Saturday, 27 November 2010

Surround Sound - banana plugs, home theatre


Works as specified.



However we later just bypassed these connectors and just put banana plugs directly on the wires coming from the remote speakers. Then we just plugged directly into the receiver. That saved a set of interconnections that this device would have unnecessarily added. Datacomm 45-0060 5.1 Surround Sound 2-Gang Plate (White)

I've had this plate for about a month and have had no functional issues with it. Sound is great, no different than my old direct connection out of the wall.



I needed more extension from my in-wall wiring so I got this, some 12 gauge, and 20 banana plugs. Connecting it was fairly easy, but the way the labels were grouped was different so that took some attention. Overall, very clear sound and if you can get them the banana plugs are definitely the way to go. It's tight behind my system so using raw wire would be such a pain.



I use a Denon avr1910 with 5.1 mirage nanosat speakers. Pretty immersive sound. Only thing is that the force of plugging banana plugs can possibly pull the plate off the wall or crack it mostly due to how deep my wiring box is in the wall. May need to mix and match to get the plate screwed in properly.



Great value, definitely seems to perform as good as any $50 plate.

First of all, this plate works. My system sounds great and this does the job of organizing things and hiding some wire clutter. However, I'm not sure if my builder installed a funny size box or if this is the culprit. Either way, I was only able to mount this to my existing box with one screw. The other screw is secured to the drywall which is not ideal. Also, it is white, so if you're hoping for an ivory or almond plate you're out of luck with this. For the price it's a nice product.

The item was not as described. It states that it has one RCA to F jack for sub woofer. This has a RCA to RCA and would not be able to use coaxial cable for in wall installation. I had to order the correct coupler from another web site increasing my over all price. I recommend looking elsewhere. - Home Theatre - Banana Plugs - Wall Plate - 5 Speakers'


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Entertainment Center - quality product, surge protectors


This Surge protector is exactly what you need! APC stands behind their products with an easy to deal with customer service group. In our situation, this one protector replaced 3 others we were using. The fact that it combines all the major ways of connecting your equipment in one device is what sold me. The fact that half of the outlets are sized for transformers is even better. Where we have been through 3 cable modems, 2 vonage boxes, and 3 wireless routers with our old setup, this new protector has offered us a worry free summer in Florida's lighting an surge prone environment. APC 11-Outlet 3400J Surge Protector

You get what you pay for.

Remember to send in your registration or no warranty.

In 2000 I had a six thousand dollar claim, APC paid with no issue.

Made a believer out of me.



Will continue to purchase UPS's, line conditioners, and surge bars from APC only...



Just my two cents worth.

I purchase this because it had a great layout of receptacles. The one issue I have with this unit is the coaxial filter degrades signal too much where It drops my internet connection and I do not get a Picture on my TV. the Manufacture sent me another one and the same problem occurred. These are great surge protectors but if you want coaxial protection look elsewhere or buy a separate protector....

I have both this model--the P11VNT3--as well as a couple of the previous version (the PF11VT3). An improvement in this new model is a better recessed on-off switch, so less of a chance of accidentally shutting off your cable-modem, or your DVR (tho I still think it could be even more recessed, or perhaps a spring-loaded slider switch that would be nearly impossible to shut off accidentally). The surge numbers are basically the same, tho you should also look at the actual "joules surge energy" rating, which is a lower number on both old and new units than the 3400 "eJoules" rating. The new unit has outlet shutters that you flick to the right to allow access to the outlet itself; the older version had shutters, but you had to push the plug into them pretty hard to get them to open. But the old unit had a longer (ten foot) cord, vs. the new unit's eight-footer.



I personally liked the look of the older unit better--the new unit seems a bit "old-fashioned" to my eyes--but this is just esthetics as it will probably be buried behind your TV cabinet or under your computer desk.



I think the co-ax filter is more marketing hype than of any real use--I have asked every single cable guy I ever met, as well as cable company tech support at several different companies, and they all say the co-ax filter isn't needed, that co-ax cables don't have surges. You can take that w/a grain of salt, but at one point (before I knew this) I had my cable hooked up to the co-ax filter on a high-end APC Back-UPS, and my cable signal kept dropping. The cable guy who came out told me that the filter was partly to blame for the signal degradation, and sure enough once it was unhooked my internet connection got better. So bottom line, if it makes you feel better to use the co-ax filter and doesn't cause any signal-degradation problems, then go for it. But if you are using the filter and are having cable problems, bypass the co-ax filter first before you call your cable guy.



Otherwise, a solidly-built unit that should last a long time (or until the next lightning strike). Still waiting to see how Schneider-Electric's recent acquisition of APC may or may not affect their quality and customer service.

I've had the 3400J since mid-February. Until last week, I only had it hooked up to a bedroom 24" Sony and a DVD player, but I transferred it to my living room where I have a home theater system. (So I'm ordering a new one for the bedroom setup.)



(I had a leftover APC UPS that I had been using for the home theater, but the battery finally died after four years of over-use! Instead of replacing the battery, I'm just getting another 3400J.)



Must aggree with other reviewers: Excellent layout for multiple devices.



I am using the coax protector and find it in no way affects my picture quality. I've tried it with straight digital feed, standard cable, and the HDMI cable box. Crystal clear. (I tried all the input methods because of reading two other reviews that complained about "pixelization." I found no problems--and I don't understand how a degraded signal would cause pixelization. Snow maybe, but pixelization? That is usually a compression issue, not a connection problem.)



Could this protect us against a massive surge? I sure hope we never need to find out. When lightning comes here in Central Florida, we unplug the home theater and computer. But we have had some brownouts and surges that trigger our computer's UPS alarm, and these fluctuations seem to be handled well by the 3400J.



