Guy Low Price Electronic: 16 Apr 2011

Saturday 16 April 2011

Ipod Dock System - cd player, ipod dock system

I was looking for an IPOD dock and found so much more in this little stereo system. I couldn't find any reviews on this but I own other Panasonic products and thought I'd give it a try and am glad I did. It has a recharging dock/player for an IPOD or IPhone, a CD player, a radio and a clock! Its sleek and good-lookin', small enough to fit on my dresser but has the power to send music throughout my second floor. I'm very picky when it comes to sound and was kind of worried that since I didn't spend over $100 that I wasn't going to be able to find something with great sound but this doesn't disappoint! Clear and crisp - I've heard layers of music on this that I don't hear from my bigger, much more expensive stereo system. This is a great little multi-tasker! Panasonic SC-HC20P-K Compact Stereo System

I had been looking at several compact Mp3 players and opted to go with the Panasonic because it included a CD player. From the picture it was hard to tell the quality and features, so I was very pleased when my purchase arrived. It is compact enough to fit on a 5" bookcase ledge - when the ipod drawer is open it extends beyond that ledge about 2". Unit is solid, well made, functions well, and attractive. Sound is great for a unit this size - very clear - for radio, CD and Mp3, and includes ability to adjust tone with both preset EQ and individual bass and treble adjustments. Tuner for AM and FM works well - 15 presets AM, 30 presents FM - with external antennas supplied. There are not many buttons on the unit - they're all on top, but it has a full feature remote - you need to supply batteries. I am accustomed to small remotes coming with compact players. This remote is about the size of a TV remote - 7x2x1". Display is adequate - a little smaller than some, but does include dimmer. No adapter is supplied for ipod dock - fortunately I saved mine - you can dock your unit without adapter if you're careful. Some units I have used retain clock settings during power interruption. This does not. However, it does include a headphone jack and AUX input. I am excited with my purchase and will be recommending it to others. This link provides an overview of features from Panasonic: [...]

Needing a new radio I purchased this from a local electronic store, mostly based upon the reviews I'd read here. It's a good item and I kinda like it, but a few things seem to have been left out of the other reviews.

First, it's nice and compact. A little over a foot long and less than six inches thick, it can easily fit into nearly any space you want it to. The sound is good and the AM/FM antennas work great; we recently had some storms here in NY and it maintained the signal fine. The main issues I have are with the mp3 player and the remote control.

Thanks to the smaller size of mp3s, I routinely burn multiple albums onto a disc to save space. The LCD display can't show multiple files or folders so you can select them; you have to know the track number you're looking for to find it via the remote. But if there are multiple albums on the disc... yep- you gotta skip through every single one of the preceding individual tracks to find the one you want instead of just being able to pull it up.

And speaking of the remote control...it sucks! It has a circular D-pad for controlling menus but it doesn't do much. When an iPod is docked the remote can call up the menu, change settings, etc. The problem is that it can't scroll through anything; if you have a fair amount of songs loaded the remote can only move through one item at a time. Ex- if you've got ten cds on your pod you'll have to hit the button ten times to get to the last one. Same goes for the tracks- looking for the twentieth song on a cd means you're gonna be a minute pulling it up. The volume and fast forward/rewind controls are fine, but unless you're all the way across the room and have your selection already cued up the remote is pretty useless for the iPod.

These are two glaring problems that shouldn't exist in 2010. Remotes are for convenience and this thing is worthless for the iPod and playing mp3s. The mp3 player itself is fine but can't be properly controlled- which are the main reasons I bought it. If you just want a radio to sit within arm's reach and don't mind setting your iPod by hand while its docked, then this'll be good for you.

I purchased this for my bedroom, as I listen to soothing music or meditational CDs when I go to bed at night. It has a very nice sound and doesn't take up much space on the dresser. It has a remote if I care to use it, which is handy. I don't know if I will ever use the Ipod dock, but just as a CD player, it was a good purchase. The seller was very prompt in sending it out...I think I had it in 2 days.

I love to listen to opera while I cook, and this micro system fits perfectly on a shelf in my kitchen and delivers wonderful sound. There aren't a lot of small, no-frills systems out there, and I wasn't interested to going to a boom box. This is very attractive, very functional, and you can't beat the price. - Mini-stereo - Shelf Stereo Systems - Ipod Dock System - Cd Player'

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Educational Games - bingo, family game

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I bought this game for my children several years ago on the advice of the owner of my favorite toy store. I love board games, and my children were 3 and 5 then, and just starting to enjoy them as well. Well, we couldn't get the kids to stop playing Zingo. They played quietly for more than 2 hours. Since you can play with up to 8 players, we have had lots of neighborhood kids playing the game out on the front steps. Since then, I have bought at least 10 Zingo games -- I have given them to all my children's friends and I always keep a few around to give out for birthday gifts. Everyone loves this game. ThinkFun Zingo

This preschooler variation of the old favorite Bingo is a real winner. Zingo cards have a 3 by 3 grid that shows pictures and words. Cards have a yellow side (easier, for younger kids) and a red side for the odler ones. The plastic game piece dispenser is well-designed and fun to use. Players shout out to claim a piece, which is then placed over the appropriate square on the player's card. There are several play variations.Excellent game for the younger set, and fun for older children and adults as well.

