Dewalt Battery

Visit Store Now !!

A friend has converted me to a Dewalt believer over the last few years. And I've always loved his 18V cordless drill. When I spotted this set on sale I couldn't pass it up!



The drill is a 3 speed, 3 mode, adjustable clutch, locking keyless chuck MONSTER of a cordless drill. Three selectable speed ranges lets you maximize availble torque to suit material and application. I have mine in the middle range which suits most applications. Three modes: Screw, Drill, Hammer... The screw mode engauges the clutches to avoid stripping your heads. With 23 clutch settings I think you'll find the right one for your fasteners. Drill mode disengauges the clutches and lets you run your bits without changing your clutch setting. The final mode is Hammer Drill mode for masonry drilling. You gotta love that! I've never seen a keyless chuck that works like this. Holding the cylinder and turnin the chuck unlocks it then spinning the cylinder will tighten or loosen the jaws. Once the jaws are tight, turn the chuck again to lock. NICE! I couldn't be happier with this drill!!!



Also in this set are two 18V XRP DC9096 Ni-Cad batteries and a one hour charger. The packs aren't that much larger than the 15.6V I'm used to with my previous drill but definitely offer much more power. They are heavy but not so much that you care. The one hour quick charger is mode protected to prevent over charging and even has an indicator to tell whether it's charging, complete, or even if their's a problem with the battery. One word about your batteries...keep them charged ALL OF THE TIME. Batteries tend to devlop issues if they'll left in discharged state. Fully charged batteries will have better overall performance and a longer life. I just put mine on the charge every month or so to top them off.



6.5" Circular Saw. I haven't cut anything with it yet but I have an up and coming project involving 1/2" ply, 2x4s, 2x6s, and 4x4 porch spindles. I'll let you know how it did. As for the physics of it. It feels like a beast. A good heavy motor and cast body. It has a nice lever lock for the depth adjustment and nob lock for for the angle.



Reciprocating Saw... Again haven't cut anything with it yet, but soon. It feels good in the hand. With a pack inserted it feels about the same weight as my 7.5amp Craftsman. I have high hopes for this little beauty.



4" Angle Grinder... This and the price difference were the reasons I went with this set over the 4 tool set. I caught this one on sale and the difference was less than $50. I wasn't sure how this thing was going to work but man am I impressed. It comes with one thin cutoff wheel and it does DAMAGE. I used it to cut some 1.25" x 1/8" thick angle steel to length. It went thru it nearly as fast as my 7" 13 amp grinder. You can feel the torque! The safty sroud is fully adjustable for the best angle with a lever tensioner. The stablizer handle can be mounted on either the right or left side. There's not much more to say about it. Great for those little jobs and in tight spaces.



On to the "what's with this?" category. The impact driver I'm not as impressed with but then I wasn't expecting much or even really to use it. I thought I read somewhere it puts out 400 in-lbs of torque. I'm not even sure it this converts but assuming there's not some strange law of physics I'm unaware of that's something like 33-ft-lbs? Okay... But I suppose if your lazy or you have TON of little bolts to take off that are rusted on, then maybe...



Update 4-28-2011: I recently installed a full glass storm door on my parent's house. I used the drill to pre-drill the three dozen or so holes in the project. I finally figured out that the impact driver has a locking collet and is actaully a "impacting" screw gun. And surprisingly it works really well. It made short work of this project and I had NO...NOT ONE issue with rounding my screw heads. All-in-all VERY impressed!



The light is...well a light. Though I can say it's strong and bright! Honestly, I would prefer LED just because I hate wasting my battery power on these little portable space heaters. Seriously, if your cold stand in front of this thing for a minute, it'll warm you up. That said if power's no where to be found, this will light up your little corner of the universe.



It comes also with a nylon bag that once closed is just about busting with your new toys. It's not really heavy duty nylon but at the same time it should be fine. It also comes with a few accessories. As I mensioned before a single 4" cutoff wheel for your grinder. It also comes with one 16 tooth carbide blade for your circular saw and a tool to install it.



All in all, the price is amazing and so is this set. If you casual hobbist or a professional contractor you should be equaly impressed. These are battery tools and as such aren't going to be as strong or reliable as your bigger corded models. But trust me, if for no other reason than sake of ease, these will be the ones I grab first. DEWALT DCK655X 18-Volt XRP 6 Tool Combo Kit with Impact Driver

I originally wanted a Makita set but the price on the Dewalt was too good. Having used Makita for years I'm super impressed with the Dewalt gear, the light built into the drivers is brilliant, power is great, function is top notch. The angle grinder is surprisingly powerful as is the circular saw, and the light which folds out on it's gooseneck is perfect for late night BBQ's!

I have owned this set for over six years now and constantly use them every day for remodeling work and also for personal use around my own home, tuff little set of tools and I have dropped them from ladders and they still work great!

I come from a Makita family and had always planned on getting a Makita tool set. While I was at Home Depot these power tools were on sale, and my wife surprised me with them. It has been over 2 years and I am so glad she did. I love (LOVE) my Dewalt power tool set. I use the drill most frequently (of course) but I can't even count how many times the grinder has been the perfect tool for whatever job I have been working on. I try and take care of my stuff, but I have dropped my tools several times and they still work great. This has been such a great purchase and I absolutely recommend them to anyone.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Dewalt Battery Dewalt Battery Dewalt Battery

Streets And Trips - maps, mapping software

Visit Store Now !!

As a loyal user of Streets and Trips for several years, I have purchased every version (often by pre-order) since 2001. In short, S&T has several advantages over online alternatives (and a few limitations) that generally make it a worthwhile investment for both business and leisure travelers.



If you already have a previous version of S&T, purchasing this version would primarily be for updated map data and point-of-interest information. The cosmetics are slightly different than S&T 2008, but there are only a few minor feature enhancements. If you are using Google Maps or Mapquest, Streets and Trips offers four distinct advantages over these free alternatives 1) speed 2) control 3) no advertisements 4) offline access (i.e. no Internet required). Personally, I became a big fan of S&T when I began to travel more frequently prior to having 3G mobile broadband access on my notebook. The ability to quickly get directions while on a business trip is very, very helpful.



.............. Why Pay For Streets and Trips 2009 When Free Online services Exist?...........



