Sunday 24 July 2011

Iphone4 Case - case, iphone4 case


What I wanted: A case that would offer decent protection without bulking up my phone. (Who wants to pay for a phone this sleek then bulk it up with a giant box case?)



What I've tried: Quite a few. A lot look similar to this one online, then are incredibly flimsy when you receive them. This one was way, way sturdier and more substantial than the other slim iPhone 4 cases I've tried.



Four stars: the only reason it doesn't get five is because it would be nice if there were a small lip to protect the front screen. As is, it's flush. It is, however, still a great case. Feels like metal, soft coating, stronger corners, sleek look and adds the LEAST bulk to your phone of all the cases I've tried. Feels closest to the case-free phone.



A steal. Get it. elago S4 Slim Fit Case for AT&T and Verizon iPhone 4 with Logo Protection Film (Sport Yellow)

This is seriously a quality case. PERFECT fit that makes it flush with the edges and solid paint job on the case. and i love the feel- yea its plastic but it feels like solid quality plastic ;D haha anywho these protect the case from scratches, not drops on concrete :D. great case :D im happy.



OH also the packaging it came in was minamalist. No excessive boxes or clam shell. it was a nicely designed plastic encasing/bag. i was impressed.

Great looking case delivered in minimal packaging. Color is Ferrari yellow. Couple of items to note: 1) The logo protector is not truely transparent. 2) The case seems to be a bit slippery. I feel like I am going to drop it whenever I hold it. 3) The edge of the case is flush with the screen so you will need a screen protector. Finally, I don't think the case is hard enough for a drop on hard surfaces and will need to see if the wording on the back of the case comes off. I have included two pictures of the case on my iphone.

This is a great case, it fits perfect and the color is brilliant not to mention the price. The only downfall on this case is when you take photos and the flash is being used. The flash opening in this case is too close to the flash, when a picture is taken the photo looks yellowish because the flash reflects off the case. Other than that, this is a phenomenal case. I would recommend buying it if you don't mind removing the case when taking photos even though I did notice that this problem doesn't happen all the time. Give it a try!!!!!

I highly recommend this slick iPhone case. If is super thin and the it fits like a glove, no gaps or anything. I have always wanted a case that allows me to easily slide the phone in and out of my back jeans pocket. The smooth lines and bright colors are awesome!!!!! Best iPhone case on the market.

UPDATE: This case now has small hairline cracks in it from a few drops. Nothing has happened to my phone so far, but I'm buying a new case. You will get yellow photos if you use the flash!



This case is exactly as pictured (sport yellow), and everyone compliments me on the look of it. However, I am not convinced it's going to provide the protection I need in case of drops, so I might have to look for another case. It seems hard and sturdy, but the fact that the case is flush to the screen does worry me (though of course, that's what makes it look so nice and slim). I also have to note that it is not easy to remove at all!



I am definitely reluctant to give it up because it does look really great (I am really shallow about iPhone cases, I guess), but for now it seems to be doing a fine job. I also bought the protective film from this company and that's fine too.



I appreciated the company's minimal packaging as well.

They are not exaggerating when they call this the Slim Fit case. This case does not add any bulk to the iPhone 4's gorgeous frame. It feels fantastic in the hand. I usually favor slide cases such as CaseCrown, InCase and even elago's Glide Case but they add a little thickness to the phone. Not much but noticeable. I read the good reviews so I decided to take the plunge on this case and I am happy that I did. The color is very vibrant and I will definitely be sticking with this type of case.

I have a problem. I have a fetish problem. I have a fetish problem collecting iPhone cases. This is my 7th one in as many months, and it's just for one iPhone 4. I've ran through the gamut of styles and functionalities, from the cheap thin plastic shells to the Otterbox tanks (I have both the Defender and Impact styles), and as far as looks go, I like this one the best. It is by far the slimmest - pretty much as slim as you can get. So slim, in fact, there's no front side "lip" to protect the front from scratches or falls.



Essentially, it is just a shell to protect the back side from scratches - not from drops. But with it's devilishly handsome good looks (comes in a multitude of bright colors - I got the yellow) and sleek styling, if you are a careful user of your phone, then I would definitely recommend these elagos. - Iphone - Case - Iphone 4 - Iphone4 Case'


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Trolling Motor - trolling motor, power center


This battery box seems pretty sturdy, and the battery charge indicator is a great way to guage the available power. My only complaint is that there aren't any access holes to bring the charging cables into the battery. Also, the straps that hold the top onto the container have to be installed and make it difficult to check the battery...a hinged top would have been a better solution.

