making the patchwork bag. I spent an hour cutting, quilting, and here I am with very EXPENSIVE fabric cut out and there is a very NECESSARY diagram that it says to refer to MISSING. I am so frustrated that I will have to guess my way through this pattern. I could have guessed my way on my own initially without this book. I have to say that her patterns and instructions are way too complicated. I do not find this book to be an asset in my collection of patterns. I would never recommend it to anyone unless you are just wanting a picture book. If you want that, then go to her online website for pictures. I do love her fabric. I have used it extensively in 100's of creations. I will still continue to do so but as for this pattern book it will sit on the shelf. - Crafts - Fabric - Amy Butler - Sewing Books'

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Breast Surgery - scars, silicone

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I developed a reddish purple thick rope like textured scar after a surgery a few years ago. I previously tried every over the counter cream and sheet and even an expensive cream from my dermatologist. Nothing worked. My scar was over three years old and I had nearly given up hope when my doctor recommended trying Scaraway sheets. After just a few days my scar was noticeably softer and after a few weeks, the itching was gone and it was flatter and less red. After 10 weeks I cannot believe the results. My scar has virtually vanished. All that is left is a faint whitish line, but it blends with my skin and is no longer raised up and thick, and no one points it out anymore. These sheets were very easy to use compared to other scar treatments I've tried. I just put it on my scar after showering and sometimes just left the sheet on for days, opting to cover it when I shower instead of taking it off like directions say to do. I am extremely pleased with this product, and thrilled to be able to wear certain clothes again after years of covering up my scar. :) My only negative is that it was hard to find, so, I'm glad I found this! ScarAway Long Silicone Scar Healing Sheets - Contains the full Dr. Recommended 12 Week Supply

ScarAway Professional Grade Silicone Scar Treatment Sheets - 12 Re-usable 3" x 1.5" sheets

My plastic surgeon recommended ScarAway silicone sheets for treatment of a 6" long and 1/4-1/2" wide jagged, irregular, red, thickened scar that resulted from surgery on my arm after an accident. I have to admit I was skeptical because I had never heard of silicone for scars before, but the difference is nothing short of amazing! I used this item every day as directed. During just the first few days my scar tissue was softened tremendously. after finishing the therapy, the entire scar flattened and faded dramatically...no one even notices it as the texture of my skin and the color are no longer rough and red and have transformed like I never imagined it could. Overall this item was simple to use and very effective. I was surpised by the result, my surgeon, however, was not...as he said that silicone sheet therapy has been used in hospitals and to treat burn scars for a long time. My only complaint is that it was hard to find. I found it online and have been told it is also available in medical supply stores, but not regular pharmacies. so I would suggest they make it available in stores.

Most reviews of this product were not helpful since reviewers did not wait long enough to get results. My raised scar was a challenge for this product since it was 2 yrs old, I am in my mid-50s, and I definitely tend to scar. But after a full 2 months I finally decided the product helped. After 2 additional weeks I am quite pleased since the scar has shrunk down and is softer and less noticeable. This is for patient and determined people. In the last month, during hours when I left the scar uncovered, I rubbed on a dab of Mederma and that seemed to have helped too. Reviewers complained about the patches not staying put - just take a bandaid, peel off the gauze, and use it to hold down the patch.

I was so surprised after a few weeks of using this product. My scars look years old, and I recently had surgery about 6 weeks ago! The scars used to be raised and bright red and purple, but not anymore. They are smooth and almost all the color has disappeared. It looks as if they have been healing for years. The only complaint that I have it the adhesive wears off after 3-4 days and each strip is supposed to last a whole week. Other than that, it's a great product.

This is my second use of ScarAway. I have had problem scars from a few different procedures and had previously tried every possible treatment including some OTC creams, then coritsone injections and surgical scar revision. The creams (I tried Mederam and Scar Zone) did not work at all for me. I saw no change after many months of use. The cortisone injections were painful and agitated my scar further. After scar revision surgery my initial scar was altered for the better and I was hopeful, however, new scarring formed that was worse than ever. I went to a new dermatologist who recommended I use ScarAway sheets. I used the ScarAway patch and started to feel a difference in just a few days. My scar was already getting softer and less "stiff". I continued to use daily and every week my scar looked better and better. I could literally see the change each week and was thrilled. After completing treatment with ScarAway, my scar that was once thick and raised and extremely red with a shiny look, is barely visible. The texture is not shiny anymore and it became flat and redness completely went away. After everything else, I can't believe how easy this was. I wish I knew about it sooner. I could have avoided alot of grief and frustration, not to mention saved alot of $$. I wore my patch ALL THE TIME! I like that is covered up my nasty scar because even I was tired of looking at it. Happy to be done with that one. I am now using ScarAway on a new scar. On my doctors advise I am using ScarAway preventively to avoid the scars I had to deal with for years before. My stitches were removed last week and my doctor said to use ScarAway right away to prevent a bad scar from developing. I will re-post at a later date. For now...these ScarAway patches were a miracle for me. Thanks, AJ

I've only been using these strips for a week but already my 4 week old surgery scar has flattened tremendously. I have a huge, horizontal scar which requires two, 7 inch strips to cover it. The redness is not receding yet but it's too early to tell if it will.

The strips will not stay in place under clothing for seven days so order extras if you want to use them for the recommended 12 weeks. I can use them for about 5 days and do not take them off when I shower. I received a 10% coupon and free shipping with my first order so will use it to get more. The service was speedy with no issues.

I highly recommend ScarAway strips if you've had recent surgery. They prevent clothes from chafing your incision and literally remove the discomfort. - Scars - Silicone - C-section - Scar'

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