I'm giving 5 stars because of ease of use, four months of trouble-free ownership, and the APC brand (which I've relied on for server and PC protection since the early 90's). I did have a customer service need for a UPS once, about two years ago, and found APC to be helpful and pretty easy to get through to. - Power Strip - Apc - Quality Product - Surge Protectors'


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Canon Lens - uv, lens filter


I felt I had to write these comments after reading all of the other reviews on this company's filters. Having been a working photographer for more years than I care to remember, my main reason for settling on B+W filters was/is their optical correction capabilities, as well as the "obvious to the touch" construction quality.

The brass rings never bind (often a problem with aluminium rings), so you'll never find yourself struggling & cursing while trying to remove it! Smooth as silk.



The primary function of any UV filter is to counteract the presence of haze, something mostly noticeable over long distance. Therefore, the only true benefit comes when shooting scenic panoramas with wide lenses, or the exact opposite; long telephoto work. In fact, telephoto/long zoom lenses are the ones that seem to benefit the most, be it with either film or digital. Don't get suckered into this "Designed for Digital" sales-pitch either. Some of my filters are years old, and function perfectly well on newer digital cameras. Even B+W themselves are guilty of this by having the nerve to place the very same type of filter in a silver ( brushed aluminium?) ring in lieu of the usual black one, stick the word DIGITAL on it, AND charge extra for it! Cheeky!



Many people I've met over the years have made the mistake of buying cheap, almost useless filters for high quality lenses, and for all the good they do, they might as well be shooting through a window pane! If you're going to buy a high quality optic, then do your research on filters, too. They are an absolutely essential part of the optical train. Among photographers, it's always been a bone of contention!



I personally haven't come across any other filters (apart from Heliopan: they use "Schott" glass; some of the finest in the world) that can cut through murky haze quite as effectively as B+W's. I'm no optical engineer, so I have no idea how the company has gone about it, I only know that it works extremely well. Crisp, well-defined images in situations where lesser lights may likely have failed.



In what is now going to seem like a contradiction, not all B+W filters are capable of this high level of correction. You'll notice that they often come in two, and sometimes three different labelings at vastly different prices, (something that some unscrupulous dealers have been known to take advantage of!) so watch what you're buying.



If it's going to be just a protection filter (no real advantage in B+W here), or used primarily for Macro work, then the plain or Single-coated ones will suffice. However, if your intention is to do landscapes, or a lot of Tele work, then the Multi-coated version is essential. Just look for the "#010 UV-Haze MRC (2C)" on the inner front of the ring.



You may have also noticed that B+W manufacture slim-mount filters (more costly) especially for wide-angle lenses. A point worth noting is that this particular type of filter has a wider-than-usual front, so comes supplied with its own slip-on Schneider lens cap (in this case, 95mm, on a 77mm filter), meaning that you cannot use the original one supplied with the lens. The only real drawback is the rather fiddly fitting of the filter if you're using a lens hood (advisable) as it must be attached AFTER fitting the hood. Not easy, I can tell you!



The standard models do very slightly vignette at the 16mm setting on my full frame digital body, so the wide-angle version (not the above-mentioned model) are the way to go if that is your set-up.



The Heliopan versions do have a slimmer ring admittedly, but for some strange reason, although their rings are also brass, they often tend to bind. Odd?



One note here for anyone with a large aperture, drop-in filter type lens.... B+W MRC filters in both 48mm & 52mm will slip in perfectly, unlike some others. The difference to the eye may be purely a figment of my imagination, but I still feel it is noticeable!



If you're also in the market for a Circular Polarizer, and you don't mind spending twice the usual price, then look no further than B+W's Kaesemann MRC model. It knocks the socks off anything out there by a mile!

(See my review on the 77mm version)



B+W (and Heliopan) are untouchable, and their graduated ND filters are also truly something else! B+W 77mm UVA (Ultra Violet) Haze MRC Filter #010

If you have quality glass, like the Canon L series, then you need quality filters. the B+W are made from ground optical glass, not a piece of plain glass like as you see in the tiffen and hoyas filters (even the expensive ones are still cheap grade glass). Only B+W and Heliopan put the time and $$ into making filters that are designed to be used with your quality lenses and not distort and reduce the optical quality of them. I have a Heliopan as well, and I prefer the B+W a little bit more as its a brass ring and not aluminum and thus does not bind up as easy, and thats important when you want to change filters quickly! If you use a cheap filter on a pro grade lens, you are wasting your money, on the lens and the filter as the filter just hurt your image quality, and thus you lowered the quality of your lens! In filters, like lenses, you get what you pay for!!!



I shoot in all kinda of weather conditions, from sunny and warm, to windy and cold or snowy, and I have never had any major issues with any of my B+W filters acting up! I prefer the MRC, but even their entry level one is ground glass, so you still get a great quality filter at that price point.



You need a UV filter on all your lenses, as it helps to protect your front element, as I have seen many lenses saved when bumped or dropped by the UV filter. If you are outdoors shooting or around kids or food at all, you have to have a UV filter no matter what! The B+W does not degrade your optical quality from a quality pro-series lens, like a Canon L Series, where a lower grade window glass filter would, like all the Tiffen, Hoys, etc. Even the Canon filters are not ground glass, and thus why I dont use them! Just be aware if you are using good filters, you can't blame a bad image or blurry shot on the glass or filter then, you will have to own up to actually taking a bad picture every once and a while... :) - Uv - Filter - Uv Filter - Lens Filter'


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Digital Scale 01 - weed, digital scale 01


No other reviewer mentions what calibration weight this scale requires. An information I wish was available when I ordered it. Although I did my homework I still wasn't able to find this info anywhere. This info should have been sent by the manufacturer to Amazon. The only clue you get from Amazon -even though it is not their fault - is in the "frequently bought together" section where a 50g calibration weight is suggested. So I bought the 50g only to discover (once I opened the box and read the instructions) that the manufacturer of the scale specifically requires a 500g calibration weight for this scale. This information is essential, I believe, and should have been made available to Amazon by the manufacturer. More so, I tried to contact the manufacturer and left a message asking them to tell me which calibration weight they recommend before I buy the scale. They never bothered to call me back. For this I give the manufacturer a rusty 1 star. How you treat customers is almost as important as the quality of your product.

