Guy Low Price Electronic: 15 Mar 2010

Monday 15 March 2010

Gps Dashboard Mount - dashboard mount, gps dashboard mount

I've purchased other GPS dash mounts but this one is worth the few dollars more IMO. Even though they all perform well, this one has better looks and functionality. Compare the pictures and you'll notice that the material that encloses the weight is smooth and has no folds. You'll also notice the open area in the front. It will allow you to tilt your GPS down further for a better viewing angle while on the dash. As a result of being lower, it blocks less of your vision. I actually see the hood of my SUV above the GPS and no road blockage at all. It just looks better. For now, this would be my choice if I needed another one. ARKON CM012 Magellan, Nextar, HP, Navigon, Garmin, TomTom Friction Dash Mount

I hated sticking the Magellan Roadmate to the windshield and having it fall off or getting hot in the sun. But did not want to make any mess of my dashboard. So I tried this.

It is heavy enough that I didn't need the little peg for holding it on the dash. Was smooth enough so that the GPS did not come unstuck. Was well worth the price.

Very stable. But on the first hot day, I got in the car to find the plastic disc seperated from the pad. Investigation showed that there are 4 small screws that secure the disc to the mount, which had all pulled out. I reatteched the disc with some liquid nails glue, and now it is holding up nicely.

Unit arrived with dryed glue all over the suction pad What idiot would ship this like that?

Tried cleaning it off, my gps would not stick to it, ended up gluing the the plastic disc that came with the gps onto the surface. That seemed to fix the problem let's hope it will stay glued.

Therefore I give this pad no stars as it was defective, but the expense of shipping it back is not worth it or the hassle!

Company replaced product with no problem at all so i rate it five stars

Royal from Rhode Island

I got exactly what I should have expected. Works well with my standard TomTom920 windshield mount. Delivery was quick. I haven't used the safety hook since it's heavy enough to stay put.

I should have expected the only downsides for my use. These are that it's too big to put in my center console with the GPS attached and it's too heavy to travel with and use with for use with a rental car.

At least in my Silverado I'd need to mount the hook or the unit will slowly slide off the dash. I just really don't care to put an adhesive hook permanently on my dash. the base is a little too rigid. If it was a bit heavier and more bean bag like, I think it would slide less. It's ok for what it is, just not great. Quality if fine.

UNI WGHTD DSH MNT W/SAFTY is the must for portable navigation system in car installation. Easy to install, secure your portable GPS on the dash board without damaging the surface, easily removed to avoid potential car brake in. Good quality materials and workmanship.

The quality seemed good, but my dashboard has some nice curves and this mount is not very flexible at all. It would probably be good if your dashboard has a flat area (flat not level, since it has descent grip on the bottom). I ended up returning it because it didn't work for me. - Dashboard Mount - Gps Dash Mount - Gps Dashboard Mount - Tomtom'

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Digital Camera - gps, geotagging

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I'm usually a digital SLR user, but I've been waiting for a camera like this to come out so I have something to put in my pocket. The features that really made me decide to buy this camera were:

1. AVCHD 1080i FULL QUALITY video. Check the bitrate -- it's the same as the camcorders. Better than the flip or handheld 'HD' bitrates

2. Wide Picture Stitching. I am astounded by the quality of these pictures. Dumbfounded. Check out the ones I've posted.

3. GPS Tagging. Yep- been waiting for this since iPhoto introduced the feature into its software.

4. Low-light performance. For a point-and-shoot, you're not going to beat this. Sure, it's no DSLR, but it's pretty great for the price.

5. Price- a zillion features and a totally reasonable price!!!

Mac Compatibility:

I tried out the camera with iMovie, and it worked seamlessly!!! I imported 2 minutes of low-light video footage AVCHD in about 30 seconds from an SDHC Class-6 card. Also used the camera with iPhoto and Aperture, and everything worked great.

Update: I've had time to play around with the different settings -- you can see some of my results in the customer uploaded images. The panoramas today came out great! I am still awed by this feature (amazon's tiny photos don't do it justice). Shooting inside in the MOMA was excellent. Outside, I tried the HDR mode, with limited success (still need to experiment, but see what I got). The handheld twilight mode does what it is supposed to, impressively. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V 10.2 MP CMOS 10x Wide-Angle Zoom Digital Camera with Optical Steady Shot Image Stabilization and 3.0 Inch LCD

*****Pros: Clear, Crisp pictures & movies. Sound is accurate. HD is excellent. Auto mode allows an average user to take excellent pictures in all but very difficult conditions. Software converts AVCHD to data, standard and WMV formats.

*****Cons: Have to remove battery from camera to recharge it. Camera has no AC adapter.

**Summary: Highlights:

* Sonys smallest and thinnest AVCHD capable digital camera (1080i)

* 10x (25mm equivalent) professional-quality optical zoom G-Lens (same lens as professional DSLR)

* 10.2 megapixel back-illuminated ?Exmor R? CMOS image sensor combined with BIONZ image processor

* ISO: Auto/125/200/400/800/1600/3200, Panorama, Anti-Motion & movies- HD (1920 x 1080 pixels),

* High Speed Shooting ? 10 frames per second at 10 megapixel full resolution

* 3-inch (230K pixels) Clear Photo LCD display with a special anti-reflective coating

* Backlight Correction HDR and GPS + Compass and Optical Steady Shot with Active Mode technologies

*****Comparison Prior to purchase:

Review Data: I reviewed over 50 web sites, spoke to camera stores and had the specifications reviewed by photographic professionals.