My son got this for his fourth birthday and still plays with it regularly (he's now over 5). He'd just started to read when he got it, and the game helped him add many new words to his vocabulary - but more importantly, it was fun! His friends loved it so much that several of them asked for their own sets as gifts. We play until everyone wins and gets to shout Zingo!, and the kids help each other get there. And my son even plays it sometimes by himself. It's really wonderful, very very fun, and would be great for kids from about 3 to at least 6.

My 4 yr old son received this game as a gift and he loves it. Basically it is Bingo with a twist, focusing more on sight words / images that kids can recognize. He loves playing with it, hands out the scorecards to anyone in our home who is willing to play.

What amazes me, though, is that my 20 month old daughter also loves this game and she has learned so many words from it that we wouldn't think to teach her. For instance, "ghost" "worm" "bug" "house". She recognizes them, says them (without prompting) and then matches them on her scorecard. I'm not saying this to tout my kid -- not at all, but because this has become a wonderful learning game for her.

The version of the game I have is actually by Discovery Toys, but I'm pretty sure its the same as this version by ThinkFun.

I bought this game for my five year old child and the entire family enjoys it. He is constantly asking someone to play with him and we are always willing. We have not gotten tired of this one yet. Very easy for a young child to use. Highly recommend.

This game is great. Since the day we got it, it has been played with all the time. The kids love being able to yell "Zingo" when the win. The design is great since you can keep all the pieces neatly tucked in the dispenser.A great fun, educational game for game nights and rainy days!

My family absolutely loves this game. Our three year old especially loves it. The main issue with it is the difficulty of reloading the dispenser. My suggestion for the company would be to print the pictures on both sides of the tiles so they could be inserted in the dispenser either side up. This would save a lot of time and effort for the parents!

Zingo is like Bingo with pictures instead of numbers. My grandson liked it at first and so did I, however by the third game he was ready to turn the cards over to the harder sides, was ready to play two cards at the same time, plus two cards for me, plus two cards for his teddy bear--all at the same time. The tiles, while very durable, must be loaded into a gadget--a timeconsuming, no fun chore that will be left to the parent or older child. And it is harder the bigger fingers you have. I like this as an alternate game, but not if you only just want to buy one to refresh your game stock. - Family Game - Educational Games - Bingo - Zingo'

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Kindle Stand - kindle covers, e-book cases

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I pre-ordered this case for my Kindle 3 because it looked like exactly what I wanted: leather, flip-style opening, easel stand. When I received the case, I had some initial concerns, which caused me to give it a lower rating at first. The longer I used the case, the greater my appreciation for it became and I have adjusted my rating appropriately. Here are some pros and cons:

PROS:

1 - My Kindle 3 fits perfectly in the case. It slides in, feels secure, and all the openings line up perfectly with the Kindle's buttons, access points, keyboard, etc.

2 - The leather looks and feels nice, though it did have an odor at first. Probably nothing unusual for a leather product.

3 - The magnetic closure is very nice. It does a fine job of keeping the cover closed (even when taking it in and out of my purse), and the same magnet also serves to hold the cover in place when it is folded back behind the Kindle.

4 - The stand on the back is magnetically secured to the back of the case when not in use, which is nice. Also, the easel design that this case has, where the front cover folds back around the bottom to become a base for the stand to fit into, is a sturdy design.

5 - The case covers (front and back) are stiff and lightly padded, providing comforting protection for the Kindle.

6 - I have the black one and the appearance of the case is very professional. The insert that supports the easel gives the front of the case a distinct, slightly high-tech look.

CONS:

1 - When you set the cover up like an easel, the part of the cover that comes in contact with the table (or whatever surface you have it on), is the same part of the cover that is toward the front of your Kindle when the case is closed. If the cover were to pick up crumbs, dust, or grit from the table surface and you don't clean it off before closing the case, those things could potentially come in contact with your Kindle screen. However, in actual use, nothing has yet stuck to the cover (which is smooth leather) and it's a simple matter to blow or wipe it off before closing the case.

2 - With the cover open and folded back, it feels a little slippery when holding the Kindle in your hand, if holding it upright and one-handed. However, most people don't hold their Kindle completely upright when reading, so it's not really a problem. I read a lot while laying in bed, which is when this is most noticeable (I have my own solution for that; see below).

Reading in bed: When reading in bed, I prefer to be in a more reclined position with two or three pillows supporting shoulders and head. I do not read in bed in a sitting-up position. I set the Kindle (which is inside the DuraGadget case) up easel-style on a pillow, on my chest. Reading is then hands-free, except to turn the pages. Depending on the angle, I sometimes have a steadying hand holding near the base of the Kindle, but that's only for balance. Reading in bed is why I wish the easel stand fit securely in the slots, rather than just resting in them. (Considering that most covers of this type don't even HAVE slots, I'm really nitpicking here.)

Neither a pro nor a con, just info: There are no cutouts for the speakers, but cutouts are *not necessary*. The speakers are perfectly clear at all volume levels without them. After looking at some other covers available here on Amazon, I realized that some of them had cutouts for the speakers but the DuraGadget didn't. I immediately tested the text-to-speech feature on the Kindle to find out if the sound was muffled. It's fine; no worries. Duragadget Leather Kindle Case with Adjustable Stand (Black)

When I first saw the pics for this product I started a discussion on it for several reasons; it seemed a bit hard to find within Amazon, the distinctive styling and a price that seemed to low to last beyond the pre-order stage.