For the way the scale functions I give it 4 stars- it seems to work very well for the weights that it is designed to measure - (down to .1 g or 100mg). To Amazon, who tried to fix my problem, I give 5 shining stars! but I'm still waiting to see the info changed here, so that no more people buy the wrong calibration weight like I did, despite all my efforts to find out which one was required! So get the 500g calibration weight if you think you will need one for this scale.



American Weigh Blade 1000 Digital Mini Pocket



I was looking for a mini portable digital scale to measure food and ingredients for cooking and eating. I searched online and saw this scale as the best one out of all that I had researched. Best for the following: best price, cute, compact, portable, has carrying case offering protection, weighs items up to 1000 g, could weigh in oz, g, and something else.



I contacted the seller and he replied exponentially fast and he answered all of my questions! (Other sellers I had contacted did not reply sadly.) And the product arrived quickly as well to Bellingham (they don't ship to Canada).



I'm loving my new scale ... it's proving to be very handy. And oh, it came calibrated! I tested it with an American nickel and it showed up as 5 g!



Thank you ... I'm as happy as can be and would recommend this scale and this company to others with great faith!

The first vendor sent me the wrong scale, but Amazon made it right finding another vendor and honoring the original price. Kudos to Amazon for great customer service. As for the review. The scale is fine as are the other American Weigh pocket scales. They are good products, accurate and reliable. I also have the 650g unit which I really like. Just pick the one that suits your needs re: size, weight capacity and resolution (.1 or .01g). This one is a little biggger than some but it has two trays and a leatherette case. 4 Stars because the unit and outer tray was a bit scratched / marred and not really pristine. I never calibrated them as they are very close to my calibration weights and each other and I surely do not need precision more than .1g per 100g. Oh - by the way, I heard a rattle inside and eventually took it apart. Couldn't find the problem but after re-assembling and studying it more carefully I discovered it was the push buttons themselves on the blade. No problem though.

I bought this primarily for weighing model train rolling stock (cars) and locomotives. It's reliable - and phenomenal.



The shell it comes in fits snugly over the scale, so I just use my smallest precision screwdriver to nudge up the lid and open it - a tiny inconvenience. Eventual it may loosen, but it doesn't really matter.



The scale weighs in .xx oz or .xx g, the TARE features works great, and it times out quickly to save battery life. When you fold out the arm (in picture) with the buttons, a foot on the bottom of the arm keeps it nice and level. It came in a vinyl/faux-leatherette sleeve that protects it nicely. I can weight the weights I'm going to add to a car (e.g., spare nuts or other metal) and get the weight precisely to NMRA standards. Our derailments (which are frustrating) dropped like a stone after bulking up all our rolling stock to NMRA stds. 1000 g max, but I'll not come near that with my application (HO scale).



I couldn't find a product anything near this one in quality and reliability in any brick-and-mortar store (kitchen center, home center, cook shop, discount, department, etc.). A great value; highly recommended.

I really LOVE this scale. I love the fact that when I start it up if I have the container on it already it subtracts the container's weight from the measurement. I love that it's really small and compact, I always have it with me. The case itself can act as the container to hold the food. My scale was already calibrated and I checked the weight with a nickle, which weighs 5 grams and it was perfect. I would definitely purchase again, I highly recommend this scale! - Digital - Digital Scale 01 - Kitchen Scale - American Weigh - Pocket Scale - Weed'


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Car Stereo Mp3 Am Fm Cd


I bought this car audio system for my husband for our first anniversary, because it's what he asked for---knowing ZIP about car stereo systems! I was happy to be able to find the features he wanted described clearly...so it made my shopping experience easy even though I didn't know what I was doing!

This stereo is exactly what he wanted and he was THRILLED at the price! It plays our MP3 players, CDs, and even MP3's burned to CDs--BEAUTIFULLY! AND the tuner is AWESOME too!

For $60.00 something dollars, MORE than worth the price! I can't see why anyone would pay more for something else, and Pioneer brand too!

Amazon you Rock! Pioneer DEH-1300MP CD Receiver with MP3/WMA Playback and Remote Control

Pioneer has made a great upgrade over the DEH-1200MP with this new one DEH-1300MP. Looks wise it beats the DEH-1200MP hands down. Installed this without any problems and with the Loud feature in this receiver set to high the factory installed speakers are sounding just fantastic. This is the best budget receiver you can get and its Pioneer which stands for its quality. Hope it helps.

I was looking for a basic radio/CD to replace the original. This Pioneer DEH1300 is great. The features are what I expected, had a clock, and the CD works! I wanted to install it myself to save some money and it was relatively straightforward to install. Only additional expense was the wire harness and the faceplate for my car. Excellent price. I'd rather green highlights, rather than the red, but I can't argue the price.

I bought this unit because it received good reviews and was dirt cheap. I saw one bad post about it shutting down randomly, but figured it was just a random bad unit -- all manufacturers have them occasionally and I like Pioneer products from my past. However, mine does the random power-off thing, too. I guess it's going back for replacement as well. I can't make it fail, so I am just giving up and going with a different manufacturer, rather than risk this happening again. I drive hours at a time commuting in late/early hours and need the music to help stay awake; it's important that I have a reliable unit. Quite disappointing from a brand I had the highest respect for.

Installed two of these over a weekend in my brother's vehicles (1995 Ford Econoline van & 1999 Ford Escort). Both had older aftermarket units which had failed one way or another. He just needed basic AM/FM radios that work in case of evacuations in Florida due to hurricanes. I have always had good luck with Pioneer car stereos and especially like the FM tuners (Supertuner) for their ability to lock onto stations with a minimum of FM multipath effects (albeit with some reduction in channel separation at times as the tuner "blends" the channels to avoid noise).