*WEB Site Reviews: The web sites I reviewed gave mixed reviews but in general this camera came out one of the best point and shoot cameras. In fact many of the complaints I read were by people comparing the camera with high end SLR?s or DSLR?s clearly not an unbiased or practical test, in my opinion a device should be compared with products in the same class to be fair.

*Store and Professional Reviews:I spoke to most of the major and many other camera stores that carried various brands that were familiar with this camera all of them stated they did not have a point and shoot better than this camera. Some stated the camera was as good as some SLR?s and some pointed out the lens and the CMOS image sensor was the same as that found on high end DSLRs.

My Test Results:

*****Indoor Camera mode: Camera tested in the Auto mode, photographed people and pets ? Tested under natural light, incandescent and fluorescent lights all shots were clear and sharp. Camera Tested in a darkened room in Auto mode flash worked picture quality was excellent. Extreme test - Camera tested in an almost completely dark room with light seeping through a window blind, picture blurry -camera had trouble adjusting due to streaks of light coming through blind. Repeated test without sunlight comming through blind in the dark camera worked excellent but I had to use "Easy" mode instead of Auto. It pays to try the cameras different modes.

*****Outdoor Camera Mode - Camera tested in Auto mode; photographed people and pets pictures were clear and sharp. The camera compensated for my movements, people moving and animal movement even when using zoom at its maximum without a tripod. Photographed a man made waterfall you could actually see the water streaming down the rock. Photographed several high trees all came out straight, even a palm tree. Tested camera at sunset and at night to get the best results you need to learn the cameras mode.

*****Movie Mode: (Inside and Outside)

Photographed people and animals playing inside and outside, a man made waterfall, a television program. Camera adjusted to my movements and gave clear and crisp movies. Sounds were accurate and clear.

*****Viewing:

The camera has a 3 inch LCD display; I had no problem seeing what I photographed even in sunlight.

*****Software:

The camera includes software that allows you to save your pictures as data, WMV, HD and standard mode. All modes worked well.

Conclusion: As far as I am concerned this camera is better than any point and shoot on the market. I agree with a lot of the professionals that stated it was almost as good as a SLR or DSLR when used by the average user. Even in the Auto mode it excelled in many difficult situations both as a fixed camera and movie camera. Due to the camera size you have to be careful not to block the microphone on the top of the camera. If you are a professional photographer this camera is probably not for you though I did talk to one professional photographer that stated they used this camera as a backup at a wedding and the pictures came out as good as their high end cameras in many situations.

*****Cost: I managed to find the camera on sale at [...] for $293.99 when buying 2 accessories @ 15% off.

*****Below are some of the camera specifications to see them all you can go to [...].

* Optical Zoom : 10x

* Total Zoom : Approximately 20x with Precision Digital Zoom Macro Mode : iAuto(W:Approx.5cm(0.16')

* Drive Mode : Normal / Hi-Speed Burst (High/Mid/Low) / Bracketing

* Shutter Speeds : iAuto(2" - 1/1,600) / Program Auto(1" - 1/1,600) /Manual(30"-1/1600)

* Aperture : iAuto(F3.5/F8.0(W)) / Program Auto(F3.5/F8.0(W)) / Manual(F3.5/F8.0(W)) (2 Steps with ND Filter)

* ISO : Auto / 125 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200

* Focal Length (35mm equivalent) : 4.25-42.5mm

* AF Modes : 9 points AF / Center Weighted AF / Spot AF

* Burst Mode : Approx 10 fps at 10.2MP (Maximum 10 shots)

* HD Output : HDMI / Component (1080i)

* Flash Modes : Auto / On / Slow Syncro / Off

* White Balance Mode: Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Fluorescent / Incandescent / Flash.

* Image Stabilization : Optical

* Imaging Sensor : 1/2.4" (7.59mm) "Exmor R" CMOS Sensor

* Processor : BIONZ?

* LCD Type : 3.0"1 Clear Photo LCD (230K pixels)

* Lens Type : Sony G-Lens (same as DSLR's)

* Scene Mode(s) : High Sensitivity / Twilight / Twilight Portrait / Soft Snap / Landscape / Beach / Snow / Fireworks / Advanced Sports / Gourmet / Pet - Gps - Hd Video - Geotagging - Low Light'

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Mothers Jewelry - pendant, mothers day

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I was expecting too much. Chain broke as I pulled it out of the little bag it came in. For me that was fine since all my mom wanted was the pendant itself. Only 3 stars because of the crappy chain and crappy bag it came in. The pendant looks a little cheap too. Sterling Silver "Mom, A Mother's Love Is The Greatest Gift Of All" Reversible Heart Pendant, 18"

First off, this was a successful purchase that arrived on time.

Second, my mother loved it, which is great because she's difficult to shop for.