1. The speed of S&T is far superior than Internet-based alternatives. This speed advantage is especially apparent when you pan across sections of a map. In S&T, the response is instantaneous. Also, showing the point-of-interest locations (subway stops, restaurants, hotels, etc) is lightening fast. Place the mouse on a particular address or intersecting and select "Find Nearby Places". Almost instantaneously, locations in pre-selected categories appear within a defined radius.



2. The ability to tightly control, save and print maps is big plus for power users. Planning a trip to a new city? You can save as map with directions and locations as a file. Just double click on the file when you are ready to use - just like any office document. For those who make road trips, S&T provides the option to apply different speeds to different types of roads (highways, arterial roads, local roads). Unfortunately, Microsoft stopped allowing input of specific speeds a few revisions ago and now merely has slider bars that range from slowest to fastest. Also as part of this function, Microsoft allows for input of highway/city vehicle MPG and fuel cost per gallon to calculate the cost of a trip.



3. Advertisements are irritating. Time is money. The ability to view and print maps without advertisements is a big plus in my opinion. Why waste your color ink to print a banner ad? S&T allows to see and print exactly what you want.



4. Don't have mobile broadband on your notebook? Want to check destination maps while in the air? Locally stored data is the only solution. Given that the map data is located locally on the user's hard drive, there is no need to get connected to the Internet. Of course, a hybrid environment that uses both locally stored data and online information is the best of both worlds. S&T is almost there (below).



..............What Has Changed Since Streets and Trips 2008? ..............



In terms of what has changed since S&T 2008, the answer is not much. If accuracy is important to you, it always makes sense to get the latest map data that represents both new data and corrections of old data. Point-of-interest data changes much more frequently than street data, so if you a big fan of restaurants this is a valid reason to get the latest version. However, it is important to understand there still appears to be a significant delay, sometimes over 1-2 years before a new restaurant will be added to the point-of-interest data. The inability to update this information in real-time is my biggest complaint about Streets and Trips. While Microsoft is slowly enhancing the live data capabilities, there is still a long way to go. I would guess the real issue is not technical, but financial. Map and point-of interest data is a multi-billion dollar industry. It would probably require a subscription on top of the purchase price to provide higher quality point-of-interest data.



The 2009 version appears faster in use but slower to load. This implies that more data is being loaded into memory upon launch. This might have something to do with a new process that is continuously running, streetsolkshim.exe for which I have not been able to find any information. Zooming appears faster than the already extremely fast 2008 version. However, I have no way of confirming this scientifically.



There are some different cosmetics than previous versions. Most notably are the icons on top menu bar are more descriptive and can be toggled between small and large. They have graphics like a steering wheel button representing the directions function. My guess is the icon scheme is probably designed for traveling retirees with diminished eyesight.



A minor enhancement is the ability to send an address to a mobile phone from within Streets and Trips. Somewhat oddly, the function does not allow directions to be sent. This may have something to do with SMS message length limitations.



One interesting new function that improves Streets and Trips interactivity with the outside world is the Coupon Function. This connects to Entertainment.com database of coupons. Entertainment Publications, the operator of the Entertainment.com web site, predates the web. Basically, it is a company that sells coupon books for $35 with deep discounts for restaurants and attractions. In Streets and Trips 2009, a trial to the service is suppose to be free for two weeks. Afterwards, you need to purchase a subscription. Unfortunately, I have not be able to get the service to work after six (6) calls to Microsoft's horrible Indian-based tech support. The support team members had a poor command of the English language and had zero familiarity with the 2009 version of S&T. The problem has still not been resolved.





Pros

*Fast

*No advertisements

*Ability to save maps and directions as files for future use

*Locally stored map data

*Some external data connectivity (i.e. coupons, construction, live search)



Cons

*Still no core data updating via the Internet

*Lacks very recent point-of-interest data

*Ridiculously bad tech support





....................Other Notes......................

As much as people tend to dislike Microsoft and complain about software bugs in general, problems with map accuracy are not Microsoft's fault. They don't create the data. Map data creation is a billion dollar industry run by Navteq (now owned by Nokia) and Tele-Atlas. Microsoft Streets & Trips 2009 [OLD VERSION] - Maps - Cartography - Driving Directions - Mapping Software'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Streets And Trips - maps, mapping software driving directions Streets And Trips - maps, mapping software

Wireless Internet Camera - internet camera, network camera

Visit Store Now !!

I bought this on a Gold Box deal and am very glad I did. First, the image quality is superb. TRENDnet supplies software to assist in setting up the camera but people with a bit of technical experience can go straight to the web interface and set things up there and there are some great features that allow you to set this camera up pretty much however you want.



All of the camera settings are configurable - brightness, contrast, saturation, frame rate, resolution, and even settings to synchronize with 50 or 60 Hz lighting or outdoors. It also supports WPA2 encryption and three levels of password-protected access. You can have it grab images based on movement (requires accessing the camera with Internet Explorer to configure that for some reason) or on a time schedule, and either have it e-mail the images or ftp them somewhere. And it supports dynamic domain name configuration so you can access the camera even if your IP address changes.



It also supports time and date stamping the images - pretty much a necessity - but it also supports accessing an NTP server to make sure the onboard clock is accurate.



And once you get the camera all set up the way you want it, you can save out the configuration file to make it a snap to reconfigure it in case you ever do a hard reset that restores all the defaults.



Not that it will matter to most, but this camera server is actually a full ARM-based computer running Linux. If you go to the TRENDnet website, besides getting the latest firmware, you can also get the source code for the camera OS for those that want to tinker.



The final issue is just the value. You are getting a video camera and a web-serving computer with both wired and wireless interfaces for this price. I'm glad I got mine and am using it to monitor my front porch for visitors and also as a way to monitor the weather at home. With multiple cameras, it's easy to monitor all sorts of things if someone wants to. TRENDnet SecurView Wireless Internet Surveillance Camera TV-IP110W (Silver)

I bought one of these cameras, knowing that it was claimed to be reliant on active-x for the video stream, but my Mac-based application could work around that. My early experiments at setup and use were with Firefox and, as expected, the live video wasn't available. I went thru the setup and put it online and then went to a different machine using Safari (v3.1) and lo and behold: It streamed the video using an ultracam.jar applet. I troubleshot the Firefox installation and found an incompatibility with /library/internet plug-ins/javaplugincocoa.bundle. Once that plug-in was removed, the video stream worked under Firefox with the same ultracam applet. Also tested successfully with Opera v9.62.