Seeing some of the earlier reviews caused me concern that I had perhaps steered people toward a wreak of a product. I might have canceled if it hadn't been on the way and was prepared to give Duragadget what for.

Now comes the sigh of relief.

I won't with argue with anyone who didn't like the product but will say I see it very differently.

The cut and stitching seem very well done to me. Stitch lines are straight and uniform.

All cutouts line up perfectly. I moved the Kindle around within the cover and pulled it out and put it back. It is a tight fit and very secure. All edges of the cover extend a bit beyond the Kindle to offer protection. No part of the screen was blocked.

The flap that holds the case shut did seem to weak at first but with a bit of attention to it I found the right positioning easily obtained. The flap will not pull easily away if you pull the case apart gripping the front and back but using magnets in this application does make it easy to slide the clasp off and I could see that happening if its in a bag with other things moving against it. Not necessarily so but possible though the Kindle will still stay covered and seems unlikely to cause a problem.

If this was a problem to me I'd probably do one of two things; avoid any cases with magnetic closures as magnets can hold tight against pulling but still slide or get a small piece of self sticking velcro and add it. Easy, cheap and not a deal breaker for me at least.

Leather seems nice, thin and lightweight with some internal padding. I prefer this to heavier leather and the more common pebble finish.

Yes the stand part can wiggle as it is sewn to the leather back and you can wiggle it laterally but I fail to see that as any problem in actual use. Using the stand seems quite secure and very adjustable. The stand piece is secured to the back of the case with a magnet and is secure. Won't slide free because of its design. It is double sewn where it meets the case.

Cover folds over for one hand reading and the closure flap can be tucked in to secure it if you choose. Took me a couple of times to see how to get it back out easily.

Its brand new so I can only say I see no cracking or obvious potential failure in any straps. There were a few marks I first thought were imperfections in the leather but realized were tiny spots of glue which were easily removed with a bit of moisture and a careful fingernail.

In the stand position the leather internal front part (which doesn't seem to actually contact the screen) is, as one review stated, in contact with whatever its resting on as shown in the pictures. You could possibly pick up some sand or whatever but you could also just brush it off. Lay it down on someones spilled milkshake and you're on your own.

Lastly, the styling is distinctive and very well executed with the stand parts front and back giving it a look apart. - Kindle 3 Covers - E-book Cases - Kindle Stand - Kindle Covers'

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Iphone Cover - iphone cover

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Five minutes after opening the package and trying to put it on my iPhone 4 it broke in half. I contacted the seller who requested a picture of the broken case which I provided. In about a weeks time I received a replacement. This case just does not fit the iPhone 4. The top and bottom pieces will not snap together completely. After using it for about 2 weeks, there are chips out of the sides and a crack where the ends do not snap together. Bottom line it it does not fit properly and is a waste of money.

Update: After two weeks with the replacement it completely feel apart. what a waste! Premium Hard Design Crystal Case Cover for Apple iPhone4, 4th Generation, 4th Gen - White Flower Floral Butterfly

It is pretty, but easily broken if you not very careful. I broke mine just after putting it on and trying to take it out to clean.

So if you want a durable case to protect your iphone, this is not the case for you.

I absolutely loved this case. It's pretty, it fit my iPhone 4 perfectly, and was easy to put it on. However, it lasted through only one fall. My son knocked my phone from the counter onto the floor and the case cracked. Yes, better the case than the phone, but still, I would have liked it to last a bit longer.

I kept it on for another couple of weeks, as the initial crack in the case was on one corner. However, within the next two weeks it developed more cracks and I ended up throwing it out and am now using a silicone case instead. It's a shame, because the price is right, and the case looks good!

I have had this on my phone for a month or so, and the corners are already cracked from regular wear/tear (being tossed around in my purse, etc). However, when I tried to remove the case from my phone this morning, the whole front piece split in half. I don't abuse my phone more than most (in fact, I try to be very careful of it), and while it's better that the case cracked than my phone, I will have to replace the case now. Not worth the money!

This case is cute and girly and just wanted I wanted for my white iphone. Also very inexpensive, what more could I ask for? Looks very smart and the case was easy to put on and arrived in time. It is a little on the slick feeling side since it is a hard cover, so I make an effort to be a bit more careful when reaching for my phone.

The graphics look good.

That is the best thing I can say about this case.

The case is hard plastic, and is very slippery. VERY SLIPPERY!

This will certainly increase the chance for the user to drop their phone.

I will not use the case because of this risk.

The case has a large (ugly) slot for access to the SIM Card. One could simply remove the cover for access.

Overall, this is a cheaply built case, and is not worth the small asking price.