The necklace itself is slightly cheap-looking to my eyes, but looks very pretty nonetheless. I think I would have preferred something a bit heavier with India ink or something rubbed into the design, but the super-shiny look wowed my mother and made her quite happy.

Box chains make me slightly nervous since I've not only had them catch on clothing but snap unexpectedly. This chain seems to be alright.

All in all, this is a nice dainty little pendant and my mother liked it, which is what counts. In fact, she started wearing it just to show it off at church.

My mom is about a 5hr plane ride away, and she does love me a whole lot, so i think that anything i would get her for mothers day would be the greatest gift for her. I ordered this along with a few other gifts for me mom. She loves them all including this one, so im giving this review based on her response.

I ordered this for my mom for mothers day and she loved it. I ordered it on Friday and I got saturday right before mothers day. My only problem was I thought the heart itself would have been a little bigger, but my mom liked it and didn't have a problem with it so it was fine in the end.

I bought this item for my mother who is in her 70's and lives quite a distance away from me and my family. When the necklace arrived I was extremely pleased with the quality of the product. It is very well made and very beautiful. It has good weight to it, not one of those thin cheaply made things. When I spoke to my mother on the phone after the holidays she said that she was wearing it every day and loved it. - Pendant - Silver - Mothers Day - Necklace'

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Ann Brashares

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If you are not familiar with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this is the last book in the series where four real close friends travel far away from each other but share one thing in common. They can all fit into these pants that look wonderful on each of them. This last book takes place after their first year of college and all of them face the fact that they are changing and what used to be home can no longer be called home.

The scenario of this book goes like this:

Bridget (the beautiful blonde, athletic type) goes to Turkey kind of randomly particpates in this dig. She finds that she loves to dig but also realizes that she makes the same mistake over and over. See she has this really great boyfriend Eric who also made plans for the entire summer. She was upset that they wouldn't be seeing each other and started to forget about him thinking she didn't love him anymore. What will Bridget learn about love in the end? Will she learn the hard way or the easy way?

Carmen (confident latina girl) has not been herself for a whole year, she has become invisible. Carmen somehow lost who she was and has been hiding behind Julia this popular actress who is a bad friend if you ask me. Carmen excludes herself from her friends and follows Julia to a drama camp, she isn't into acting but want to be with Julia and build sets. Carmen learns that friends are not supposed be happy when you are sad.

Tibby (timid and fragile) is invovled with a great guy named Brian. Because they love each other so much they took the relationship to the next level. Tibby freaks out because she might be pregnant. She becomes resentful towards Brian and pushes him away thinking that she never really loved him. What is the fate of Tibby and Brian? What does Tibby learn? Is she pregnant?

Lena (artistic and romantic) takes summer classes and intends to focus on art work all summer. However, she becomes very curious about a classmate of her's and feels like she is over Kostos. Is Lena capable of loving someone else though? She certainly is trying, what about Kostsos, he does appear in this book!

The friends all come together at the end because something has happened to the pants! The story ends but when you read it you can predict what will happen for each girl in the future, the author did a great job with this final book. I am sad the series has to end, but I felt it ended in a good way. Just Perfect.

I would reccommend this book for any girl or young woman who has great friends or who wants great friends! Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)

If you've read the other three books in this series, you're going to love this installment. If you haven't, read those first three books and then check this out.

Forever in Blue has the four girls fresh out of their first year of college, and a lot has changed. Carmen hasn't found her niche in life yet and feels like she doesn't belong to anything, so she's doing her best to avoid the other three seemingly successful girls and instead goes to a theater camp with a college friend, to work on sets instead of act. Tibby is taking a summer class at her college and is still in love with Brian... until a pregnancy scare makes her hide. Lena is in an art class, lusting after the first guy she's been interested in since Kostos. And Bee is in Turkey, doing an archaeological dig and becoming closer and closer friends with a young professor there (nevermind that she has a boyfriend and he's married!).

While this book deals with more mature and adult themes than the first three, it is no less charming. The author writes beautifully and manages to include numerous thought-provoking statements that are easy to relate to. You will feel yourself being pulled into the novel, unable to stop reading.

The ending of this novel is more satisfying than those in the past have been, likely because this is the last one and readers want to know what happens in the future. Most loose ends are tied up nicely, and the few that aren't are hinted at so you are able to draw your own conclusion. I highly recommend this book for those of you who have ever spent time reading about Tibby, Bee, Lena, and Carmen - you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to reread it myself.

I am a big fan of the first three books in the series. I think Ann Brashares is a wonderful writer and really has a sense of all the emotions, ideas, and worries that go through the minds of 16, 17, 18, and 19-year old girls. I was 17 when I read the first two books, 18 when I read the thrid one, and am 19 now (and just finished the last book), so I could really appreciate Brashares's ability to get into a teenage girl's head and heart. Every worry or thought these 4 girls have ever expressed in these pages I have thought too, and it was refreshing to hear Brashares express these feelings through Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget.

When the fourth book came out, I was very eager to read it. I was the at my local bookstore at 9AM pestering the customer service to put the book on the shelves. I hurried home and began reading it immediately. I have to say, I was somewhat confused by what I read.