The Pioneer DEH-1300MP didn't disappoint us with its performance, looks, or features. It is nice to have the Aux-In jack on the front panel as well as the ability to play MP3/WMA discs and remote control although we didn't really have those features as requirements for our purposes.



Overall, though, the combination of features for the Amazon price was tough to beat. I should note that both of these vehicles had previous aftermarket installations so we did not need to buy new wiring harnesses or fit kits to make them work. If you have a vehicle which needs these, make sure to take into account the cost as well as the effort to install the kit and wire the harness. With cars like the older Escort, this can be non-trivial since the fit kit actually replaces the entire dash module containing the radio, heater, A/C, and rear defroster controls.

My needs were simple, AM/FM Stereo with a CD Player. Plugging in the MP3 player would be nice addition. This is a Christmas Gift for my wife and I would be installing it myself in her 98 Toyota Corolla (replacing stock radio/cassette). After doing all the research I was finding it difficult to purchase something simple that would meet my needs. I have a 97 Jeep with a Pioneer CD player (no MP3 playback or player hookups) that does a good job so I went in specific search for the newer model. This is it: Pioneer DEH-1300MP CD Receiver with MP3/WMA Playback and Remote Control and after 2 months of use we both love it. Easy to use, sounds great, fit perfectly in the dash with existing hardware! Took me about 3 hours to install, mostly because I had trouble with the Toyota wiring and even blew a fuse. Who would have guessed the Toyota red and black wires went to speakers? I did not use any wiring kits or adapters. I am using the stock speakers that came with the Corolla and it sounds great. Oh, did I mention the price is pretty good too. Let's sum it all up:



1.) Easy to install

2.) Easy to use

3.) Sounds great

4.) AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA

5.) Inexpensive

6.) Pioneer

7.) Best Bang For My Buck

I bought the Pioneer DEH-1300MP CD Receiver with MP3/WMA Playback and Remote Control because my other stereo broke, and I really wanted one with an auxiliary input so I could stop messing with CDs in my car and just play my MP3 player through the car stereo instead. I was attracted to this model because of the relatively low price, the Pioneer brand, a sufficient power rating, and the fact that it had all the features that I'm interested in and not a lot of others that I don't care about. I could not be happier with the results.



My old stereo was the same size and installed the same way as this one, so installation was a breeze. After installation I turned it on, cranked it up, and couldn't believe how good it sounds compared to my old one. I needed to tweak the equalizer settings to get optimum sound out of it, but in the end it just sounds awesome, especially considering the price of this thing (I paid $62.50). I have no external amp or subwoofer (although this unit does have preamp-outs if that's what you want), just have this hooked up to two Kicker 4" speakers in the front and two Pioneer 6 x 9's in the rear. I haven't used the CD player or the remote yet (and maybe I never will), so can't comment on those. But I find the controls intuitive for the most part, am extremely happy with how this unit sounds, and LOVE being able to play everything on my MP3 player without having to mess with CDs anymore.'


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Cordless - makita, lithium-ion


I have had mine for about a year. The cooling fan has developed a noisy fan bearing that is very loud when spooling up for awhile and then eventually quiets down some. Otherwise I have enjoyed the lithium ion batteries and the charger has worked well. Makita DC18SC 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Charger - Cordless - Lithium-ion - Makita'


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Kindle Book Light - kindle book light, book light


I've bought many book reading lights, but this is absolutely the best. The flex-neck allows the light to be evenly distributed over any book size, whether its paperback or hard cover.



The Lithium button cell batteries do seem to last a long time. If you buy them in bulk, it's not too expensive to replace, a much better option than the heavy rechargeable units.



It's now 2010, and have not found any reason to look for anything better from a weight, battery life, and function standpoint. I now have 3 for use in multiple locations. LightWedge Flex Neck Reading Light, Soft Touch Black

This reading light is great, the flexing neck lets you bend it any way you need for where you clip it, the 2 LEDs put out just the right ammount of light to see both pages perfectly without throwing any light around the room, and for 10 bucks you just cant beat this. Best reading light ever.



Update: Been using this for several months now. Still like it very much.. the batteries are a little more expensive than AAAs would be, $5 for the 2 it uses if I remember correctly, but its worth it cuz theyre very lightweight.

The power in my house goes out on a regular basis, so I finally figured out that maybe getting a book light or two would be a worthwhile investment. After reading the reviews, I decided to get both a Great Point Light-Flex-Neck and a Flex Light from Fulcrum. Each has its pluses and minuses and which one is better for you depends on what you want to use it for.



The Fulcrum light is brighter than the Great Point and covers a larger area. The switch is also much easier to use since it slides. On the Great Point, the top presses down and it's hard to get it to stay on. Sometimes it switches off for no apparent reason. It's either a poor design or I got a defective unit. The Fulcrum also takes 3 AAA batteries, which fit into the base, making it both heavier (about 2 1/2 ounces compared to about 1 1/2 ounces for the Great Point) and as a result making the clip a lot bulkier as well. The Great takes lithium batteries, much lighter, but also harder to find.



The Fulcrum is too heavy and too bulky to make it easy to attach to a paperback, and if you want to attach it to any book and hold the book up to read, it gets heavy very quickly. Its brighter light and greater weight and area make it a good choice for when you want to set a larger and heavier book on a table or for attaching to a very sturdy and prominent back rest, plus the easy availability of AAA batteries means you probably have a spare set around when the ones in the Fulcrum run out or at least you can grab replacements at the grocery store. The Great Point is better if you want to attach it to a book you are holding up to read, or to a paperback, or for when you want a little less light so as not to disturb a partner in bed. In any event, since they are both better than reading by candlelight both suit my needs, but one or the other is probably going to be better for most people depending on what you want. Or spring for both so you always have a spare. At this price, you could just about afford one for every room.