Wireless setup and performance are nominal and straightforward, as are the function with DynDNS and emailed events. One must remember that the default IP address of the camera is probably not in the same non-routable range as most use with their LANs.



Mac users should not fear this camera. Sporting features like the NTP clock & timestamp, DynDNS, and price make it a really nice deal.

Install and set-up went OK, test position close to the WLAN router went OK.



Installed at the intended location the "W" started to act up within a day, unplugging and replugging would get it back to work for a few hours.

Then it quit, won't even do "W" mode when close to the router. Works just fine when on the wire.



Reading a few of the other "trials and tribulations" I think this one will go back. ;) :)



Update on the above:



I obtained a RMA from the seller and a replacement (naturally it's "pay up-front" for that! ;) :) ), but then decided that there had to be a solution to the WLAN problem.



There sure was: get EVERY ONE of the settings correct and it works. That includes ALL the Wireless settings including the encryption i.e. if the router is set to HEX make sure the cam settings are in HEX too! The other pit fall: correct channel! for some strange reason the channel setting will revert back to the default (6) unless one sets the channel, selects mode as "ad-hoc", then "apply". After the "Apply" go back and reset the mode to "Infrastructure". The channel setting finally stayed!

Next project will be getting the focus as clear as possible for the outside, the reviews keep mentioning the excellent picture quality ... not so far! ;) :)

If you are going to use this on a remote property or location, here is a lot to help you -

1. Get some cheap sunglasses,break it, and tape one of the lenses over the camera to use it on the outdoors - it is really designed for indoor use & low light - a light sensitive and polarizing filter or sunglass is best -

2. Do call Tech support for help - they are great !

3. You need to know the IP address of your home ROUTER to enable people far away to look at this over the internet - and unfortunately that IP address is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (Verizon or Comcast for many of you & me too!) . and ... they change that address and give you a new one occasionally. Normally you can get that from the main screen when typing 192.168.1.1 into your browser and an info page will provide you the 4 numbers you need.

4. You also need to make sure that the router has "Port forwarding" enable for port #80. This is a default mode on some routers - not for others. Logging into the router control panel will have a page somewhere that lets you enable this if need be. Ignore this step and test - might just work (mine did!). For multiple cameras they each need to be forwarding on different port #s... 80, 81, 82, 83.... and the router needs to enable all of those ports to be forwarded....

5. Once you know the IP address and enabled port forwarding, call a friend and have them put the IP address into their browser as an address - and add ":80" (or other numbers for multiple camera situation) into the browser - that should let them see you or your view !! Note that they need to have Java and ActiveX installed and allowed in their browser !!

6. As an example - making up the numbers here - if your router says the IP address is XX.yyy.ZZ.AA then you would put http://xX.yyy.ZZ.AA:80 into the browser - then put in the username and password for the camera - and viola - it works !!

7. Note that if you power down the router, reset it, or if Verizon or Comcast does some maintenance work, the IP address #s change - so you need a way to get that data when needed! (I'm still working on that - it'd be nice if you could get it email'ed on demand from your ISP.....)

Have fun - great camera otherwise (this imnprtant info above was not in the help or Tech doc CD I got with the cmaera!! - Ip Camera - Network Camera - Internet Camera - Trendnet'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

network camera

Hp Ink Cartridge - printer ink, hp ink

Visit Store Now !!

I tried using one of those reinked cartridge suppliers, but I had to throw away two of the cartridges because they either leaked or the colors were off. I am very happy with the Hewlett-Packard ink cartidges, the price I paid and the speed of service. HP 56 Black Ink Cartridge, Twin Pack (C9319FN#140)

Printer ink is sort of like brake linings on a car. You have to have them in order to make your product work. Since you have to have them, they charge whatever they want. I can't believe the profit margin isn't huge! Other than that, Amazon was the cheapest place to get the ink I needed from the manufacturer. I've tried the knock off inks and they may cost less but they must use about half the ink as they don't last anywhere near as long.

...than buying it direct from Hewlett Packard online which usually takes a week or so to arrive, but only a day or two with Amazon Prime. I guess, considering all the shopping I do on Amazon, that I should have known to make this my first stop ink shop a whole lot sooner than I did. Well, now I know and so, I hope, do you. Same applies to HP's tri-color twin packs. Excellent products, by the way.

This is the ink cartridge that my printer uses. I've been using it for years. It always works fine. I once tried one of those generic refills on another copier I had but it leaked. Now I stick to new HP products.

This item arrived at my home within days and has been problem free. This is a large cartridge for the price of a half size. HP quality for new cartridge far exceeds the quality of refurbished units of slightly lower value. I will definitely order another but not for while thanks to the lack of shortage of ink.

Quick service on this product, also just learned (duh!) that you can get a lot more ink for just a little more money by purchasing high capacity ink cartridges for HP printers. Still expensive, but a few bucks saved. I have never had good luck with refills or knock-offs, I have evolved to sticking with the HP brand for ink. - Black Ink - Printer Ink - Hp Ink - Ink Cartridge'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

black ink

17 Inch Laptop Backpack

Visit Store Now !!

This thing is a MONSTER! It can hold as big a laptop as you could possibly own, with room to spare. Lots of compartments, almost too many. Bigger, in this case, is not better for me (but I don't have a giant laptop). Two things to keep in mind: 1. It can slip off your shoulders if you are a smaller framed person. My female co-worker tried it and this was a problem for her. 2. It is too big to be considered your "personal item" as an airline carry on. This is the kicker for me, as I travel quite a bit and my laptop backpack has to count as my personal item so that I can also bring my rolling carry-on suitcase. If you only need to bring a single bag on a short trip, this bag has plenty of room for a change of clothes, toiletries, etc., but if you need to bring more, then this bag will count as your big carry-on with most airlines. Just wanted to give people a heads-up! Targus XL Backpack Designed for 17 Inch Notebooks TXL617 (Black with Blue Accents)

If you are like me, and you have a large amount of books and other stuff to carry around, this bag is perfect. And it has several pockets to store sunglasses, a bag lunch, a nice cell phone pouch that can fit anything from a reasonably sized Nokia to a clamshell phone hanging off of the left shoulder strap, Palm Pilot, iPod - with even a slot to fit your earbuds or headphones through, although that's kind of tricky -- a very well-padded storage area for your Notebook computer, all the connections and wires that accompany it, and, top it all off, a place for your water bottle.