Without giving too much away to those who have not read the book yet...

Carmen: Since when is Carmen the kind to take that level of abuse and neglect from a person? She is such an assertive and indepentdent character, and one year of college destroyed that?

Tibby: While I understand the confusion Tibby must have felt about the situtation (those that have read know what I am referring to), I don't know if Tibby would have completely alienated Brian and let things get so bad.

Bridget: Although Bridget's storyline seemed entirely random (Turkey? Where did that come from?), hers was the only one I felt remained true to the character's essence. My favorite story from Bridget is still the one from the second book.

Lena: Okay this is my main problem... what is going on here? Her entire storyline is completely and utterly out of character. Sorry, but *SPOILER* come on- Leo? What?!? Since when is Lena an exhibitionist who sleeps with artists? And then Kostos just randomly appears and the whole hotel sequence? Then it turns out his wife was faking a pregnancy and yay for everyone now they can be together? WHAT?!?! Personally I am very disappointed that Brashares did not pursue the Lena-Paul storyline she mildly started in book 3. At the end of the book, it was insinuated that Paul and Lena had a mild attraction that could grow into something. That would have been great! Paul seemed like he would have been such an interesting character that the readers could have gotten to know better through Lena. In my opinion he is much better option than Kostos, but Paul is not even mentioned in book 4.

In conclusion, while I did enjoy reading the last book, I felt the storyline and characters were slightly lost. The last section of the book seemed to come completely out of left field, and the last chapter in particular where bridget puts everything to a close seemed very anti-climatic and abrupt. I liked the series overall, but the last book is definetly not my favorite one.'

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Canon Pixma Ink - pg-210xl, canon pixma ink

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Get the XL cartridges, not the regular PG-210s. According to Canon you get almost 2x more pages, for < 40% more money.

What does that mean? I emptied out my regular 210 cartridge within 1 month of rather light usage on my new Canon MP240 printer. The XL cartridge now in it is < 1/2 full but going on 6 weeks.

Soon 3rd parties will be selling replacements, but I got some OEM Canon carts for $9@ from sellers here on Amazon. You don't have to pay full price. Canon PG-210XL Cartridge (Black) in Retail Packaging

These cartridges both black and color start signalling low ink levels when you have used less than half. That means you can get good quality copying and printing for much longer.

NET take out the cartridges, gently shake em up then re-install. You will still get the low ink lights but I've made more than 100 copies after those lights appear. Seems to be a ploy to encourage waste of ink and therefore more sales for the cartridges.

The 210XL has 66% more ink than the regular 210 cartridge. (15ml vs 9ml) And it isn't much more expensive, so save yourself some long term money and buy the XL.

And while you can go with a generic, certain consumer magazines have shown that generic cartridges and refill kits end up costing you more and giving you less quality than the manufacturer ink.

I got a bundled Canon MX340 with my recent purchase of a Mac Book Pro. The printer was set up in my home network such that anyone could print from their PC/Mac/Laptop. I needed to print a PDF file with over 250 pages and thus decided to buy a spare ink cart as I expected the one that came with the printer to run out (old Epson printer did about 150 pages on average). As expected the low ink warning came on at about page 12/13 (I assumed that others on the network had been using the ink for a fair bit). Replaced with a brand new 210 cart and resumed the printing. I got a rude shock when the low ink warning came back on after about 30 pages of print. Thinking it was an error or sensor malfunction, I decided to ignore it and continued printing. After the 38th page it was completely dry. The shocking thing was, I even set the printer to print on "fast", and color intensity on "-50" (as grey/light as possible to reduce ink ussage). I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if I printed it on "Normal" or "High Quality".

This is a heads up to students, home offices and basically anyone who needs to print a fair bit, these guys run out fast. VERY FAST.

This product is a HOAX. I bought it along with the printer recently because my HP was guzzling ink. The XL cartridge only printed 30 or so pages (of 12 pt text) before being empty. The 'beginner' cartridge that came with the printer printed 5x that. What a joke. This product is more than defective. It's outright dishonest, what's the term... highway robbery??

I wouldn't waste my money if I were you. BTW, the printer's pretty sweet so far (that is if I can find a way to feed it reasonably)!

I don't do nearly as much printing as I did when I first got my printer, but this cartridge has lasted for more than half the semester now. I print weekly for numerous assignments so this cartridge has done wonders.

everything was as promised. worked perfectly with the printer i had and it was way cheaper than the stores' asking price and it has more ink than the regular 210. ill buy here again when it runs out. nice.

Didn't really count how many pages I could print with one cartridge, but it seemed like a lot. (I'm a college student so I print very frequently.) Quality is not compromised even when I set the print quality at "fast" (and the printer consequently uses less ink). - Pg-210xl - Canon - Ink - Canon Pixma Ink'

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Security System Battery

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I needed this battery for the backup system in my house alarm. I knew that the alarm company charges $70 for a service call, so I decided to see if I could find one for sale. Of course, Amazon came through, and their partner Arrowhead Company also came through. I ordered the battery on Monday, and it arrived ahead of schedule on Wednesday, saving me the price of a service call, and likely a higher price for the battery. If this one lasts as long as the last one, I'll be really happy. 12V 4 Ah Sealed Lead Acid Replacement Battery for DIGITAL SECURITY CONTROLS DSC BD4-12

My old battery worked in security system at least five years until yellow light appeared on the touchpad. I ordered this new one, it was shipped pretty fast. I received thing in four days. I connected battery to where it belongs, in few hours yellow light went off... so it works for now. How good this battery will be? I can tell you in five years, just wait a little...'