This is a very lightweight reading light which wraps and snaps into itself, making it convenient to throw into a purse or travel bag. The on/off switch won't turn on due to jostling around in your bag, either. This is not my favorite reading lamp, however, since the clear area for the light illumination is also on the sides, not just the end of the lamp. This makes the light glare out on those around you instead of focusing only on your book. I prefer a more focused style lamp for home use.

EDIT: April 2008

The manufacturer states we should get "30 hours of light from 2 CR 2032 batteries." I read a minimum of 3 nights a week for 30 minutes.



The light dimmed beyond usefulness after 2 months. While this meets the manufacturer's estimate, it is bothersome and expensive to replace the batteries which cost around $4 each.



NOTE: I have switched to using the Fulcrum Multi Flex LED Book Light (now $10.99 - noticed $5.99 December 07). This light takes 3 AAA batteries that I can buy inexpensively in bulk. The light weight, sturdy clip, and bendable neck is much the same. More light for the buck.

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

ORIGINAL POST:



The Great Point Light at $9.99 is a fabulous bargain! It weighs very little and feels as if it isn't there as I hold the book. The clamp stays put and easily attaches to both paperback and hardback books. It sheds just the right amount of light (something you'd think all book lights would do). The cap around the light keeps the light aimed at the page and allows me to read and my husband to sleep (or drive if we're in the car).



I have a bedside drawer full of substandard book lights including:



- Zelco's Itty Bitty Booklight bulbs burnt out quickly and were expensive to replace. I've owned three and all three neck pieces failed to stay up and over time kept falling down toward the book page.

- The Phorm Light Voyager at $24.99 was way overpriced and heavy, falling of paperbacks and adding to the weight of a hardback.

- Tectron's battery powered LED book light sheds so little light I had to keep moving it around as I read.

- Tote's Slim Clip is small which is good, but the clip doesn't hold many pages and comes off easily. Also, the light is a narrow focus and has to be moved around as you read.

- I have more, but you get the idea.



I'm buying more Great Point Light book lights in case they stop making them, the price goes up, and to have in different rooms of the house. Great for car too. Maybe I should just buy stock in the company! - Book Light - Kindle Booklight - Kindle Book Light - Book Lights'


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Girls Plus Size Clothes


The fabric on the plus size dress is a bit thin, but it does have a 2nd layer as you can see. Also I feel like I still need to purchase a slip though.

I ordered a size 16.5 and it's a perfect fit for my soon-to-be 10 year old. I gave it a 4 star because the price on the dress is a bit high, but my daughter feels very pretty in it and that's all that counts. Size-12.5,BNJ-1642R WHITE MULTI DOT EMBROIDERED EYELET FIT-N-FLARE Special Occasion Flower Girl Easter Party Dress,R81642 Bonnie Jean Girl PLUS SIZE

My daughter saw this dress and just had to have it for Easter. I was a little worried about buying it online, getting it and having it not fit her and then having to go through the trouble of returning it. I ordered the 14.5 and it fits great. She even has a little extra growing room in it. I got it on sale for $40 and with shipping and handling it came to $49. A little high, but not too bad for a nice girls dress. I ordered it on Friday and had it that Monday. The dress is very nice. It looked off white/cream color on my monitor, but is actually white eyelet fabric. The skirt is very nice, with 3 layers of material consisting of a white slip, then a netting layer and finally the top layer. The skirt is very full. The hot pink bow tied at the waist is cute, but does not go all the way around the dress, it stops on the sides. There is a tie at the waist in the back made out of the polka dot material. The dress is very cute and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a nice girls dress for a specail occassion.'


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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - usb scanner, lightweight


I have bought three of these for my business, to scan documents from the road and send them in to clients. I only use black and white at 300dpi, which creates a very small file but a very clear image for documents. This scanner does the job well, and none of my three scanners has broken down yet, after 6 months of light use. There are several drawbacks:

1) Almost every page gets scanned in a little crooked. I'm thinking that there is a knack to getting it to go through perfectly straight but I haven't figured it out yet, one of my employees does pretty well though. Anyway, it is good enough, but still annoying

2) The whole process is tedious with multiple pages, hand-feeding one at a time, going through the program to tell it to scan each page. I shouldn't complain because this is a portable scanner, but one day maybe someone can make a portable scanner that can handle multiple pages by itself.

3) Occasionally it has trouble identifying that a piece of paper has been put into the scanner. The easiest solution for me has been to unplug the USB connection, plug it in again and try again.

4) You can only scan individual sheets, you can't scan out of books, newspapers, etc., like the HP Capshare 920. (The Capshare is unique in that it was made in the 1990's and is still better than anything on the market today. Unfortunately they stopped making it, you have to find it on Ebay.)



Everything else is great, it gets its power from the USB connection and does its job.



Update 2/24/2011: It has now been a year, and all three scanners are still running strong, no problems. Problem #3 that I mentioned above has ceased to be a problem, I think I was somehow putting the paper in wrong. You have to slide the paper in far enough to trip a tiny switch, and then allow the scanner to automatically pull the paper in about an inch before you start the scan. Brother DSMobile Scanner (DS-600)

I just ordered and received one of these scanners. Bottom line is this: The instruction manual and drivers that ship with the scanner are out of date. The directions will tell you to use OS X's Image Capture program to calibrate the scanner. (If you don't calibrate it after installing the software your scans will fail. The error message is "Run TWAIN software." However, Apple has removed the calibration capability from Image Capture for some unknown reason and even Adobe Photoshop won't do the job.



You need to download an updated version of the driver, which includes the calibration built in. I got it here: [...]



See this thread for more information: [...]



(If Amazon removes these links, contact Brother for the updated version of the Snow Leopard drivers.)