If you are taking a lot of classes with a lot of books, the compartments are very spacious and can hold a lot. Unlike most reviewers here I find it very comfortable when full, and not heavy at all once you are used to a little extra weight.



Overall, I highly recommend this product, especially for the price, since a similarly equipped bag should cost over $[...] or more (but don't tell that to Amazon or the Manufacturer :D )

If you have a 17" laptop, then you know your choices for bags are small. I've always had good luck with Targus accessories, and this backpack is no exception. It's well constructed and made of good materials.



The compartments are varied and evenly distributed and (mostly) easy to access. The backpack is very adjustable, from the shoulder straps, to the waist strap, to the pouch straps (which allow you to place bulkier items in the inner pouch). The outer pouch/compartments even flip open with snap-clips for easier access).



There is no "one size fits all" for laptop bags, but this bag seems to have room to spare. I have a Toshiba P105-S9722 17" widescreen laptop that weighs in near 10lbs with the power supply included. The laptop slides effortlessly into the padded compartment (which is at the "bottom" meaning closest to your back when worn as designed). The compartment has a velcro strap to help prevent sliding. The compartment above the laptop has a sturdy base as yet another level of protection to prevent potential damage of your laptop. I find this very useful because I place my powersupply (1lb+ brick), power cord, and other misc. cords in there.



I've used this backpack as carry-on while traveling from NH to CA, and it was packed solid, but everything was very accessible and it still managed to fit under the seat as per airline regulations and JUST met the height/width/depth maximum limits. This may vary from airline to airline though. I had my Toshiba + power supply & cord, iPod, PSP (+ games), a few DVD's, two changes of clothes, a cordless USB mouse in the outer sidepocket, cordless shaver in the inner section, cell phone in the shoulder-strap mounted pouch (which is removable via clip and can be attached to your waist, or anywhere you wish), plus usb cables and various adapters, headphones, etc in various compartments, a couple magazines, a book, and some basic toiletries. It was not lightweight, but properly adjusting the straps helps, and wearing the waist strap for extended use is key!! I walked from one end of O'Hare to the other and although the weight had me winded (as any luggage would), the straps never hurt my shoulders, nor did I feel any discomfort from the laptop being against my back!



I would also like to add that the design of the compartments make it fairly simple to access wha tyou need without a lot of rummaging (provided you don't stuff too much into each one).



For the price, this is an exceptional backpack for those with big laptops that need to carry a lot of accessories, or travel.



Why not 5 stars? For the size, a bit of "modularity" would have been great. When you're not traveling or "packed to the gills" it would be nice to be able to "zip off" or unclip about half of the backpack. This could have been done with the same clips that the outer portion adjusts and opens up with. I would also like to have seen a specifically padded compartment for the laptop power supply, or at least a velcro solution for immobilizing supply & cord. These however, are minor issues, and this backpack is fantastic.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

17 Inch Laptop Backpack

Sony Blu-ray Player - netflix, streaming video

Visit Store Now !!

I just purchased two of these - one for myself and one for an out-of-state friend. I'm using mine with a Sony Bravia 1080p flat screen; my friend is using hers with an older 30 inch CRT TV (4:3 aspect ratio) until she gets around to taking her flat screen out of its box.



I was thinking about getting a unit with built-in WiFi, but before making the purchase(s), I did some research online and heard (read) some horror stories about streaming via WiFi that were, let's say, somewhat less than complementary (glitches, disconnects, freezes requiring reboots, etc.), so I decided to purchase this unit BECAUSE it didn't have WiFi (why pay for a feature that I'm not going to use?). I already have a Sony BDP-S370 (using it with a Samsung flat screen) and like it a lot; I would have bought two more of them, but they weren't available directly from Amazon when I ordered, so I got these - I prefer buying from Amazon for their returns policy. Also, the BDP-S380 supports 'vudu' AND it has an on-screen digital throughput speed readout (in Mbps) which appears when streaming is starting up - both welcome additions!



My setup took about 15 minutes from the time I opened the box until I was watching discs, Amazon VOD, and Netflix (the only ones that I've set up so far). I connected the BDP-S380 to my TV via HDMI, and my LAN via Ethernet cable and everything just worked (of course, I had to set it up for my Amazon and Netflix accounts, but that took less than five minutes each). After going through the on-screen quick start menus, the unit told me that there was a firmware upgrade available, so I told it to do it, and a few minutes later, it finished and turned itself off (normal when upgrading firmware).



My friend's setup took a bit longer, since she had never set one up before and I couldn't see what was happening while I tried to talk her through everything (from memory). She connected to her TV using the (supplied-in-the-box) AV cable. Because her TV was 4:3 aspect ratio, some of the menus didn't display legibly, which is probably what made things take a bit longer. Anyway, we got everything working properly within about 20-25 minutes.



One thing of note I would like to mention is this: all BD players manufactured after 01/01/2011 have DRM firmware which prevents HD signals from using any output other than HDMI. For me, that was no problem since I was using HDMI; since my friend was using AV, everything was displayed on her TV in SD (not really a problem since that is all it's capable of displaying anyway, and she'll be using HDMI if she ever sets up her flat screen *:^).



I'm very pleased with this unit (and so is she). Its outputs are crisp and solid, its user interface is staight-forward and easy to understand, and its physical size, shape, and appearance should fit in anywhere.



Definitely a 5-star device.



======



NETFLIX Note (04/15/11):



It seems that Netflix is no longer limiting selections to your Instant Queue! There is now a choice entitled "Top Picks For You" -- also, you can now press "Options" on the Remote and when you select "Categories >" you will be presented with a Category list from which you can search and select movies! Yay!! Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

I really like this player. I've had it about a month now and can't think of anything I dont like about it. It's nice and quiet. Great picture, seems to upconvert well enough. It loads very quickly even with the "quick start" turned off. I have it hard wired to the internet so I have no wireless problems to speak of. Its slim, sick and shiny; goes great with my Sony Bravia LED. I have a PS3 so the whole Netflix "in queue only" thing that others have complained about doesn't bother me. The other internet apps are basically a rehash of whats already on my Bravia. But, Oh Well. I bought it to play Blu-Rays and that it does just fine. This player actually replaced a Samsung BD-C6500 that I had in my possession for less than an hour before taking it back to the store. It was scary awful. Seriously. Overall, I am very satisfied and actually will be buying another in the near future for my bedroom. I have no problems giving this 5 stars and would recommend it to my friends and family. If your looking for an inexpensive, quality, entry level Blu-Ray player, look no further, you just found one.