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Team Building Games

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I was thrilled to come across Great Group Games. I am a Substance Abuse Counselor at a maximum security Women's Prison. The women I work with are receiving treatment and therapy for their addiction problems. I have used this book to foster team work, increase motivation and teach the women how to have fun in healthy ways without the use of mind-altering substances. We have experienced much laughter and joy in an otherwise dark environment due to the creative ideas in this book. And the best part is, there is no need to prep for these activities-- they are already laid out clearly and have proven to be very therapeutic... not just for inmates, but for staff! Great Group Games: 175 Boredom-Busting, Zero-Prep Team Builders for All Ages

Yes, as an educator, I have always hated group games and have resisted including them as part of my class activities even when they could have been extremely beneficial. After working with Ann and Susan, seeing their brilliance in working with both small and large groups, I realized that I needed to open my mind to the power and value of group games. I was thrilled when they decided to share with the world what they had been doing for years with great success. This book is a MUST for anyone wanting quick, easy games for groups of all levels and all sizes.

As a pastor for Youth and Children, I am always looking for new and creative games. This book is a wonderful resource for "just-for-fun" games as well as for trust-building games. The de-briefing that is included after every game has insightful questions for all ages. I have used many of these games with both elementary age children as well as youth with great success. It has many of the classics as well as great new games and I recommend it to those needing to add some games to their repetoire.

This book put many of the classic games and some great new games in a format that was easy to follow! Working with teens, you have to provide gradual levels of trust to build relationships and this book starts simple and works through to more complex. I am constantly refering to it when doing teen leadership as well as fun corporate level ice breakers.

This book does have a lot of games, but they aren't the type of games I was looking for. I'm a teacher and I wanted some educational/learning games, but these are more the type of games for filling time or something I would do with a student club, but not quite what I want for class.

Many of the ideas in this book would be very good for a teacher planning rainy day "recess" activities, but not so useful for most others.

Pros:

- Good variety of activities and goals to be accomplished by those activities

- The "good" ideas are fantastic

Cons:

- The idea that these are "zero-prep" is misleading. Most require you to use what they call "supplies" which must be set-up, distributed, or other-wise prepared

- The authors list slight variations of the same game as entirely new ones. For example, having an individual scavenger hunt and doing it as a team is still just a scavenger hunt (there are at least 4 variations of a scavenger hunt that are all listed as different games)

- Many of the explanations are confusing or incomplete

Bottom Line: The few things I like about the book, I absolutely LOVE. For example, there is an icebreaker that involves the group introducing themselves to the tune of a song. That idea is fantastic. However, the rest of the stuff is more of a psychological experiment than "zero-prep team builders for all ages".

In my opinion, the book can be broken down roughly as follows:

10% "Gems" - great, unique, and useful ideas

60% Mediocre - so-so ideas; or ideas that could be good, but require too much explanation or impractical "supplies"

30% Crap - lame, contrived, or flat out repetitive stuff

This book has been one of the best purchases I've made. The games are quick and easy to learn and implement and the kids have LOVED them. My 5th graders frequently ask to replay these games when we are stuck inside. Some favorites were Zip - Bong, Zoom-Wacka Zoom, and Pass the Can. I don't know what I would do without this great book!

If your looking for a wonderful game idea book for your next gathering, this is it. Great Group Games was full of ideas for easy to put together games for our youth group. I'm glad I bought this one.'

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Gas-powered - self-propelled, gas-powered

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Have had this mower model for three years and it has never failed to start. Mow about 5,000 sqft once a week in season. HOWEVER, the rear wheels are made of cheap, cheap, cheap and flimsy plastic and have broken one per year and the cost is now ~$35 incl. shipping. So, factor in another $100 to your cost of ownership over 3 or 4 years. Toro Recycler (22") 190cc High Wheel Self-Propelled Lawn Mower - 20331T

This is the best lawn mower that I have ever owned. I opened the box, easily put it together in minutes, topped it off with oil (which it came with), loaded it with fresh gas and she fired up after just one pull. This thing mowed through my lawn that was over 8 inches tall in one pass like it was nothing. It even chopped up some pretty big tree limbs with ease. The Toro 20331 is easy to use and the "Self Propel" feature works great! It has an adjustable speed, at full speed you almost have to power walk to keep up with this thing. ... I had so much fun mowing my lawn I went next door with it. My neighbors are out of town and their yard is almost at 3 feet near the road (I just wanted to see what this thing would do) It barely bogged down as it cut their grass and weeds down to a perfect 2 1/2 inches. This thing is a Work Horse!

Let me start by saying I have previously owned nothing but Sears Crafstman lawn mowers. Loved them until they started to "improve" them and then they went steadily downhill. So I decided to buy a Toro instead. I'm sorry I did. Compared to a Craftsman (even though they've gone down in quality) these mowers are far more inferior than the Craftsman!