Other than that its a good bargain. Moeller Power Plant Marine Battery Box with On-Touch Charge Indicator and 12-Volt Adapter (27, 30 and 31-Series Batteries)

I bought this only because it's one of the few that can hold larger marine batteries. Unfortunately it doesn't have external terminals or a circuit breaker. The lid doesn't have any sort of snap on. The only thing that holds the lid on is the crappy strap that easily broke.



I would go with something else if I had to do it again.

Just what I needed to enclose my 12v battery on the nose of the utility trailer. Tie down strap is a little short, and the die down brackets are plastic, but otherwise a very good product for protecting the battery. Nice to have the external "check" light as well as the 12v outlet.

I have many Moeller products on my boats, 32 Bayliner and 15 Owens. This Power Center has been great for keeping all my start batteries dry and protected. The 12V Outlet works great if you need to run a spotlight, cell charger or other items in the stern of the boat where I mounted the batteries. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this Power Center for use on on Cars, RV's or Boats. Thanks Moeller!

Hi,



I ordered this battery box because of the indication that it is for trolling motors. I intended to use it with a small Minkota with my canoe. The problem with this product is that it came with a cigar lighter socket to hook to the Minkota. No such thing on the trolling loter. Battery clips. Worthless to me. Returned. - Moeller Marine - Power Center - Trolling Motor - Boat'


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Exotic Apparel


I am a small-busted size 12 and feel self-conscious in many tight fitting pieces of lingerie. I purchased a size large and it fit nicely, stetching easily over my curves. My husband loved it, and I felt sexy wearing it. I was just disappointed it didn't stay on longer! Dreamgirl Women's Stretch Lace Dress, Black, Large

This dress is pretty amazing. Fits great. I got it in black (medium). The dress runs true to size.



When I ordered it, it ended up being on back order- I wish someone had told me. The dress was ordered on 08.10 and I received it on 09.01.



I opened the package it came in and the dress was wrapped in purple tissue paper. Very nice!



[...]

My boyfriend got it for me for christmas...but I think it was more for him ;)



I'm not a skinny person..and this (large) still fits me so comfortably...I almost didnt want to take it off...definitely worth the money...

I first ordered the black and it was great, but the red was really, really pretty. Now, if they made this in a teddy style, it could definitely be worn even more -- my guy loved both and the lace is very good quality -- not cheap stuff.

This is BY FAR the sexiest thing I have ever put on! It snugs your curves in all the right ways - creating a suuuuper sexy shape on the body. My best friend recommended it after her bf went nuts for it on her, and she was right!! My husband confirms that this is the most alluring lingerie I own! Skip the garter belts and thigh highs - this negligee will outshine them all!! MEGA HOTNESS!!!

This was my very first piece of lingerie that I had ever bought. I absolutely love it! It is my favorite piece to this day! For a gril that doesn't have that Victoria's Secret Model body, (like myself) it still makes you look SMOKING HOT! Definitely a good buy!

I was worried about the length, im 5'8" but it fits perfect. It does stretch so it can really fit so many different body types. Im at 34DD with a little waste and it isnt loose at all in any spots. I got the medium in the red, and it is super sexy without being trashy!!'


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Impact Driver - drill, impact driver


I've been using this kit heavily to finish a basement room. I did some shopping around originally to upgrade my old 9.6 V cordless. I had narrowed it down the Dewalt DC720KA, the Milwaukee 18v compact, or the BDF142 when I came upon this kit. I never used an impact driver before this, but I discovered all the pros now do their screw driving with these. I'm glad I decided to give it a try!



Impact Driver: I will never drive wood screws with a drill again! Significantly less pressure is required to keep the phillips bit in contact with the screw head. I've driven 3" wood screws all week and not a single stripped head. It can install a fastener in tight places where a drill or hammer/nail just can't go. Superior torque will bury the screw (head and all) as deep in the wood as you want to go. I will use this more than any other tool in the kit. It is a little beast!