I bought this Blu Ray disc player so I could stream Amazon Instant videos to my HD TV. It works great both as a disc player and as an instant video streamer. Once it was set up, it was easy to use. I use it several times a week at least, and I can do Netflix through it also.

I purchased this to replace an older blu-ray that had trouble commuinicating with my receiver. It was first gen and I couldn't wait but it still had some bugs.



So far at playing discs this has been awsome, the sound and the picture quality couldn't be better. The load time is much faster than with the older players.



If you're looking for streaming then I think we need to give these guys a couple more years to work out the bugs. Before I purchased this I bought the best rated top of the line model that was supposed to be the best at streaming and I was dissappointed. So I waited six months, bought this and the streaming is a little improved but do not expect to sit through anything uninterupted from Netflix or Hulu. So I still default to my labtop for anything streaming.



Anyway I will not return it as I am very happy with the way it handles my blu-rays. - Blu-ray Player - Netflix - 1080p - Streaming Video'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Sony Blu-ray Player - netflix, streaming video streaming video Sony Blu-ray Player - netflix, streaming video

Magnetic Dry-erase Calendar - dry erase boards, dry erase

Visit Store Now !!

- white board stains with first usage of dry erase marker

- the white surface starts to bubble up off the board

- the whole thing is just cheap and poorly made



my advice: go with another company. board dudes are cheap and not worth your money. Board Dudes Magnetic Combo Board, 18 inches x 22 inches (15094-4)

The cork board side is thin. I tried to use standard pins and they went through and marked the wall. The white part does not erase all the way. Have to use a cleaning solution if you want it all the way gone and never leave something up on it longer than a week. Very easy to hang and looks very nice and professional. I have on in my kitchen and one in my office!



THanks!

The board looks nice from a distance and matches my room very well, but from up close its very obvious its poorly made. The cork is so thin its difficult to put pins into and it feels like you will push right into the wall behind it. The white erase board doesn't like to be written on apparently, because the markers dry up as soon as you write on it, or like start to evaporate. The writing looks weird after about 10 seconds.

Luckily I had an amazon.com gift card when I bought this.. otherwise I'd return it.

I got a few of these board, for a communication project to better keep people informed. I like the size and the two boards in one. The price was excellent for this board. I did have to change the cloth, we were use to clean it because of towels had pores in it that would leave residue. I have used these board for about a month and am pleased with them

I bought this board for use in my preschool classroom. I like that it is a corkboard, whiteboard and magnetic board. I won't have to rely on having thumbtacks or even dry erase markers. It is the perfect size for the space I wanted it for and it arrived on time.

Product looks like pictures but regular office tacs pierce through to the other side and white board has to be cleaned with windex to remove shadow of whatever you write.



Spend a little more money for something else!

When I took this board out of the packaging it looked great, yet started to pull apart almost immediately. The borders of the board fell off before I could get it up to the wall to attempt to mount it, and eventually I just gave up on keeping it together and now use the corkboard and whiteboard pieces separately. I would highly recommend looking elsewhere before buying this product.

There's not a lot to say about this great marker/cork board combo. It does it's job well and in a sharp looking, compact design. It is well made and the black frame has a nice classic look compared to other boards that have a metal frame. - Dry Erase Boards - Magnetic - Dry Erase Board - Dry Erase'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Magnetic Dry-erase Calendar - dry erase boards, dry erase dry erase boards Magnetic Dry-erase Calendar - dry erase boards, dry erase

Button Batteries - battery, button batteries

Visit Store Now !!

I bought these to put into a laser pointer I use to play with my cat and dog. I bought the laser point for a dollar off of ebay, so obviously that batteries that came with it lasted about a week.



I was hoping that these batteries would last a while in the laser pointed, but this wasn't the case. They probably last for about 2-3 weeks using the laser pointed for about ten minutes 4-5 days a week.



Again I'm not sure whether the poorly made laser pointer is the problem or the batteries, but I would think that these batteries should last longer. Guess I'll buy a pointer that uses triple A's from now on. 10 pack MAXELL AG3 LR41 192 Button Cell Batteries.

I bought a small flashlight that uses these batteries for $9.95. It uses 4 of these batteries. Rad Shack wants $4.95 EACH for them, making a battery change worth over twice the purchase price.



I found these on line...they're Maxell, a name brand...and they work great. - Button Batteries - Button Cell - Lr41 Battery - Battery'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Button Batteries - battery, button batteries battery Button Batteries - battery, button batteries

hardwood flooring nailer - pneumatic nailer, hardwood flooring nailer

Visit Store Now !!

This was my first attempt at installing hardwood floors. Purchasing a nail gun was a top priority. The market is limited but the few nailers out there all come with high marks. I chose this particular model based upon the few excellent reviews on this forum and the quick change option from floor to face nailing. The gun sits easily and quickly each time. The different types of nails/staples/ cleats receive their own praise but my personal choice was the porta nail. The nail itself appears to be stronger and heavier compared to the others. Your local Home Depot carries the porta nails, but not this particular nailer. This nailer is a tough find and have not been able to find anyone that stocks it, other than Amazon. The gun has worked flawlessly, and comes in a complete package. You have to purchase other shoes to fit flooring outside 3/4 inch. Since I will only install that type it is not a big deal, as of yet. Just tapping the gun is enough, no need to slam. Works great each time and have installed about 800 sq feet without a single problem. Makes a novice like me, into a more experienced novice in short time. Great purchase and was not jumping for joy at the price. Still, I was not forced to buy it and I do believe you get what you pay for. Porta-Nail 421P Pneumatic Floor Nailer with Both Line Nailer Shoe and Face Nailer Shoe