First, the bag is flimsy nylon that won't hold up and a thin bottom to the bag. Craftsman have a "dust blocker" feature and the dust doesn't blow up in your face if you mow into dirt under a tree for example. The Toro spews dust everywhere. Craftsman bags are heavy canvas and last forever!

Second, it has an odd way of setting height! My previous mowers could all be set on medium height and would easily clear my grass and not cut too short or leave too long. Not so with a Toro. Setting the wheel height on the HIGHEST setting, it barely keeps from skinning my lawn. When I first had it set to medium, it took the grass off to nothing!

Next, it has this funky thing inside the grass catcher door made of plastic with slots in it. I have no idea what it's for, but it fills up with grass when you mow and then "dumps" all over the sidewalk when emptying the mower. And Yes, I've been mowing my lawn for years and know how to handle a mower!

Further, I have a nice but a bit bumpy lawn due to worms. My Craftman was never affected by this and continued on a steady line, but this Toro will bog down and grind the grass if you don't really push to keep it moving over the low spots! Works me to death!

My Craftsman mower would let me walk easily behind the mower. Both are the 6.75 Torque and same width, but this one pulls me along when the self-propelled is only half engaged. If I have it fully engaged, it is much harder than a Craftsman to control.

For some reason this mower doesn't fully pick up the grass either, even when the setting is done properly for rear bagging. I can go over an area and it won't give it that nice clean look. When Fall arrives and I use it to pick up leaves like I've always done with my old mower, it won't do a good job I can tell! I have a Honey Locust tree with the very small leaves, and this won't pick them up. I have a few that fall now and they are not being picked up.

Overall, I think it's a crummy mower compared to Craftsman and I'm not too happy how they've gone downhill over time either! So save yourself some money and buy another brand. These are NOT a quality mower like they say they are!

[Please note: I did not buy this mower from Amazon or one of its affiliates. I bought it from Home Depot for $299 and free shipping. I am publishing this review here solely as a courtesy to Amazon shoppers who might be interested in this product.]

This unit weighs 94 pounds in its shipping carton. You may need help moving the carton around before you slide the mower out of the carton. Follow directions on the carton to remove the mower.

Setup was quick and easy, and no tools were required. Toro includes a 20-ounce bottle of 30W motor oil in the shipping carton. Do not forget to fill the engine with oil. Follow all setup instructions.

The mower started on the first pull of the starter cord. This is the so-called Easy Start system, which is actually a thermostatically controlled choke mechanism. So no manual choking or priming is need.

I cut about a half acre of grass on my first use of this mower. Note that I did not say "lawn." The area was actually an old irrigated hayfield, flat but very bumpy, and with tuffs of grass every few inches rather than a smooth, continuous cover of grass. The grass was about 8 to 10 inches tall, so I set the mower to its maximum height of 4 inches and used the side discharge chute. This height was also used to avoid hitting embedded rocks.

I must say that I was greatly impressed with the performance. [Note: I live at over 6000 feet above sea level and did not have the high altitude package installed as recommended by Briggs and Stratton.] The front wheel drive is quite powerful and will keep you walking at a brisk pace. It is very easy to engage and disengage when maneuvering the machine. The high rear wheels are very good on rough ground and allow the user to easily tilt the front of the unit upward to make sharp turns.

Clean up using the "Quick Wash" system was pretty good. Simply attach a garden hose to a fitting on the top of the deck, turn on the water, and start the mower. All the heavy grass clippings are washed out in a minute or so, leaving behind only a thin green slick around the underside of the machine.

Toro put a lot of thinking into the design of this machine. It is extremely easy to operate. The only thing I did not like about the design was the auto-shutoff mechanism. The operator must continuously hold down the "blade control bar" to keep the engine running. So this is actually a kill switch rather than a blade control (it does not disengage the blade, but instead shuts off the engine ignition.) This is apparently a safety device that makes it nearly impossible for the operator to come into contact with the moving blade. However, it also means that you cannot leave the machine unattended for a moment. If you need both hands to do something, of if you need to move something out of your way, you must release the blade control bar and then restart the engine.

[Update, June 25, 2011: This machine is susceptible to sparkplug fouling (sparkplug becomes wet with raw fuel and stops firing). Once the sparkplug is fouled, the machine cannot be restarted without removing the sparkplug and drying and cleaning it or replacing it with a new sparkplug.

Sparkplugs can foul for many reasons: Sometimes it is the sparkplug itself (wrong heat range, wrong gap, worn out electrodes, etc.). Sometimes the problem is in the engine (bad sparkplug wire, plugged air filter, faulty carburetor settings, weak or failed magneto, worn out engine causing low compression and oil blow-by).

Whatever the reason, a sparkplug should not foul in a brand new Toro lawn mower. Worse, the so-called Easy Start System makes it nearly impossible for the operator to overcome the fouled condition. Usually, the operator can open the choke, hold the throttle wide open, and pull the starter cord rapidly to clear the excess fuel in the combustion chamber. But with the Easy Start System, the operator has no way to adjust these settings. Thus, the sparkplug must be removed, cleaned, and dried.