Love this case . . . only problem I have with it is that it has chipped in 3 different places (on the edges) each time it has fallen on the floor. I can understand why people prefer soft cases, although this one is really stylish. UPDATE: my phone dropped again, and this time this pretty case came off, broke apart, and the glass on the back of the iphone cracked in fifteen different places. I just spent $29.00 to have the back glass replaced. I am ordering an otterbox now, as recommended by the Genius service tech at the Apple store. - Iphone Cover'

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Womens Socks - socks, womens socks

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Originally I needed black socks to go with a costumne this Halloween. These were perfect and then some! They are so soft, comfortably, and cushiony I know wear them every day. I like the amount of comfort that they have, it helps add that extra cushion in a sneaker or boot. I plan to use these waay past Halloween. Fruit of the Loom Women's 6-Pack Crew Socks,Black,Size 4-10

These socks are terrible. They are thick on the bottom part but there is not enough elasticity in them so they slide down and end up in an uncomfortable bunch under your foot. I had to take off my shoes to get them pulled up 4 or 5 times over the course of a day.

Bought these sox along with the GoldToe black women's crew sox. These are not nearly as nice as they have less cotton to acrylic and they do ride down a bit. But they are not bad for the price and it's impossible to get black women's crew sox retail apparently. Won't reorder more of these but will reorder the GoldToe sox

These are NOT "crew" socks -- they're very short; 2-3" shorter than any other crew style socks I own AND than the photo shown. They're more like what other brands call "anklets", with thin ribbing like a dress sock and a narrow rolled top hem instead of a knit-in cuff band at the top. I'm very disappointed and expected much better of Fruit of the Loom.

Initially, I was pleased enough with these socks. But after just two or three wears (and washes), the quality of the fabric dropped dramatically. The fabric now has little balls all over it and the elasticity has worn out. Pulling them out of my sock drawer, they look like socks I must have bought a few years ago, not just a few months ago!

These are great. Not the typical "fold over" type of sock that I used to buy, but crew socks that can slouch down a bit if you want them to. They're light but not super thin. Comfortable. Easy to wash. They won't lose their color as others I've purchased. All in all, I love these socks.

Have a problem getting black socks that stay black and fit. Ordered 3 packs of these and wish I found something different. They do the job in terms of covering my feet, but they are not very black. They seem worn and even a little streched out. They also do not come high enought when I wear my higher ankle boots. - Fruit Of The Loom - Ankle Socks - Womens Socks - Socks'

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Gel Pen Sets - sakura

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These pens are my favorite. You can rarely find them in stores but I get them here and they write so nice. Any Gelly Roll product works well and is wonderful! Highly recommended to anyone who scrapbooks or journals. Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust Bold Meteor Pens 6-Pack, Silver/Marine/Copper/Pink/Green/Blue

These pens are great if you want to color dark or colored paper. The ink is not too light and these pens give a nice coloring result. I was very happy with these pens after trying them out.

The colors are:two shades of blues, orange-copper, light rose pink, green, grey-silver.

All the colors are bold and shiny.

The pens roll really easily.

They are narrow pens, so if you have difficulty holding narrow pens then these are not good for you.

You can use these in your craft work, scrapbooks or any other decoration where you need to add some sparkling colors to your work.

I had been given on of the pens to use and loved the way the ink flowed. No globs, just glided along the paper. Tried to find them at stores with no luck, but found them here at Amazon. Thanks. Love all the colors.

These gel pens have extremely smooth writing and a very nice glitter. I have started coloring geometric designs, and using these in the middle of bold colored pencils really adds to the art! They are real eye catchers. I was lucky enough to find these on sale at Joanne's (a while ago!) for .25 each, and I bought multiples. They have lasted me several years. My only regret is that I didn't buy every single one they had left! - Sakura'

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As Seen On Tv - colanders

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The thin wire is not very sturdy, it isn't well made (wire ends to poke you) & will bend easily, perhaps burning you if you try to lift something heavy out of the pot & it breaks. Once it gets a little bent, it will not fold flat. If you know anything about cooking, you know you can't jam pack the thing with fries or chicken like they do on TV and expect it to cook evenly or within your lifetime- even a professional quality deep fryer won't do that. When it's stuffed like they do on TV, you can't stir the food either, so the bottom can burn & food won't cook evenly. Given that & the size (it looks bigger on TV), it won't really cook that much of anything.

Perhaps the worst thing is that the mesh is so large you can't cook anything but big food in it. It will not cook macaroni, spaghetti, or noodles nor will it cook fries except for the big fat wedge ones. It will only cook large whole vegetables & you will lose a lot as pieces of stuff like broccoli tend to break off. It would be useless for potato chunks to make potato salad or mashed potatoes as pieces will break off w/ the wire & then you will need to strain the water w/ your colander....so why would you need this???

I just laugh at those infomercials that try to make you think something you already have that works just fine (i.e. your colander) are so dangerous & hard to use. If you can't use a colander, you probably shouldn't go near the stove & you also probably bought a Snuggie because you couldn't figure out how to work a blanket. TeleBrands Original Chef Basket, Deluxe

It's a shame that this isn't a better made and designed product. The spaces are so large that the pasta falls through the basket so you still need to strain the pot. And it is a little flimsy - it's a shame that it isn't sturdier.

I did not buy Chef Basket from this vendor, so am commenting on the product only. The Chef Basket I received arrived lopsided, bent, shallower than shown on box, with sharp wire ends sticking out to catch your hand. Fortunately Carol Wright Gifts credited my charge card in full, and did not require me to send it back.