Drill: Good combination of power and speed. Enough to push a 1 1/4" self feeding bit through 3 1/2" of pressure treated lumber the high torgue setting. 5/8" self feeding bits eat through studs in a flash on the high speed setting. It is light like a cordless tool should be, and has the best power/weight ratio of any cordless by far. It comes with a quality chuck and plenty of torque. I think the drill is slightly better than the compact 18v Milwaukee and just a shade behind the Dewalt DC720KA which are both fine products.



Light: Has four convenient head angle adjustments from 0 degrees to about 110 degrees and a strap for hanging. Not a primary reason to buy this kit, but it's come in really handy for me.



Kit positives: Nice compact case has room for drill bits and accessories. Batteries do charge in 15 minutes. These tools have serious power. The combo of the drill and impact driver is unbeatable at this price. You would spend twice this to get the equivalent from another manufacturer. All three of the tools are a pleasure to use. The led light on the drill and impact driver does come in handy when you are working in dark corners.



Kit negatives: Run time might not be enough for heavy duty users. Not a problem for me; quick charge time makes up for it. I can use the impact drive all day on two full battery charges. Most of the black on these tools is rubber except for the raised Makita logo, which is paint. I've jammed the impact driver into some tight places which has caused some of that paint to scratch off. You can buy belt clips for these tools off e-bay which is only a minor inconvenience.



Overall: Considering what you get for the price, this is a five star kit. Makita LCT300W 18-Volt Compact Lithium-Ion Cordless 3-Piece Combo Kit

First off, I'm a professional fabricator, and i've been typically really hard on my tools, especially cordless tools, but these have far exceeded my expectations. I bought this setup when i was in a jam, my heavy duty 18v Milwuakee crapped out after only 2mos of service, and only a week back from its first warranty repair (I'm no longer a milwuakee fan, sadly). Well, needing to finish a project for monday, and stuck looking for a new driver/drill on a saturday night, I picked up the combo kit at a Home Depot minutes before closing, figuring it would get me through the project, and the impact driver might come in handy for some light duty projects later on.



Well I was amazed after working with these for 4 mos solid. So small yet so powerful, and far more rugged than i would have expected for their light weight and plastic-y feel. And wow, did i say they are small? I mean i can put the impact driver in the side pocket on my cargo shorts, or back pocket of my carhartts and comfortably climb a ladder like that. They seriously lighten my load when I'm lugging a bag of tools to a gig outside the shop, too.



The only drawback I've found is an entirely acceptable compromise for the light weight and easy handling, which is short battery life between charges. But Makita makes up for this by including a sophisticated and fast charger.



In short, this works really great for the sort of work that cordless tools do well for; tough intermittent tasks where access is tight. Sure it doesn't have all of the brawn of some of the full-size makita 18v line, but really when i need that sort of power, I'll want to be using something Pneumatic or AC-driven.



Buy it if you need a lightweight tool for intermittent use. If you need something to replace a corded/pneumatic tool out in the field, you might want to bump up to the full size (lxt) line.

Have had this kit for just under a year. The weight of the tools is phenomenal. Very light and excellent balance. The impact gun is pretty impressive. The drill, however, doesn't really have the ooomph I was hoping for. And if you are doing a lot of drilling, expect your batteries to get very hot, and also to take a very long time to cool down before the charger will start charging them. I've had these guns heat up quite a bit while under heavy use, so much so that I've had to put gloves on. This is drilling into steel, by the way. These are great guns for the price and the weight, but under heavy usage (I'm a scenic carpenter in the entertainment industry), the drill is less than impressive. And the clutch just died on it. I'm going to stick with Makita, but I'm going for the more powerful guns.

The new LiOn driver usually runs near two hundred by itself. Add the impact driver that goes for close to this price AND include the spotlight and you definitely have a winner.



I've used the driver myself and it is a joy to use. It is very lightweight and the batteries charge in 15 minutes. So even if I'm using the drill full time, I can't run out of juice.

Anyone as confused by the compact vs regular lithium technology in these Makita Drills as I was?



I have used both the compact and the LXT version of the Makita Lithium cordless tool sets. Mostly the impact driver and drill/driver. I am a electrical contractor and am pretty hard on my tools.



First both sets worked great. However, I did find that I spent considerable amount of time fetching new batteries with the compact version of the drills. I found this to be irritating, and prefered to use the LXT lithium drill as it lasted twice as long and had maybe just a little more UMMMPHHH to it.