After much investigation into a very limited market of pneumatic floor nailers, I finally decided on Porta-Nails 421P Hammerhead 2. My first ever flooring project involved installation of 400 square feet of 3/4 inch by 2-1/2 wide tongue and groove finished oak strip flooring at my home. A significant time and money saver of this versatile nailer is that this single tool can do both straight-up face nailing and hidden-angled nailing - as you'll quickly learn both are equally time consuming phases of floor installation. Switching between the two configurations was straightforward and only involved three screws and a few minutes of time. Flooring nails were driven to their proper depth and the nailer was very forgiving in that it was not sensitive to exact placement. Nails easily loaded into the tool, fired with little effort after tapping the firing head while squeezing the safety latch in the handle, and I only encountered one jam after inadvertently nailing on top of another nail. Fixing the jam was confusing at first based on the limited description in the manual, but once I figured out the mechanics of opening the jam latch, the jammed nail was quickly removed and work proceeded. I especially take comfort in the 2 year warranty period whereas the competition offers 1 year or less. I also like the strong carrying case containing the nailer and its accessories. Flooring nails come in strips and load easily, but for the most part don't expect intact strips of nails to survive the mail order shipping/handling process. Make sure you take into account the nailer's requirement for an air compressor that can deliver 90 to 100 pounds per square inch of supply air pressure. Overall, an immensely durable, powerful, and versatile floor nailer that provided for a wonderful and impressive first time experience.

I have been looking at floor nailers for a while since I started this project. Either buy one or rent one. First thing comes to my mind is that I don't want to use a manual nailer even the floor I will be doing is only about 300 sq. feet. Not that I can't work hard, just the thought if you use a tool, let the tool work for you. That narrows down to a few. I went to local rental stores to find that most of them carry Bostitch and Porta-Nail (manual nailer). When I compare the nails, Porta-Nail really stands out and makes Stanley/Bostitch nails look weak. 1000-nail box is heavier and the mean looking shape of the nail gives you some kinda of insurance that it will secure the floor for good. Then after some research, I ended up getting the Porta-Matic Hammerhead2 air-powered nailer kit. It comes in a 30"x20' black plastic case, weighs about 35 lbs. It has a few allen wrenches and a screw driver with hex socket on the handle for changing the shoes. Pair of safety glasses and face nailing shoe. Rubber head hammer with comfortable handle. The nailer itself is well built with nice red finish and aluminum magazine and safety trigger pull. One screw from the bottom and two bolts on front hold the shoe in place. Head heavy hammer feels nice in hand. By that time, I already read the manual (downloaded from Porta-Nail's website in PDF format). Since I was not ready to put the new floor in yet, I tried the face nailing to stop the squeaking in my old floor. I will be putting new floor on top of the old one, so it is a good idea to get rid of the squeaks first. Changing the face nailing shoe is a breeze. The nailer only fits in the case with the regular shoe on BTW. Hook it up to compressor and set to 90 PSI. Load the nails, sit the nailer on the spot, depressed safety trigger and tap the ram with the rubber head hammer. (Note: you tap this thing not strike as you would do with a manual nailer.) This thing fires like if there is no tomorrow and the nail is set about 1/8" beneath the surface. I was totally impressed and of course the squeak was gone. I can't wait to put my new floor in now. It will put a test on this nailer since it is Brazilian cherry we are talking about - one of the hardest wood floor available. I am confident that this nailer will fullfil the task as I expected it would. I think it's well worth the extra (price) over the Bostitch nailer. I will be back with the result of the installation of my new floor.

I bought this tool to put up 800sq feet of strip oak flooring. I'm a total novice. After putting 400sq, I must say I'm very happy with my purchase. It comes with a nice case, hammer, safety glasses and face/blind nailing attachments. And boy let me tell you, when you do a job (any job) the tools you use can make or break the project. Using this nailer has been a pure joy. Blind nailing is a no brainier. The cleat sits on the subfloor and against the tongue. A simple tap on the trigger and BAM! Only one compliant: This is big tool and will force you to face nail the last 5 rows. - Pneumatic Nailer - Hardwood Flooring Nailer'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

hardwood flooring nailer - pneumatic nailer, hardwood flooring nailer pneumatic nailer hardwood flooring nailer - pneumatic nailer, hardwood flooring nailer

Shotgun Mic - camcorder, mics

Visit Store Now !!

I've had the mic for two weeks now and I'm using it w/a Canon HV30 and a NRG 59111 bracket. In quiet shooting situations, the mic will pick up a lot of motor noise if mounted directly to the camera; this is normal. The bracket suspends the mic about 5" above the camera and motor noise pickup is eliminated. The supplied windscreen does a pretty good job. I would prefer if there was a "power on" LED to serve as a reminder to shut the mic off but that would just draw power too. I understand the rationale behind not having one, but want one anyway. The mic cord is NOT detachable as shown in the picture. Maybe newer versions are, but the one I received does not detach. The shockmount is not that great. The upper/lower parts of the mount are connected by hard rubber squares. So, it's not really "shock mounted" but more of a "dampened mounted." Some handling noise/tapping the camera will be picked up by the mic. This is due to the "not really a shockmount" shockmount.



That said, I'm very happy with it. Note: This is not a shotgun mic, so don't expect to pickup conversation-level sound from 30 feet away. This mic is a true stereo mic and outputs two distinct L/R channel. This mic beats the pants off the stock in-camera mics in every way. There is much more clarity as compared to the stock mic. The best way to describe it is that with the stock mics, all the sounds are "mixed together and indistinct." Whereas with the SMX-10 each sound "stands out from all the others." Frequency response is also better with the SMX-10; I find there is a lot more high-end frequency information in recordings made with it vs. stock.



The mic is very light, not too long (doesn't hang over the front of the camera) and the cord is of the coiled variety so it doesn't hang all over the place. It's designed very well. Body is all-aluminum and very solid feeling. Switches are recessed into the body of the mic, so it would be very difficult to accidently slide them one way or the other. There really isn't anything else in it's price range that is better. Another option/very popular video mic is the Rode Stereo Videomic, but it is literally 2x the price and twice the size. I took a chance with the SMX-10 and am very happy with my purchase. Azden High-performance(SMX-10) Stereo Condenser Microphone

This has been a really nice addition to my Canon HV20 camcorder. I like it because it provides far superior sound than the built in mic on the HV20 and it is not too bulky. I can leave it attached to my camcorder and still fit the entire rig in a relatively small camera bag (Tamrac Velocity 7x). I did not rate it a 5 because of the shockmount that it comes with is not the greatest. I substituted the Rode SM3 shockmount, which works much better. I highly recommend this combination. It has added a new dimension to my videos and my rig still remains highly portable.