This is a great concept and I really wish I could love it more, but I can't. I agree with what another reviewer said that the holes are too large. They are great for large pasta, but not for regular spaghetti, macaroni, etc. Also, after just one wash, we are already starting to see signs of rust around the top rim.

I'm 52 years old and this item has been in my mother's kitchen all my life. In fact, it still is, in her cabinet under the colanders. We used it as a lettuce dryer when I was a kid. Wash the lettuce, load up the strainer, take it outside and swing it around until the water flew off! I loved that.

It was never sturdy enough for even half the uses claimed in the infomercial. I wonder if the original patent expired and someone else picked it up an repackaged it as the "newest tool for your kitchen." Hilarious.

I bought this from another vendor but I buy most of my baby supplies off here, so I decided to give my point of view on this product. First it's very flimsy and it can't hold strawberries because it folds to the pressure, Second,the holes are big so it can't hold anything smaller then the width of your thumb. Green beans, sea shell pasta all fell through the holes and I don't think this product is worth the price.

Waste of money IMHO. The noodles fall through the mess and it doesn't fit well in all pans. So unless you have elephant huge pasta in a particular size pan, this really isn't a good item. Back to my $1 collander.

The chef basket is a useful culinary tool and collapses nicely for storage but I don't think it will replace your colander. The construction seems ok but when one of the wires breaks, it may just fall apart.

I had such an awful experience ordering this product that I had to warn prospective buyers.

1) I tried to order the product online, but the website would not recognize my zip code (???!!!), so I called the 800 number and it got worse. Not only do they have no live customer service representatives (their order process is all automated), they lock you into a never-ending cycle of upgrades and additional offers with no escape. I must have been held hostage on the phone 30 minutes waiting for my order confirmation. I finally gave up and hung up the phone not knowing whether or not my order was actually placed or not.

2) Today I got a call from a Chef Basket salesman trying to sell me more products. The RUDEST person I have ever spoken with in my life. Just plain nasty. When I finally asked to be removed from their records the salesman said, "I will be happy to never speak to you again." Great salesmanship.

My Chef's Basket has not even arrived yet, but I intend to send it back unopened. I have no use for any product, company, or representative that operates in this manner - plus - according to the reviews, this is a sub-standard product at best anyway. - Colanders'

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Iphone 3g Accessories

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I ordered this cable because the image shows a real style Apple cable with rounded edges. I have an OtterBox case that requires a rounded edge cable in order to charge it. I received this cable and it is a generic square ended cable, which is completely useless to me. Though it might work it would require I remove the phone from the case every time I wanted to use it, which is not an option. White Sync & Charge USB Cable for Apple iPhone 3G / Apple iPhone 3GS

within days of a less than favorable review of this $.01 iPhone sync & charge cable, I received a call from the seller to inquire about the nature of my complaint. On my part, it was a minor inconvenience that the cable would sync but not charge. For a penny, I thought I got more than my moneys worth. He, however was dedicate to total customer satisfaction and I received a new cable, at no additional cost within 3 days.

That is Customer Service!

When my dog chewed through my iPhone adapter, I didn't want to spend $19 in the Apple store for a replacement. I considered replacing the dog, but instead I decided to find a cheap, compatible adapter. I found this one and I thought, "Well, if it doesn't work, I'm only out a couple bucks." I bought two of them, and the disadvantages were apparent right from the beginning.

First, as a previous reviewer mentioned, the business end of the cable is squared, not rounded. This wasn't a problem with my case, but it would be with others. Second, the construction and materials used leave a lot to be desired. There is no doubt when you look at this product that it is a cheap dollar store version, and that doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in it. Finally, my phone would not sync with iTunes. Considering iPhone users need to sync their phones to get crucial updates, that is a big problem. However, the cord did charge my phone, so it wasn't a complete loss. Or so I thought.

Within a week, through normal use, I broke the iPhone connector end on my cord. The plastic case came apart, and a few of the components fell out into my hand. The rest I had to carefully remove from inside the port on my phone. After a little tinkering, I was able to put the cable's connector back together, but it didn't fasten tightly. I remedied this by wrapping two small hair elastics tightly around it. The second cord lasted a few weeks longer, only falling apart recently. I was unable to repair the second. But hey, when held together with duct tape, chewing gum, and rubber bands, I still had one cord that charged my phone! Until just now.

The rigged up, cheap, piece of you-know-what cord decided about an hour ago to stop charging my phone completely. I don't know why. The components in the rubber-banded end are still secure, the connection is good, and it's plugged into a reliable power source. It occurred to me that though I saved a few dollars, I paid for it in hassles. Don't waste your money on this inferior product. Inferior is not even a strong enough word for what this product is; I don't think there's a word in the dictionary that quite captures the essence of crap that is this cord.

After reading all the negative comments, I didn't know whether to order the product or not. At last, I decided to give it a shot (rather than paying the high cost for the apple cable). When I received the cable, I tried to charge/sync my iPhone on a PC, a Mac, and with the wall charger - it didn't work. I contacted the company. Their answer was prompt and really kind.

Meanwhile, my girlfriend got herself an iPod touch. We tried to cable with her iPod - it worked. So, I decided not to return the cable. Then I went to an Apple Store and figured out in fact the problem was with my iPhone, not the cable. They swapped my iPhone, and right now the cable is working.