One of my employees who has long struggled with tendonitis in his arm will use nothing else besides the compact version. It is about a pound lighter and it makes enough difference, of course he gets paid the same whether he changes the battery pack ten times a day or five.



Bottom line, both drills work very well. The compact is so light it makes it worth it for people doing lighter use, difficult position, or constant ladder work. But overall I would say it is better suited for the serious homeowner/weekend-warrior rather than the full time contractor. The regular LXT(non-compact) tools, although just a little heavier, are still much lighter than previous technologies and feel like a bag of feathers in comparison to a Dewault. They also lasted longer on a single charge(twice the storage capacity in the battery cells), which was the key selling point for me and the little extra power (insert Tim the toolman grunt here) was well worth it. Then again, if I am light duty user/homeowner and not using these tools daily, the compact version would certainly fit better into my budget and would still do everything I needed it too. - 18 Volt - Impact Driver - Drill - Lithium-ion'


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Micro Sd Card - memory cards, 16gb sdhc memory card


According to the manufacturers of this card on their own forums, this does not work properly in Android or Windows phones. I guess it is a problem with the way this card is partitioned or formatted. Symptoms of the problem are regular freezing of the phone you put it in (requiring a battery pull to reset) and the card eventually becoming corrupted (losing all the data that is on it and requiring a reformat). On the official acknowledgement of the problems posted to their forums they give no indication of what we are supposed to do with these cards that don't work. It might be possible to repartition and reformat this card yourself to get it to work but I haven't been successful at that yet.



I'm not sure how a card that fails in the vast majority of devices you would use it in gets released and hasn't been recalled yet. It is too bad as Partiot is usually a decent manufacturer. I have contacted support asking them what I am supposed to do with my defective cards but have yet to get a response. I don't want to return them because these will be great cards when the problems get sorted out (they are very fast), but right now they are worse than useless as they make any device I put them in unstable and corrupt any data I put on them.



I definitely can't recommend this card right now unless you don't plan to use it in a phone or tablet (which is about the only reason I can think of to buy a microsdhc card).



Update: Patriot support was not able to help me but they said they were willing to RMA in exchange for a class 4 (which will hopefully work). Sure I paid for a class 10 and a class 4 would have been cheaper in the first place, but I just want something that works at this point so I am willing to swap for something slower if it fixes the problem. Patriot Signature 16 GB Class 10 MicroSDHC Flash Memory Card PSF16GMCSDHC10

I was a bit skeptical when getting this card, because it is priced significantly less than other 16GB Class 10 cards on the market, but since it's a new product and it's for my phone, I was willing to take a bit of a gamble after seeing a couple of other positive reviews around the web.



I'm glad I did! This card performs great and gives me plenty of storage space. I ran one of the many available free benchmarking tools on it (you can find plenty on Google) and it wrote to all of the storage space to verify there were no problems with the card. It clocked the write speed at 11.6MB/sec, and the read at 17.5MB/sec, so the speed claim by Patriot holds up. I popped the card into my HTC Evo phone and it was great seeing how much faster applications stored on the SD card were loading up.



Note: I ended up buying the card on Newegg because it was quite a bit cheaper there than Amazon's current price, also with free shipping. However it looks like Amazon has accordingly dropped the price, so I recommend comparing the two before buying.

This card is super fast. My speed test on my HTC Evo 4g write =11mb/s and read= 15mb/s... I am very happy with my purchase. My old card was by sandisk 32gb class 2 and my speeds were write 8mb/s and read 1.75mb/s....great improvement!!!!



Side note I bought from NatechGadgets and my ordered was delivered 20 hours after I ordered it.



My best purchase this year!!!!!

I bought this for the same reason many people are picking it up...to boot OSes on the Nook Color. Sadly, it is incompatible with the NC's card reader. It works for some things, but not for all and data gets corrupted easily. I tried it in a Motorola Droid X with the same result. It's just not stable or reliable.

Worked perfectly fine for a couple of hours and was amazingly fast, but for whatever reason after I rebooted my phone (Samsung Galaxy S 4G) once I could no longer see the card from either my computer or the phone. I don't know if it just died or what but either way it became useless after that. At least Amazon has a good return policy.

Not much to tell. I needed lots of space for my phone and this is it. Registers as 30.91 GB and the fastest I got it to write at was 9.77 MB/s. I had bought a cheap class 2 off of ebay for $20 and it screwed up the same day I got it. Some things you just have to pay full price for.