After just a couple of scans I can tell I'll use the heck out of this. It does exactly what I need: scans an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper into a PDF file without a lot of fiddly fooling with DPI settings, prescans and whatnot. (Edited to add: Actually you CAN change DPI settings, doc formats and such with ease, as I've noted in Comments below. The one thing you CANNOT do is put in a document that's wider than 8.5" - it just won't fit.) Basically I need this to scan receipts and bills into my local Documents folder on my laptop (a 15" circa 2007 MacBookPro). Once I was able to nail down the calibration issue, the scanner installed with no problems at all and I'm able to select it from Image Capture for a scan that takes maybe 30 seconds from start to finish.



Now for the downside - I do agree with other reviewers: This device really needs a paper guide. Anything that isn't perfectly letter- or legal-sized can slide from side to side while you're trying to scan. I haven't had major problems with this - a little slide doesn't yield unreadable docs - but at some point I may need to resort to copying the irregular page and then scanning the copy. Hey, it'd be faster than all the pesky prescanning and adjusting I have to do on my flatbed scanner.



I would NOT recommend this scanner for inputting a lot of small photographs. 8" x 10" should be fine, but a smaller, say, 4" x 6" photo is going to slide all over the place while you input it. Forget doing it in 'Flatbed' mode (which requires two scans)....You'd just never be able to get it in the same place twice.



(One more edit: I'm using this scanner TO DEATH already! I'm a compulsive magazine clipper, which means I always have a pile of articles lying around. Thanks to this scanner, many of them are now dumped into digital files on my desktop, sorted by topic. I LOVE that I can change the file format or DPI literally with the click of a button and can name the file whatever I want BEFORE the scan, so I don't have to open up all the files to see what's in them, then name them.



The ease of this scanner is hard to overstate - the scans are usually right the first time, minus some minor paper slippage that can happen if the page is smaller than 8" x 10" or so, but even then it's usually not drastic.



The drivers work well - no 'spinning beachball' or freezing or hanging up. The scans run fast, they save quickly - again, no hanging up...Overall I am QUITE pleased with this device and wish I'd bought it years ago.



I'd give it a full five stars if it had a paper guide.)

I purchased this DS600 scanner as an alternative to my HP All-in-One which is too big for my laptop bag. The product description and reviews convinced me to buy this item and had it shipped overnight. After downloading the software from the included disc I was dismayed to discover the DS Mobile II software did not function at all on a Windows 7 system even though the included software said that it would. And the Presto! Page Manager was not at all compatible with Win7. I tried to install the software from the Brother website thinking maybe there was a problem with the disc, still the same issues prevailed. After trying for 3-1/2 hours to make it work I finally called the support team at Brother. After an hour on the phone with them there was still not a solution to this issue.They said they would have to send it to techs that were smarter than them and I should receive a call from them in the next 4 or 5 days and presumably if I am lucky I will be at home, in front of the computer when they call. I installed this on an older laptop that has a Vista op system and after a long period of time getting the program downloaded it did work on that system and the scanner itself seems to work well. It is not the scanner but the software that does not work on Win 7 which is what my intended use was.This was my first, and sorry to say last Brother product I will purchase and customer service at Brother is a joke. I will be getting in contact with Amazon in the next couple of days to obtain a refund for this scanner. Highly disappointed in a product that should be a breeze to set up and run and is nothing but frustrating and time consuming. - Mobile Scanner - Scanner - Usb Scanner - Lightweight'


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Plymouth - schlage, keyless


This keypad deadbolt is a great replacement for a standard deadbolt. Here's what I like about it:



1. This product is a deadbolt that you can lock and unlock without a key. Instead, you enter a 4 digit password to lock and unlock the door. Using a code to unlock the door is much faster and easier than fumbling for keys. Also, you'll never be locked out unless your forget your code.



2. If you have a deadbolt on your door, you can easily remove it and install this deadbolt using a regular screwdriver.



3. You can set multiple codes (at least 5) to allow friends to access your home. You can easily delete the codes later when access is no longer required. Codes are set up using a 6 digit master password (which can be used to add and delete 4-digit access codes, but not to lock or unlock the door).



4. You can lock the door without the code. Just press the rectangular Schlage button (at the top) and turn the knob to the right, and your door is locked. You will still need a valid code to unlock the door. This makes locking up when you leave very convenient.



5. This lock can be made "bump-proof." Bumping is a relatively new, and very easy way to pick most deadbolts. It can be done in about 10 seconds and renders most current locks worthless as security devices. If you want to know more, search the internet for "bump key" and you'll be horrified at what you see. If you take this deadbolt to your locksmith before installing it and tell him to disable the key mechanism, your deadbolt will be completely resistant to bumping (and keys). I haven't used a key to get into my house since I've installed this.



6. The keypad is backlit, but only if you push the schlage key before you enter your code.



7. The unit uses a standard 9-volt battery. I've had mine for more than a year and haven't needed to replace it.



8. The one feature that I wish this deadbolt had was time based entry rules. I'd love to create a password which only works during certain hours, so that a housekeeper could access the house on a certain day or at a certain time. Alas, nothing is perfect... Schlage BE365VPLY505 Plymouth Keypad Deadbolt, Bright Brass

I selected this version of the keypad lock because it did not use a little electric motor to move the bolt. I felt that that motor might wear out or get effected by weather (it gets COLD in northern Illinois). The Schlage uses the keypad to engage a manual turned hand key, similar to the way you lock a deadbolt inside. This hand turned method is much better than the battery powered motor in my case because the door has a soft weather stripping. The door must be pulled to compress the weatherstrip before the bolt will slide into place.



A little bonus, the keypad lights up.



Installation was fine, but then again I enjoy that type of thing. It came already programmed with two codes and I did not bother to change them or add others. Very sturdy materials, easy to use, simple to operate and looks like it will last. Of the similar options this has all the features I wanted.



Recommended.