Until Toro fixes this problem, be sure to have an extra sparkplug ready to replace the wet one.

I have encountered this fouled sparkplug condition three times in about five hours of lawn mowing. Therefore, I have lowered my rating from Five Stars to Two Stars.] - Self-propelled - Lawn Mower - Mulch - Gas-powered'

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Educational Games - dry erase, white board

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My son used this sheet in his dorm room. He likes using a white board for math problems. This one worked since he couldn't hang a traditional board on his dorm wall.

It came off the wall very easily at the end of the school year. Only problem is it may not be re-usable.

Would purchase again for the same purpose. Gowrite Dry Erase Sheets, 8.5 X 11 Inches, White, 5 Sheets (AS8511)

These sheets are genius. I've placed it on the back of a notebook to provide an easily accessible dry erase surface when I'm in a meeting and trying to brainstorm. I've made lightweight dry erase boards to put in my briefcase by placing these on mounting boards and trimming to a custom size.

If you've read The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition): Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures, these sheets provide a great tool for meetings and presentations.

The actual surface is just as good as any regular dry erase board and can be placed on numerous surfaces. Seriously, I really love this product.

I bought this product to use in my classroom. THe sheets hang on the wall outside my classroom and I use them to let the kids know what is happening that day before they come in. The paper erases well and doesnt leave marks behind. I also like how it had adhesive on the back so they just stick right up. I will plan to buy new ones next year.

I bought these for my boyfriend in college but since there are 5 in the pack I kept a couple.

They stick well to walls, fridges etc and they leave absolutely no residue.

The actual sheets act like any other dry erase board, and can be written on using any dry erase pen. They are easy to wipe off so long as you are careful to wipe inwards so you wont stain the wall.

They can also be printed to make calendars, for instance.

All in all these sheets are a great solution if you need a dry erase board but you cant/dont want to hang it on the wall. They can be stuck side by side to make a bigger surface to suit your needs.

These are a lot cheaper than small white boards. Sticking them to posterboard is just enough to have something solid to write on. Since posterboard and whiteboard markers are supplied by the school, this is an economical way to quickly quiz students or use for a review.

These Gowrite Dry Erase Sheets offer numerous benefits that I really appreciate and enjoy. They are a perfect size, 8.5 x 11, the perfect weight, and they are pliable yet sturdy. If that wasn't enough--they also have an adhesive backing!

The dry erase board was invented for sharing information in an on-going and changing environment. Whenever I owned a business, and I have owned several, I would have a board in almost every room. Once I even had a massive wall-sized dry erase board mounted in the conference room. For many years, my home office and kitchen have always had dry erase boards mounted on walls, refrigerators and filing cabinets. I cannot seem to get enough of dry erase surfaces.

I am now retired, but my need for erasable writing surfaces has not decreased. In addition to the ever present To Do Lists and Shopping Lists, I still like to play with ideas and concepts. Mental gymnastics, if you will. All this leads to making notes and drawings, which invariably are changed. What begins as one page in a notebook becomes many marked up and scratched out, hard to read pages.

At home, no problem, I could just use my medium and large dry erase boards. But, on a trip or even out-and-about in town, I end up making notes on napkins, take out bags, backs of business cards, you name it. I have sometimes wondered why someone doesn't come up with a dry erase board that is small and portable. These 8.5 X 11" sheets are The Answer! They are the perfect size and thickness to put in a 3-ring binder (I use a 3-hole punch or put them in plastic sheet protectors.) They are also sturdy enough to put into my computer bag for road trips.

My refrigerator is now filled with these useful and practical sheets. I have learned to keep the magnetic calendars businesses give out so I can cut my dry erase sheets to fit, enabling me to make them magnetic. The sticky backs are quite sticky and always stay attached without any fuss, wrinkles or other potential problems. I move these dry erase sheets around to mix n' match and organize my thoughts and projects. Now that I have these, I no longer use my larger, more rigid dry erase boards....I am even thinking of giving them to the local Goodwill.

I hope that at some point these small dry erase sheets will come with a magnetic backing. You can buy magnetic dry erase rolls, but they only come in massive amounts.

I give this product 5 stars for its quality, functionality, and convenience. If I could, I would Gowrite an extra star for their ingenuity.

This stuf is great!!!! If what you need is the size of the paper or less this it the right stuff.

Easy to cut, adheres well and fun to work with!!

You could even use the sheets right out of the box if you applications would warrent.

Great!

These things can be used for just about ANYTHING!! I bought a few with the intentions of putting them in my dorm room, and I ended up using them all over my house! We put them on the refrigerator, walls, and I even cut them out to put on some door hangers for my roommates! I would buy the bigger pack because once you get them, you're addicted! - Educational Games - Dry Erase - White Board'

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Battery Replacement - cordless electric mower, cordless lawn mower

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FYI, this item is identical to the Homelite mower sold at many Home Depot locations (I don't work for any of these outfits). The two are identical except for the the colors. I contacted Earthwise to be certain, and they confirmed it, so buy either one.