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

Update: Found a program for testing memory cards and here are the results. Also, my card did screw up one time, but I don't know if it was the phone or the card. Reformatted and everything was okay.

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

Sequential Read : 19.882 MB/s

Sequential Write : 17.003 MB/s

Random Read 512KB : 19.642 MB/s

Random Write 512KB : 2.059 MB/s

Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 4.254 MB/s [ 1038.6 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 0.019 MB/s [ 4.7 IOPS]

Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 4.577 MB/s [ 1117.4 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 0.026 MB/s [ 6.3 IOPS]



Test : 50 MB [K: 3.2% (1.0/30.9 GB)] (x1)

I bought this Class 10 16GB microSDHC card for my Motorola Atrix 4G phone. Having a relatively fast phone, I did not want to compromise on the speed of the SD card, so I opted for the class 10 (the class indicates minimum write speed). I was not disappointed:



AnTutu System Benchmark Results

- SD Card Write 12.1 MB/s

- SD Card Read 15.5 Mb/s



Based on other users' reports, this seems pretty good (SanDisk Class 4: W 9MB/s, R17MB/s; Wintec Class 10 32GB Micro SD: W8.7 MB/s; R16.0 MB/s)



The packaging said there's a 5 year warranty on the card, so that's nice. I haven't had a chance to test the SD card adapter (probably won't use it anyways) but they both came in a neat little plastic case which is useful for storage and carrying if the microSD card ever needs to be removed from the phone. - Memory Cards - 16gb Sdhc Memory Card - Class 10 - 16gb'


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Macbook Sleeve - laptop sleeve, laptop case


I didn't think this laptop sleeve would fit. It did say in the description that it would fit a laptop up to 15.6" but you can't really trust a description without actually trying it out. I have a Lenovo G555 15.6" and I absolutely fell in love with this cassette tape sleeve. So, I bought it, a little wary of it not fitting. But, it did!! It looks awesome when the laptop is in the sleeve. It's a great buy. With speedy shipping and swift arrival. It came the day it said it would. I woke up and the package was already waiting at my door. I'm extremely happy and content with my laptop sleeve. DIGITTRADE LS132-15 Designer Notebook Sleeve 15,4" Laptop Cover Old School Neoprene Soft Carry Case up to 15.6 Inch Anti Shock System

This laptop case is much sturdier than I expected, and like many other reviewers have said, it is more orange than it appears in the picture. Nonetheless, I really like it and have gotten plenty of compliments on it. I have an HP dv6-1230US 15.6" laptop and even with the 12-cell battery in the computer my laptop fits in this case without being too tight. My only complaint is that I wish the case had handles to carry it, but at least it does have clips on the side where a strap can be attached. There is also a strange rubbery smell when you first take the case out of the box, but that goes away after about a week or so.

This case looks so much better in person than in the pictures. I'm always on the look out for things that represent my personality. As a music lover, and someone who grew up recording songs onto cassettes, I knew I had to have this, and I don't regret making the purchase.



It feels durable, isn't super bulky, and comes with metal d-rings on the side. I was pleasantly surprised at the rings on the side. The sleeve doesn't come with a strap, which I don't expect with a sleeve, but it's nice that the option is there. The only issue I'm having at the moment is the chemical-like smell it has, which is pretty strong, but it's only the inside of the sleeve and I'm sure that it'll eventually fade.

I love this product. I received it and noticed that the yellow looking color that is pictured online was actually more of an orange. The sleeve fits my bulky 15.6 inch laptop comfortably. The sleeve is durable, good quality and neat looking. I have received many compliments on it.

This laptop sleeve is very thick and feels well put together. Visually it is very striking. The sleeve is very original and I have not noticed anyone else having it. I have noticed people have written about it not having handles. It has a D ring on each side near the zipper's end. I am sure that one could attach a strap to it if needed. Very neat product and I am happy with my purchase.

I really like this case! It's soft and looks like it'll do a good job at protecting my 15.5 inch laptop. There's a little bit of extra room since this is made for up to 15.6 inches, but that's no problem at all and allows me to also put my drawing tablet in there.