The cable is different than the original (the phone connector part is thinner). It comes in a nice box. Fast shipping. The customer service is great if your cable is not working - just make sure that the problem is caused by the cable. (They told me they were going to pay all the shipping, refund me for my return shipping, and send a new cable).

Cable works as described. Tested with an iPhone 3GS and it charges and syncs when attached to the computer. Works with the Apple branded USB to AC adapter that came with my phone.

The cable has two buttons that can be squeezed while inserting or removing from the phone. I actually prefer this to the OEM Apple cable which feels like I might break the small "hooks" when inserting into the phone.'

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Knife-setting Jigs - planer accessories, woodworking

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I have a Delta planer and have been dreading changing the blades, but after a couple of nicks, there was no more putting it off. I found a web site by John Lucas that showed him using the mini-planer pals to change the blades on a very similar planer to mine. The Delta instruction manual was a little skimpy on detail, but those pictures gave me the confidence I needed. Between the pix and the planer pal, I had my blades changed in about 20 minutes, start-to-finish. I was able to get the blades perfectly aligned the first time. Without the planer pal, that planer might still be in pieces. If they charged twice as much, it would still be worth every penny. If you have a planer, you really need this product! Woodstock W1226 Mini-Planer Pal, Pair

I purchased this product because I was not pleased using the device provided with my Delta planer. This device makes it so much easier to align the blades and only takes a couple of minutes to properly align the blades. I expect I will also be able to use this on my 6" jointer when I replace those blades.

I was dreading pulling the knives out of my Delta portable planer but the cut quality was just too rough. After considering buying another copy of the Delta knife setting jig that came with the planer (the original was lost) I decided to try this little Planer Pal as it was cheaper and well reviewed. I am SO glad I tried the Planer Pal. It took all of 5 minutes to get my knives set perfectly with this great little tool. I found it to be well made and cleverly designed. It is actually 2 tough little plastic brackets with 4 positioning magnets that hold it to the cutterhead while a 5th magnet holds the knife at the correct depth. One bracket goes at each end of the cutterhead with a locating pin that positions each Pal correctly in the knife slot. The bolt heads are easily accessible so you can cinch them down while the Pals hold the knife in place. It takes less time to do than it does to write about it. I won't be at all hesitant to sharpen my knives from now on, knowing I have this little gem handy to set them perfectly.

I bought these to use with my Delta shopmaster tp305. THEY WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS PLANER. The way the cutter head is set up, the planer pals are useless. I gave them a good review because I have used them with other planers and they have always worked great.

Fast, accurate, easy to use. Took only about 15 minutes to change blades with these. The blade setting jig that came with my Delta planer is a joke, inaccurate, will not stay in position. The mini planer pals stayed put and holds the blade very securely.

I also have a Delta planer( with lost setting fixture for the blades) that desperately needed to have the blades changed. I got this product, and very quickly and reliably was able to reinstall a set of blades. It is very carefully designed to allow you to place new blades in the cutterhead ACCURATELY. I would highly recommend this product. The only misgiving I have about it is that one of the magnets came out of the fixture on first use, but I pressed it back into place and continued to do the blade installation. - Planer Accessories - Woodworking'

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Bluetooth Stereo Headphones - bluetooth stereo headphones, bluetooth transmitter

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This will work with any bluetooth device that has a mini plug headphone output. The other unit they make will only work with the iPad and iPod Touch models. I did notice a very dramatic sound improvement. I use it with all of my iPods, my iPad, and my iMac through the headphone output on my Bose desk speaker system. There can be skipping when it is in a pocket on your person. This is because the body can block the signal at times. I discovered that if I just let the BAU unit dangle outside my pocket, the skipping will disappear. I purchased mine through Amazon from J&R Music for 20 per cent less than is mentioned above in the product description. JayBird uSport Universal Bluetooth Adapter

This is basically all I could ask for in a "universal" bluetooth adapter - small and flat, light, long battery life, good transmit range, reasonably intuitive controls and support for apt-x. There's just one thing to be cautious of: if you use it while the USB power adapter is plugged in you may get some nasty-sounding noise and static over your music (it's obvious if you pause and just crank up the volume). I got this static when plugging the USB end into any of my computer's USB ports but it went away when I used one of those universal AC/DC adapters with interchangeable connectors (one of them a female USB) plugged into the wall. I guess some power sources are "dirty" and the electrical noise leaks into the transmission.

this product turned out to be so sweet. the first one they sent didn't work, sent it back, they got a new shipment, it works really sweet. sound quality in nice and the connectivity is very strong. i would really recommend this product. - Bluetooth Sports Headset - Bluetooth Stereo Headphones - Bluetooth Adapter - Bluetooth Transmitter'

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Dvd Player Case - dvd player case, portable dvd case

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I needed a case for my cyberhome portable dvd player and this case seemed the logical choice. The case itself consistes of four compartment: 1. Cable Storage 2. Remote Storage 3. DVD player storage 4. DVD-ROM storage. After unpacking the case and loading it up with the dvd player and accessories, it was apparent this case will not hold all the accessories that came with the player. I even tried using the DVD-ROM storage area. However, the case will not close if that pouch is too full. I think this problem would have been solved if cyberhome had added an inch or so to the width. In retrospect, I would not have purchased this case. CyberHome Standard Case for 7" LCD Screen

This item advertised that it held most 7inch screen DVD players. I bought Polaroid brand for my kids for Christmas. Unless you only want to carry the player itself and one unprotected DVD (Cases don't fit in the compartment for DVDs), forget it. The only other accessory that does fit it the remote which isn't of much use when traveling since the player isn't far from you. This case is a total waste in my opinion and I was very disenchanted. I would recommend buying a case specifically made by the company that made the DVD player that you purchased.