This product, to my surprise, is as good as the Ryobi Mulchinator I used to own-- and it was the best cordless mower made in the late 1990's by a large margin. Like that one, this one effectively mulches the grass, even if moist, so small that there is no reason to use the bag or side discharge features. The height adjust is easy, the pushing is easy (for an adult), and you don't have to do any real maintenance (just keep it clean underneath). For the average lawn (I have 3000 square feet), this product has enough charge to do the job, is not quite as loud as a gas mower, and is just as powerful as a typical 4-5 hp model. You can charge it for a few bucks per year. It requires no assembly or tuneups, and tipping it in any direction will not cause a problem. Unless you use it commercially or for a very large property, this product is superior to a gasoline model, and way cleaner! Try a cordless electric model, and you will never want anything else! Earthwise 60020 20-Inch 24 Volt Cordless Electric 3-in-1 Lawn Mower with Grass Bag

My Gas mower was having some issues this spring and I decided I did not want to hassle with piecemeal fixing the unit. While shopping I decided to explore a cordless electric mower. As another reviewer noted this mower branded as Earthwise is the same essential mower as the Homelite Cordless Mower (model# UT13122) sold exclusively at Home Depot. The only difference is the color scheme and branding.

I finally decided to go with this particular model and I have not been disappointed. This unit fits my needs perfectly. The power is adequate, the charge is enough and the weight is nice. With this all said it is important to note that a cordless mower is not for everyone. It has limited range until it needs to be charged and the charging process is really about 15 hours for a complete charge. I waited a full 2 months after buying before writing this review to ensure that I was fully capturing my experience thus far.

Here are the pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Extremely light. Very easy to push due to the sub 100 pound weight of the device.

2. 20 inch cutting path is as wide and in most cases wider then competing cordless mower models.

3. Very clean cut of grass.

4. Mulch plug works excellent. I have yet to have to use the bag.

5. Instant on. You can stop and start the engine with s single pull of a lever. (There is a safety key so you can make this inoperable while away). Awesome! Great for maneuvering around obstacles.

6. One lever height control. I use 2" height. My lawn looks great!

7. The battery seems to hold the charge well for at least a week or two between charges.

8. Mulching plug is a quick and easy process. No headache here!

9. Easy fold down of handle for storage. Handy in winter areas for indoor storage to save life of battery.

Cons:

1. Charge lasts about 60 minutes before recharge is needed. It is also notable that the last 20 minutes or so of the charge is not as powerful as the first 40 minutes. There is a noticeable degradation of the power although it is still usable.

2. Noise is lower then a standard mower but not as much as you might think with a pure electric mower.

3. Rattles a bit. I am not sure how to describe this one except it gets more pronounced the faster I push the unit while mowing.

4. There is no powered propulsion but with the unit as light as it is this is not a big deal. Also I ma not willing to give up more power to a propulsion system anyway.

5. It can bog down in very heavy grass versus a heavy duty gas mower. This isn't a big deal as you just back up again but you don't want to clean up foot long grass with this unit.

6. Battery is not user replaceable. I would really like to see the battery either hot swappable or at least user replaceable. The biggest con in my view.

7. The 15 hour time frame for fully charging the battery means there is some planning needed to mow the lawn.

Features:

1. 24 Volt Battery

2. Push (Not powered)

3. 20" cut width

4. Steel Deck

5. 3 in 1 design (Side discharge, Bagger and Mulcher)

6. Height Adjust from 1.5" to 3.75"

7. Front Wheel Diameter 7"

8. Rear Wheel Diameter 8"

9. Charge time (4 hours for 70% charge) 10-15 hours for full charge

10. Single lever height adjustment.

11. Fold down handle for storage.

12. Safety key for start.

This is really a great mower for the price. It is clean and efficient. I no longer smell like a refinery every time I mow the grass. I can mow on Ozone action days and it does get some stares from the neighborhood. This is a very useful piece of equipment if you do not have a lawn that would take more then 60 minutes to mow. Only the somewhat limited battery charge and the fact that the battery is not user changeable keep this at 4 rather then 5 stars for me.

Recently, I got tired of messing with the gasoline and oil, pull cord, etc. of my admittedly trusty, almost ten year-old Sears 6.0 HP Craftsman mower. So I went online and researched several models before settling on the EarthWise 20" 24 volt cordless rechargeable.

I ordered mine via Amazon on Tuesday, and it came today (Thursday), if you can believe that! Set up was instantaneous, no assembly required, and the battery was actually fully charged. I mowed both my front and back lawn with plenty of battery juice to spare. While there is no power to the wheels, the mower weighs sufficiently less (at around 90 lbs.) to be able to maneuver it with ease. In cutting and mulching, it is actually superior to my old Sears. In terms of noise, it is still pretty loud, but sounds more like a huge blow dryer rather than an engine. And - BIG plus - absolutely no noxious fumes! It never heats up like a gas-powered engine either, and one of the great things is that you can turn it off completely, maneuver it around obstacles, and simply turn it back on electronically - without yanking cords!

Needless to say, I am truly happy with this mower and I highly recommend it. I will NEVER go back to gas-powered! - Cordless Lawn Mower - Cordless Electric Mower - Green - Battery Replacement'

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