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



Pros:

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

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

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

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



Cons:

1) Pricey ut you get what you pay for

We wanted an easy to use deadlock for our front door. This lock was perfect; it color matched our Schlage antique brass door handle and allowed us to program our own four digit code. It was easy to program our own code, but you could also use one of the codes pre-programmed into the lock. For the slightly more paranoid, there is an option to clear all the codes and set them yourself. The unit can hold multiple codes, so you can have separate codes for yourself, your neighbors, babysitter, etc. and then delete any one specific code once it is no longer needed.



If you are wondering if there is a difference between the Plymouth and Camelot versions of the deadlock -- they are functionally identical. The only difference is how they look; the Plymouth has rounded edges, while the Camelot has more shape to the edges. It took me a while to figure out the difference was only cosmetic!



The 9V battery is easy to replace via screws in the back of the lock, and the keypad will alert you to a low battery condition. The instructions say the 9V battery should last around three years.



Overall, we are happy with the purchase and would recommend the deadbolt to others. Lowe's and Home Depot carry the lock as well, but they don't have the full color/finish selection that Amazon did.

This keypad deadbolt is a great replacement for a standard deadbolt. Here's what I like about it:



1. This product is a deadbolt that you can lock and unlock without a key. Instead, you enter a 4 digit password to lock and unlock the door. Using a code to unlock the door is much faster and easier than fumbling for keys. Also, you'll never be locked out unless your forget your code.



2. If you have a deadbolt on your door, you can easily remove it and install this deadbolt using a regular screwdriver.



3. You can set multiple codes (at least 5) to allow friends to access your home. You can easily delete the codes later when access is no longer required. Codes are set up using a 6 digit master password (which can be used to add and delete 4-digit access codes, but not to lock or unlock the door).



4. You can lock the door without the code. Just press the rectangular Schlage button (at the top) and turn the knob to the right, and your door is locked. You will still need a valid code to unlock the door. This makes locking up when you leave very convenient.



5. This lock can be made "bump-proof." Bumping is a relatively new, and very easy way to pick most deadbolts. It can be done in about 10 seconds and renders most current locks worthless as security devices. If you want to know more, search the internet for "bump key" and you'll be horrified at what you see. If you take this deadbolt to your locksmith before installing it and tell him to disable the key mechanism, your deadbolt will be completely resistant to bumping (and keys). I haven't used a key to get into my house since I've installed this.



6. The keypad is backlit, but only if you push the schlage key before you enter your code.



7. The unit uses a standard 9-volt battery. I've had mine for more than a year and haven't needed to replace it.



8. The one feature that I wish this deadbolt had was time based entry rules. I'd love to create a password which only works during certain hours, so that a housekeeper could access the house on a certain day or at a certain time. Alas, nothing is perfect... - Schlage - Electronic Lock - Keyless - Dead Bolts'


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Cyrill Harnischmacher - photography book, macro


I greatly enjoyed the review copy of Cyrill Harnischmacher's first book, Low Budget Shooting. This one I didn't find as compelling. There is quite a bit of good information here, and certainly you could learn a lot about how to start experimenting with photographing all manner of things close up. But where Low Budget Shooting was really innovative in addressing a need that many photographers don't even think of having, Closeup Shooting looks at a topic well covered and doesn't breath the same refreshing air as Harnischmacher's first book.



In some cases, the technical information is limited without, so far as I noticed, an explanation. To say that extreme closeup photography is only possible with an SLR or DSLR is flat out wrong. Medium format and large format cameras are capable of as much and even more. (Perhaps the book's title should have been Small Format Closeup Shooting.) One mention of infrared photography didn't mention the difficult - or even impossibility - of doing this with DSLRs. There are many examples of images, but relatively few show the set-up and lighting diagrams that help people understand how the techniques worked and to apply them in their own shooting.



Given the number of special considerations one could make, 121 pages simply aren't enough to offer comprehensive coverage - there are entire books written on nothing but close-up photography in nature. It certainly isn't a dud, and it contains a lot of useful information, but I don't think it would be my first stop to learn about tabletop or macro photography. Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography

I have been able to take my closeup photography to a new level with the help of this new book published by Rockynook. As a 'people photographer' I used to be interested in what some of my fellow students were shooting while attending Brooks Institute of Photography, however, never took the time and didn't take any of the nature classes where closeup photography was being taught.



I have recently been more interested in photography in the garden and would get some nice shoots when it was overcast, however, didn't really have the right equipment and didn't spend much time with technique.



This book has helped me with finding and using the right equipment (lenses) and helped more importantly with lighting techniques using various diffusers, reflectors and flash.



I am really pleased with the results I am consitently getting and am looking forward to getting back in the water (diving) to try some of the underwater closeup techniques that are covered in the book.



This book is great for someone just beginning photography and for the photography professional.



Tom Ligare

'Closeup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography' is a wonderful book that will help you get the most of out your closeup shots that you want to look better and jump off the page at you! Shooting closeup is one of the hardest things a photographer can do. Just simply setting the camera to macro mode and pressing the 'shoot' button is rarely enough. Subjects like what is being shot, lighting, how fast the subject is moving, etc. etc. need to always be kept in mind and this book will tackle these issues and so much more! With over 100+ pages of material, this book is beautifully designed in a hardcover casing that yells out to the reader: LOOK AT ME!! If you are a serious or hobbyist photographer that is interested in taking closeup pictures or you simply want to get better at this facet of picture taking you owe it to yourself to pick up this book. I absolutely love this design and feel that this will make nearly any photographer become a BETTER photographer. Easy to recommend and a joy to peruse.



***** RECOMMENDED

Close-up Shooting

A guide to close-up, tabletop and macro photography

by Cyrill Harnischmacher

published by Rockynook 2007

ISBN 978-1-933952-09-3

rockynook.com

Reviewed by Carl Baggett (member of Eureka Photoshop Users Group)



Having just obtained a close-up lens I was eager to review this book. It turned out this book is perfect for someone just getting into close-up photography. There is a brief, basic discussion of the technical issues that is easy to absorb. The author does a good job comunicating that the many techniques of lighting is where the creativity of close-up photography starts.