My whole reasoning for buying a case was so that my kids wouldn't lose all of the components and they don't fit in this one so I defeated my purpose altogether. I guess they can use them for gameboys or short travel.

This is a great carrying case for your cyberhome dvd player. It is very stylish and good quality and holds all your parts for the dvd player and even has a little extra space for some dvds. Mine came with the dvd player but this is sold seperatly here- but it is worth the money and is nice carrying case. - Organization - Media Storage - Dvd Player Case - Portable Dvd Case'

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High Performance - ethernet, ethernet switch

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Recently we have installed network storage devices, and started to run backups and multi-media services on our home LAN (local area network). As a result the load on our network increased substantially. We decided to upgrade from fast ethernet to gigabit. Due to the arrangement of devices, we have several 8 port switches connected to a larger 24 bit switch which I guess is the backbone of our LAN.

When shopping for gigabit switches, the Trendnet 8 port gigabit greennet switch came up as not only a low cost, but also a low power switch. We purchased several and have been using them for almost half a year.

These switches are silent (there is no fan), and very low power (on my Killowatt meter they always show 0 watts), and very fast. They have limited support for jumbo packets (I forget the exact number, but its around a jumbo packet size of 7-9K).

This is a good solution as a low power, silent, gigabit switch that runs cool and is low cost. The switch is unmanaged, but does have status indicator lights. You will see if you are getting fast ethernet or gigabit speeds on each port. We have had no trouble with these switches. TRENDnet 5-Port Unmanaged Gigabit GREENnet Switch (5 x 10/100/1000Mbps Auto-Negotiation, Auto-MDIX Gigabit Ethernet Ports) TEG-S50g (Black Metal)

This switch is solid. In 3 months, I've had no problems with this Trendnet switch.

Compare to my netgear crashes, gets into reboot loops, etc even after power brick and switch replacement.

The Trendnet switch runs cooler than the netgear counterpart.

The Trendnet, like the NetGear, has a metal case for better EMI control. The netgear case is just slightly thicker, which should provide better in-case ventilation.

The Trendnet switch has ports/power on the back, and activity/connection LEDs on the front. Because of this, it makes for a much more tidy desk, and easier to see link lights.

We'll see how this is doing when it's a year, or 18 months old, but so far, it's power-on durability exceeds the competition.

NOTE: This is an unmanaged switch. 10/100/1000 line speed, auto-crossover. There is no monitoring port, no web management, no SNMP, no IP sharing, and no routing.

This is a low cost, and well designed device. I highly recommend it.

This switch is well built with a metal case, performs well, and is economical. I did lots of benchmarks and found that I got maximum speeds while doing multiple concurrent large inter-computer file transfers. I repeated some of the tests while bypassing the switch to see if there was a change in speed and there was none, so this switch kept up with whatever I could throw at it. If you want more speed, chances are you will gain more with better cables/plugs/jacks/etc. rather than looking for a faster switch.

I also used a Kill-A-Watt meter to see how much energy this uses. The amount was so low that it took days to get meaningful readings, and this will cost pennies a year and electricity is not cheap where I live. Also, the switch is economically priced. This switch caused my network diagnostic to misreport cable quality as poor, but although some utilities might give you false readings, your connection will not suffer.

I read elsewhere that this switch is not compatible with WOL (wake on LAN/magic packet) and the person who posted that got the information from Trendnet support. It turns out that this works PERFECTLY with WOL as long as your computer's port is set to auto negotiation. In other words, if there's any limitation, it's with the quality of tech support, not with this switch.

The only minor negatives are that the printing next to the LEDs is not on both sides, so it will appear upside-down if this is wall mounted, making it awkward to keep track of port numbers. Also, the slots for wall mounting could have been bigger to accommodate larger screws. The documentation is minimal, but this is pretty much plug and play.

UPDATE Jan 2011. I have read comments from customers who have had problems using multiple switches of this model on the same network. I have three of them. One is connected with approximately 25 meters of Cat-5e cable to another on a different floor in my home. The cable run is UTP, about half vertical, and half horizontal though an attic with no shielding (except distance) from other cables such as power cables. A third switch is connected with approximately 8 inches of the same type cable, allowing me to have more ports in that location. Benchmarks of file transfers will not give a true picture, since the weakest link (hard drive speed, overhead from data encapsulation, switches, network cards, wall jacks, drivers, cable, etc.) will be the limiting factor. All other parts of the chain will perform at least as well as the benchmark suggests.