The only thing about the case is that the image doesn't convey the colors very well. Instead of being kind of yellowish-gold those parts are more bright orange. But that's no problem as I love orange so it's all good! Definitely a great case :)

The picture looks much better then the actual product (color wise. ) I do like the feel of the case. Kinda like cushion, or foam. I do hate that its missing a strap, i suggest buying one with your order, to qualify for free shipping. It is a nice case, one of those, the more i look at it the more I like it. I have to say I didn't think it would fit my mothers laptop but it did. Quite snuggly to. I would most likely buy this product again.

I liked the origionality of the case. And i was worried it wouldnt fit my lap top. I have a Dell inspiron 15r and it fits perfectly. My only complaint is like some one said before it really is a neon orange color not a tan like it looks in the picture. So it really looks more cartoonish because of the bright orange. All in all its a nice case good quality I gave it 4 stars cuz of the color not being accurate. Other then that. Its a keeper! - Laptop Sleeves - Laptop Case - Notebook Sleeve - Laptop Sleeve'


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Exercise - p90x, exercise bands


I wanted to write this review to help others know more about this product because when I was looking around I was kind of in the dark. I ordered 3: the purple extra heavy, blue heavy, and red medium. I've worked out a lot off and on in the past with actual weights, and I'm always moving around, so this was just what I was looking for. Of course, how tall you are will make a difference, as taller people will have more tension in the bands when they are being stretched (if you're standing, of course, which is a lot of exercises). I'm 5'10", and unfortuantely my purpose in working out is to build muscle, as I'm kind of on the skinny side. The purple band isn't for "extremely fit" people, but it does offer a good amount of resistance. Here's a general guideline of what I found, based on my previous experience with weights:



If I double the purple band (grab both handles at once) and do one arm rows on a chair, depending on where you step on it, you can get a good 40-50 lbs resistance.

If you have one foot on the blue heavy band standing up, and doing curls, it's about 15-20 lbs each hand.

If you step on the red medium tube about 6-8 inches from the handle and do one arm extensions over your head, it's about 15 lbs



Again, these bands are very variable. You can increase the amount of tension by stepping closer to the handles, and by holding two bands at once, holding both handles at once, etc.



I would even recommend the green I think or the smaller ones for exercises such as lateral raises and for the rotator cuff, as stepping with one foot on the red tube while standing up, and raising both shoulders outwards provides a good 10-15 lbs.



Chest exercises are kind of awkward with this, my door frame is super weak so I don't use the door attachment but I tried what was in the instruction manual and am sticking to pushups.



Also it is great for developing stability, it's a lot harder to keep a stable motion with a cord than with an actual weight.



All in all, I would highly, highly recommend this, but if you're already benching 150+, this is probably just going to keep you toned, but you could probably build the smaller muscles. Also depends on how many handles you can grab at once or how good your grip is if you grab the actual cord. SPRI ES503R Xertube Resistance Band with Door Attachment and Exercise Charts (Purple, Very Heavy)

This band is perfect for those of you who do some recreational resistance or weight training and also travel regularly. If you do a significant amount of muscle training at high weight or resistance, this will not offer much challenge to you. You should be aware before buying this, it is NOT a replacement for going to the gym. I wish it offered more resistance, but it doesn't. You're not going to open the package and find a magical rubber band that somehow gives you 200 pounds of resistance without you tearing your door off it's hinges. No, I'm afraid that fantasy product doesn't exist. This is a fine item for keeping you active if you get bored while watching TV. If you need something to use in a hotel room this is ideal for it's small luggage footprint as well as it's ease of use.



There are a large assortment of exercises that can be done with this band with or without using a door. You can curl it by standing on it and pulling upward, shrug it, do lunges with it, do rows with it (door needed for that one) and simulate pull ups (also needing a door for this one) to a reasonable degree. You can also adjust your own resistance on some exercises that require you to stand on the band by widening your stance. It's a very logical and simple product to use.



I don't recommend the purple band to those new to resistance training. There are other colors representing other weight simulations that you should probably consider, although the pricing is so cheap you can probably get a couple and work your way through them if you really wanted to do that.



A WARNING: Read the directions before you use this. For example, you may be tempted to close the strap for door use into the top part of the door, this is incorrect and could damage your door. You close the strap into the door near a hinge (definitely not near the knob). While this band does not offer much resistance, I strongly suggest wearing shoes when using your feet to provide tension as having it snap back into your face would probably not be a pleasant experience.