Lots of photos are used to demonstrate what the author is discussing. In particular there are 2 pages with 9 photos of the same object. One page shows a comparison of different lens configurations and the other shows different lighting techniques. And you know what they say about a photo being worth a thousand words.



I haven't looked at any other books dealing with close-up photography to compare this one to, but I would tell any close-up beginner like myself that this book is a good one to get. - Digital Photography - Photography Book - Photography - Macro'


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Christianity - religion, lds


This resource fills the need for an up-to-date commentary on the Pearl of Great Price that draws on both ancient and modern sources. Employing the latest research on the Book of Abraham and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the editors have assembled an excellent resource for scholars and students. The scriptural text is broken up into logical sections, each followed with verse-by-verse notes, comments on the entire section, and suggestions for further reading. The book draws heavily on Hebrew etymologies in its analysis of the Book of Moses. The material on the Book of Abraham examines the history, age, and meaning of the Joseph Smith Papyri. The facsimiles receive their own treatment, considered in context of their relation to the Book of Abraham and the Hor Book of Breathings. A separate chapter compares the creation events described in Genesis, Moses, and Abraham and frankly addresses the age of the earth, evolution, death before the fall, and the varying sequences of events in the creation literature. Biblical textual development is discussed, and varying theories are weighed. This is an important and timely contribution to understanding the Pearl of Great Price. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-By-Verse Commentary - Lds - Religion'


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Ink Cartridge - ink cartridge, inkjet printer ink


I'm more careful about using replacement cartridges than I was before I ruined a lovely printer with a bad replacement. So I kept a close eye on these when I installed them in my new Photosmart 7280 printer.



What luck! The printer couldn't tell them from the original cartridges. They work beautifully at 1/4 the cost of manufacturer replacement cartridges.



Also of note is the super-quick shipping from [...]. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased. I recommend this company and their cartridges highly! HP 02Bk, HP 02C, HP 02M, HP 02Y, HP 02LC, HP 02LM Remanufactured CC604FN Combo Pack - 1 B

I just go these a little while ago, but my all-in-one recognized them right away and they haven't seemed to drain like the store bought HP cartridges I currently have in. I have done quite a bit of digital picture printing to and they seem to do the trick. I will update if they start to fail earlier than expected though.

I have to hand it to Seller - great customer service.



I initially bought these re-manufactured ink cartridges because I have an HP C7280 - a print/scan/fax that is shockingly inexpensive to buy until you figure out you have to replace the cartridges every 10 minutes. Needless to say, I took a chance on buying these re-manufactured cartridges rather than genuine HP Ink.



Great price on the cartridges and they showed up on schedule. Then I installed the black ink cartridge and it didn't work! (All of the color cartridges worked fine). So, I wrote a review to that effect here on Amazon. About a week later I got an email from this Seller apologizing to me for the product defect and telling me that they were dropping a new cartridge in the mail to me to make things right.



About a week later I got a FULL set of GENUINE HP CARTRIDGES (that's right, not re-manufactured) from them to make the situation right.



5 stars for excellent customer service. I will definitely be buying from these guys again.

After reading the reviews I decided that spending $10 for a pack of all the colors was a low-risk undertaking. At most, it seemed to me, there was some inconsistency in the experience of the reviewers.



So I got the 6-color package. It took exactly 6 days to arrive, on the first day of the arrival day range.



I was low on three colors in my HP C7250.



I plugged in the yellow cartridge. Excellent, 100% full, recognized by my printer as HP ink.

So the printer asked for Cyan to be serviced.



I plugged in the Cyan cartridge. My printer claimed it was damaged and/or not recognized as an HP02 cartridge. I thought "OK, I'm out of time, I need to print stuff, I go buy an original Cyan, $12, that's $22 for all the colors, I'm still ahead."

So I bought an original HP Cyan - $12 - plugged it in, recognized as good, but... 75% full! rip off!



Now my printer wanted Magenta to be serviced.



I plugged in the new Magenta. The printer could not detect it. I decided to re-seat it. I unhooked the latch and the cartridge fizzed loudly. I removed it and it leaked drops of ink. I think it died.



2 out of 3 cartridges bad, I decided to write to the vendor. I told them of the experience above and asked "should I spend time repackaging, remailing something I spent $10 on?" I was ready to walk away from it.



GO DPS responded first thing in the morning: No action needed, new pack of cartridges in the mail, 2-day delivery.

Sweet. The packaged arrived overnight!

I plugged in the Magenta: 100% full!



I can't wait until my other colors run out and I use the new GO DPS cartridges!

I'll update this review when I do.



In the meantime: I'm immensely pleased with GO DPS and their service oriented attitude. It totally made up for the cartridge issue, to deal with a company that cares for customers and relationships.

I recommend them, and I know I'll be doing business with them again.



As a side note: Does it not suck that:

1. OEM HP cartridge, new, is only 75% full? Such rip off, and they charge more for one color than Go DPS does for all six!

2. That the HP Photosmart C7250 printer is totally brain dead! When the ink is very low or out, the printer will not even scan a document straight into my computer! There's no ink involved, yet the printer will not do it! Furthermore, the diagnostics also can't get past any errors to tell you there are multiple errors present (eg: cyan not good, magenta nor detected). You have to fix one problem before it notices the next, so it really wastes time with goofy single-threaded step-through ... brain dead software. But the print is very nice.

Have purchased 2 of these 6 packs and only have used a few in the printer.. oversized ink resevoirs are much heavier than H.P. replacements and work perfectly for 20% of the cost to purchase H.P. originals.. will be purchasing many more - Inkjet Printer Ink - Ink Cartridge - Hp02 - Printer'


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