I tried copying about 450 GB of relatively large and barely compressible data coming from images of blu-ray and DVD sources. Transferring through all three switches, full length of the cable, etc. gave me transfer speeds of about 96MB/sec. Presumably, the hard disk arrays are the limiting factors in my system, but the switches clearly had no trouble with those sustained speeds. I used Windows 7 drag and drop over a network, which is not among the most efficient methods. A series of smaller files such as JPEGs gave me "speeds" closer to 15MB/sec, which really means that the speed over the wire was probably about the same, but a large amount of the data was overhead encapsulation.

Although it's likely that the switch was not the limiting factor, it's clear that users who are getting poorer performance have other factors that limit performance, making it impossible to say that the switches are the cause of their performance issues. A direct run of cable from one of the computers to the other, bypassing all three switches, would show if there were any increase in performance, thus showing if the switches themselves (or something related to plugs, cables, or jacks) caused the problems. But the speeds I got from several such tests were consistent, and higher than what I would have expected given that I used Windows drag and drop over a network. - Ethernet - Ethernet Switch - Gigabit - Switch'

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Healthy Eating - healthy eating, food science

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Review Summary: You would have a hard time finding someone in a better position to write this book. Dr. Willett is chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and he heads some of the most important long-term studies of how nutrition affects health. In this up-to-date book, you will learn what the latest research shows about how eating, alcohol use, exercise and not smoking can help you avoid some diseases and birth defects. The book also explains how to read the latest health headlines and interpret the studies they are based on in the future. The lessons are summarized into a Healthy Eating Pyramid that you will find easy to understand, apply, and remember. The book contains a lot of helpful information about how to shop for more nutritious and healthful foods, and easy-to-follow recipes. I was particularly impressed with the summaries of the data on how weight and eating relate to various diseases. The book's only obvious flaw is that it does not attempt to refine the overall research into subsegment groups like those with different blood types, different genetic tendencies, age levels, and so forth. Review: Like Sugar Busters! this book takes a serious look at overcoming the tendency for having too many fast-absorbed carbohydrates (whether as baked potatoes or as a soft drink) overload your blood with sugars and depress your metabolism. Unlike the "avoid fat at any cost" diets, this one says to avoid bad fats (especially trans fat and saturated fats) and to use helpful fats (like unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature). You are also encouraged to seek out nuts as a source of vegetable protein. There is also a good discussion of the healthiest ways to acquire your protein. The beef v. chicken v. fish discussion is especially helpful. He is skeptical about the need for much in the way of dairy products (I was shocked to realize how much glycemic loading, creating sugar in your blood, is caused by skim milk), but favors vitamin supplements as inexpensive insurance. He shows that calcium supplements may not do as much as you think to avoid fractures. Exercise and not smoking are encouraged. Raw foods and ones that are slow to digest (whole wheat, for example) are encouraged among the fruit and vegatables, in particular. The pyramid is contrasted to the one that the USDA adopted in 1992, which seems to be almost totally wrong. Apparently, it was developed based on a very limited research base. Since then, much has been learned. I enjoyed reading about all of the long-term studies being done now to understand the connections among eating, lifestyle, and health. The next 10 years should radically revise the lessons summarized here, as Dr. Willett is quick to point out. The conclusions in this book, for example, are based on individual studies of eating, drinking, exercise and health rather than the long-term studies that he supervises and follows. So even those studies may show new things. In one part of the book, he discusses the pros and cons of some of the popular diets. Some simply have not been tested for health effects, and he is candid in sharing what is not known as well as what is. This book will be especially valuable to those who like to get their information from highly credible sources, especially from within the medical community. I think I'll give a copy to my physician, who has been advising me to reduce fats in the wrong way!Although I don't consider myself very helpful in shopping for or preparing food, I learned a lot from the book about how our family can acquire better building blocks for a healthier diet. After you finish reading this book, think about where else in your life you may be following outdated information. How can you check? A good example is probably related to what you think it costs parents for children to go to graduate school and get a Ph.D. In many schools, all the costs are subsidized, and the students even get a living wage. How does that change your plans for encouraging your children's education?

This book is a breath of fresh air among a noxious swarm of books that claim to know how we must eat in order to be healthy. They recommend a bewildering variety of diets, megadoses of vitamins and minerals, herbs, extracts, and heaven knows what else, all guaranteed to make us healthy. Some even peddle the nonsense that they can stop, or even reverse, aging.

In contrast, Walter Willett's book is based on solid science, obtained by careful research involving, in some cases, more that 100,000 persons. There is no intuition here. The recommendations are based on facts. And mighty interesting facts they are. We see that the famous, heavy-on-carbohydrate USDA food pyramid has little evidence to support its role in health. Instead, it appears to support the income of the food industry. He presents his own pyramid, based on daily exercise and weight control. Sitting on this base are whole grain foods, vegetable oils, fruits, vagetables, nuts, legumes, fish, poultry, and eggs. At the top of his pyramid are small amounts of dairy products, and even smaller portions of red meat and carbohydrate. He presents evidence to support his pyramid, and the result is impressive. He leads us through things that we should know about fats, carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. We even get recipes. For me, a biochemist, the book's strong point is its lack of the unsustantiated claims that I see in so many of the popular books on nutrition. Walter Willett is one the persons best qualified to write an outstanding book on this subject, and the result is excellent. - Healthy Eating - Weight Loss - Health - Diet - Healthy Living - Food Science'

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