I bought this mic half-heartedly. It might possibly be complete junk, or might possibly be one of my greatest buys. And sure enough. It was a great buy. This mic is very very good for what I plan to use it for. I, sadly, have yet to test it out on a camcorder, but I have used it plugged into my computer and receive, nothing below, AMAZING sound quality from this mic. It has a very wide area pick up also, which I was very surprised with for its price. I am not sure about how it reacts to picking up DV Tape sound or that stuff, because I use it on a boom pole. This is a great item and well worth it if your on a budget for filming or voice over. The VO is pretty awsome with this thing. There is no noticeable white noise and the actually QUALITY of the recordings are just clear and normal. There is nothing that makes it sound like it couldn't be from a professional studio. Made my day. Great buy for the price!

This mic was purchased to be used in a classroom environment with teenage kids, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. The mic seems well constructed and sturdy. The sound recorded with it is ok. It is better than the sound off the camera mic, and doesn't pick up near as much motor noise and handling noise as the camera mic did. The one negative to the mic is the lack of a power indicator. I think a simple LED would remind people to turn the mic off after use. Other than that, this is a decent mic, and good bang for the buck.

Seeking to produce something other than the usual crushingly boring home movies, I was looking for a good external stereo shotgun microphone for my small Digital Video Camera and my digital stereo sound recorder. Priced under $100, the SMX-10 was the most affordable serious stereo shotgun microphone I could find. It has the advantage if being intended for small video cameras, mounting on the camera and using the small external mike plug. Power is from a regular AA battery, nothing exotic. It is small enough to fit in my camera bag. In addition to using it on the camera I have used it with the recorder to collect sound environments, rain, thunder, a brook, wind chimes, night insects... To my untrained ears, the recordings are indistinguishable from the real thing.



With the included wind screen, this microphone is a vast improvement over the camera's internal microphone, however it inhibits, but my no means, eliminates that pesky wind noise. I can not tell any difference in the sound quality if the microphone battery power is on or off. Overall, highly recommended for the ambitious but impoverished amateur videographer. - Mics - Camcorder - Canon - Azden'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Shotgun Mic - camcorder, mics azden Shotgun Mic - camcorder, mics

Ipod Accessories

Visit Store Now !!

This is quite possibly the best cover I've ever bought for an iPod in my entire life and the funny thing is, it's the cheapest too! Being so cheap, not only do you get just a cover for the back, but a cover for the front as well (which I wasn't sure it came with). All you need is a separate screen cover, they apply this cover and your iPod will be protected for life! 5/5 stars and will definitely recommend to my friends! Premium Rubberized Snap-on Hard Crystal Front and Rear Case Cover for Apple iPod Touch 4G, 4th Generation, 4th Gen - red compatible with 8GB / 32GB / 64GB

I was a bit sceptical at first about this case but when it arrived my fears were put to rest. It is a wonderful case and it protects the IPOD Touch very well. I love the color and I would recomment this to anyone who like me likes to keep things well protected. It is a hard case and snaps on with no difficulty at all. Great case.

I don't usually write reviews but I had to for this product. Bought this for my son's Ipod touch and I wasn't expecting it to be so great for the cheap price. This thing is high quality and fits like a glove! Don't even think....just buy this one for your Ipod!

I don't usually write reviews but this cover is so good I had to. I have 3 Itouch for my daughters. I bought the white just to see the quality. I thought it will be a cheap product but it is worth the try. I was surprised how much mu daughter likes it espacially it goes over the screen protecter, it secure it and prevent it from peeling. I bought two more and they arrived in perfect condition and my kids love them. This will be your best buy for a cover. NO REGRETS.

This case makes holding and using the iTouch much easier than when the iTouch has one of those soft rubber cases. The red also dresses up the looks. This is well worth the price. No problems receiving the case in the time frame stated.



As an update to this review, my wife dropped her iTouch from waist-high onto a concrete floor. The case broke but protected the iTouch! It did its job and sacrificed itself for the iTouch. I did replace it with a wrap-around leather case though because the wrap-around gives the iTouch more screen protection when carried in her purse.

I realy like this product! The price is considerablely low, it has an excellent quality and perfectly fixes my Ipod! The colour is also very beautiful, even better than its pictures in the web. I highly recommend this case to people who are looking for good cases for their ipod. You will enjoy it~~~~

I was skeptical buying a cover that was only $2. I had previously been using a silicone cover from Minisuit. It did not stay on very well and was more slippery than a rubberized case should be. This case has been very good for what I need. It is only lightly rubberized: it is grippy enough that it won't slide off a tilted binder, but it still feels smooth to the touch. It has been durable so far (about a month). Hopefully I will never find out if it protects against a serious fall, but it has held up under light abuse very well. The only downside would be that no screen protector was included, but it was never advertised so I can't really complain about that. I should have bought more than one in case I eventually need to replace it.'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Ipod Accessories Ipod Accessories Ipod Accessories

3d Blu-ray - hdtv, blu-ray 3d

Visit Store Now !!

Panasonic's DMP-BDT100 Blu-ray 3D player is currently one of the least expensive options for 3D Blu-ray playback, but this doesn't mean it sacrifices performance for the sake of cost savings. The player offers a robust set of streaming options (Netflix, Amazon VOD, YouTube, Pandora, etc.) as well as very good DVD upconversion and outstanding Blu-ray playback, for the same price as many standard 2D Blu-ray players. UPDATE: VUDU is now also available on the BDT100 via a recent firmware and server update.



The player lacks some features compared to the top of the line DMP-BDT350: no dual HDMI output (only needed if you are using this with an older non 3D-compliant receiver), no multichannel analog outputs (for use with non-HDMI receivers) and no built-in WiFi networking (can be added via the Panasonic Wireless LAN Adapter). It also offers a fairly clunky user interface lacking the modern graphic-driven GUI that you see on current LG and Samsung Blu-ray players, though it is superior to the user menu on the Pioneer players. But the DMP-BDT100 provides all the basics, and several advanced features, as well as strong high def video and audio performance. The player passes all the upconversion and film cadence detection tests on the "Spears and Munsil" and "HQV Benchmark" DVDs and Blu-ray Discs with flying colors and also offers enhanced 4:4:4 color output with 24p (24 frame/second) output options for both DVDs and Blu-ray Discs. If silver discs are primarily how you watch your movies, then there is little to fault in the BDT100.



We did notice a peculiarity with Netflix streaming on the BDT100. Streaming SD content from Netflix, we observed something called the "CUE" (chroma upsampling error or "chroma bug"). This is something that can occur when a compressed video source has its color information upconverted to restore color detail lost in the compression process. On the BDT100, this upconversion is imperfect, which can cause visible color banding or jagged edges on the borders between colors. The problem is only noticeable on standard definition Netflix streaming content. Netflix HD, standard DVD and Blu-ray Disc playback do not exhibit this issue. And frankly, those with untrained eyes might not even notice it. It becomes more evident as you move to larger screens (e.g., front projection systems), but it can be viewed on some Netflix SD content even at the more common 42-inch and up screen sizes. As to whether this issue is a deal-breaker to you or not, that depends on how much standard def streaming you do from Netflix, and whether the chroma bug is something that bothers you. But we would be remiss not to mention it. According to our contacts at Panasonic, they are aware of the issue and are working toward a fix.



If Netflix SD content is not a part of your streaming media diet, then we give the BDT100 an unqualified recommendation. But if you do find yourself watching a lot of standard def streaming content on Netflix then you may want to look elsewhere or wait to see if Panasonic can deliver a fix to this issue on the BDT100.



Our more detailed review of the player is available on our web site at Big Picture Big Sound (dot com). Panasonic DMP-BDT100 Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Player

This player was thrown into the deal when I bought my Panasonic TC-P58VT25 TV two weeks ago. The TV is terrific. This player worked fine but was shipped with downlevel ver. 1.04 of the firmware. The Panasonic site had a download and instruction to update the firmware to ver. 1.14. Followed all the instructions, burned the update disc and followed the instructions for the update. Everything worked per the instructions except the last step. Tray opened and message on panel says UPDNG. OK so far. However I never got a finish message and can now do nothing with the player. Called Panasonic Tech Support which is a nightmare and I said it's been sitting on UPDNG for well over and hour without going to Finish. Was told the update normally only takes about 30 minutes and they had me try the update again with the same results. I even tried burning another disc in ISO 9660 format as per the instructions with the same results. Tech Support said they'd send me an update disc but will take 7-10 business days to arrive. I have doubts it will fix the problem and now my player is useless until I can try what they send. Anyone else have update problems and figured how to solve it? Except for this problem I was happy with the player and TV combo.



UPDATE: After getting nowhere with Panasonic help and having a player that did not work I managed to return the broken player and exchange it for another one. This time I waited until I had my ethernet connection in place and saw the message about a new version of firmware available. I followed the directions in the manual for a network update and it worked flawlessly. So I guess my advice would be to not try burning an update CD yourself. If you need to go that route contact Panasonic to mail you one (they will). - Hdtv - Blu-ray Player - Blu-ray 3d - Netflix'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

3d Blu-ray - hdtv, blu-ray 3d blu-ray 3d 3d Blu-ray - hdtv, blu-ray 3d

Inkjet Printer Ink - canon, black

Visit Store Now !!

My first PG 40 lasted only 2 months, disappointing as cartridge cost was one of deciding factors in buying my Canon Pixma MP 170. $20 (Staples) was low compared to previous printer cartridge but not for two month usage. With next cartridge, I used "fast" print option and continued to use for 1-2 months after "low ink" message appeared, this one lasted 5-6 months, which is o.k. for cost. I then had one refilled at Cartridge World and it lasted only 45 days, tho I was doing somewhat more printing during that time period. Use "fast/draft" option,and ignore low print message,--- just print till it's out of ink ----and it will last much longer. I will probably buy from Amazon as cost is lower (providing you order $25 and get free S & H) and this is hard to find in my area. Canon PG-40 Black Ink Cartridge

I have used Canon printers for years. I recommend them to people for their low per-page costs...



Those that use THIS cartridge though, are an exception. This cartridge has an in-cartridge ink counter that tells me I'm out of ink way before I actually do run out of ink. Additionally, the counter cannot be reset, so there is no refill market on these forcing you to buy retail.

New cartridge had been received on time and well packed.

Printouts are in good quality.

1 Concern: overpriced.

I must add another concern: not much ink in it. Cratridge is emptied after 2 months of light usage.

A very good in supply is obtained at all times without leakage of ink or smudging of the paper or clogging of the printer. The reason it is not rated 5 stars is that the ink supply is utilized too rapidly and the expensive cartriges have to replaced too frequently.

Canon has made it almost impossible to use recycled ink cartridges. They are not alone. There should be a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative available for purchasing ink - not just the limited options imposed by a monopoly held by the manufacturer. Just think if you buy a car and could then only buy gasoline from the car manufacturer!

But...good lord the cartridges lasted maybe 100 pages tops before it gave out. May still be cheaper than owning a laser printer though. Ink dries very quickly and no smudges. Just wish they could put some more ink in it.

I can spend $100 on a new cartridge for my NEC laser printer, and get 2 years use out of it. OR, I can spend $25 on THIS cartridge for my Canon printer, and get two WEEKS out of it. Do the math. Canon ought to be ashamed of offering a product with so little actual output per dollar. Generally I LIKE Canon products a lot (e.g. their cameras) and so I am shocked at the short life of this cartridge.

I bought an MP470 printer on 9/4/08. I put in a full black ink cartridge (PG-40)and made no more than 30-35 copies on regular paper. It shows that it needs to be replaced. I called Canon and was told that the average number of pages would be 355 for one PG-40 cartridge. I thought the cartridge might be defective but the tech support person tells me that it would show an "error" on the printer if that was the case.



I will continue to use the cartridge until it totally runs out of ink but I am very unhappy with the number of pages I was able to print. - Ink - Canon - Printer - Black'

Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information

Inkjet Printer Ink - canon, black ink Inkjet Printer Ink - canon, black