To revisit: It's not a gym replacement so don't pretend it is and then be disappointed when you buy it, that's just illogical. It's highly portable. It's highly diverse. It offers decent resistance for recreational or travel use when unable to use a gym or home exercise equipment. It could snap back dangerously if used in ways contrary to those spelled out plainly in the instructions.

This is a good medium band at best, but not even close to being a heavy band. I'm a man, and I use it for several tricep kick back reps. For the average woman, this is a heavy band. My wife uses it for most of her 10 minute trainer exercises, but I only use it for a couple. I found a much heavier black band on amazon, that I highly recommend. To give you an idea about this band; with the biggest loop doing bicep curls, this band equates to MAYBE 20 lbs dumbells. With that other much heavier black band I found; with the same size loop I can barely do 8 reps. I'm guessing its more like 35 lbs and that is a huge difference.

I bought this product around a month ago. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea since I'm unable to go to the gym more than 4 times a week, and that I would probably use this for some heavy resistance, but the very heavy turned out to be much lighter than I thought, and I doubt the Ultra heavy is much of an increase. To be honest I don't really benchpress that much compared to others, around 90 pound dumbells, and I could easily do around 18 reps on the Xertube. Don't get me wrong it's not a bad product except their resistance isn't so resistant. Women and a casual lifters might enjoy this product, and this product can give a great deal of toning, but if you're a heavy lifter, don't count on it for anything other than some light toning. It just doesn't have enough resistance. - Resistance Bands - Excercise Equipment - Exercise Bands - P90x'


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Office Supplies - home office, pencil


My highschooler will only use mechanical pencils. In this day and age teachers don't usually like students to sharpen pencils during class anyway. There a variety of colors. The grips are comfortable. She hasn't complained about the lead breaking like she usually does with mechanical pencils. The plastic seemed a little thin or flimsy to me but she hasn't said anything about them breaking and she is hard on her supplies. She seems very satisfied with them. I would buy them again. BIC Matic Grip Mechanical Pencil, Fine Point (0.5 mm), 12-Count - Mechanical Pencils - Home Office - Pencil - Bic Mechanical Pencils'


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Hitachi Framing Nailer - framing nailer, nail gun


I have other Hitachi products and have found them to be well made and dependable. This nailer is no different. I've used 3-1/4" and 2-1/4" collated round head nails without a hitch. The loading is different from my Grizz gun in that you load from the back. The tension spring must be held back when loading so you have difficulty loading with it being held rather than set down. My Grizz spring locks back and the nails drop in through the top of the ramp.



The Hitachi is easier to unload with the nails sliding back up the ramp as you hold the spring back.



Depth is very easier to set. I use a dedicated air control as well and adjust it to the lowest optimum air pressure to save unnecessary wear and tear. A 100 PSI works well on the long nails- 90 PSI for the 2-1/4" nails.



The tool is fairly light and maneuverable although I could only load two sets of nails even though there was almost room for three. Another 1-1/2" longer ramp and I probably could. I picked up a drier and installed it- Dedicated to the nailer. I have found corrosion in other air tools from moisture in the compressed air especially in humid weather.



I've been giving it about ten drops of oil every time I use it. It isn't a production tool so my use is rarely over two hours at a time.



So far I'm pleased with the purchase although I saw it cheaper right after I bought it! Hitachi NR90AEPR 3-1/2-Inch Full-Head Framing Strip Nailer

I have had the gun for a week and it is an awesome tool. It has loads of power no recoil and a nice placement tip. the trigger is adjustable from bump fire to set fire and its a great gun for the money.



the only bad is that the nails are not the most common nails to find.

I have only been using this nailer for two weeks and it's definitely been one of the best tool choices I've made. During this time it has driven 6,000 3 1/4" stainless ring shank nails into lots of 2 by Pressure Treated. There's really no downside to this nailer that I`ve found. It is very powerful and drives these nails fine as long as the line pressure is at least 100psi. Don't expect a little pancake compressor to feed this rapid fire or you will probably be disappointed. Because I am framing and decking with this gun I found the quick lever adjustment between trigger fire and bump fire to be useful in avoiding unwanted multi-fires. This gun loads very easily, contrary to another review, you can insert your nail strips, then you pull back the tension lever and it will automatically catch after the last nail. I have another 4,000 nails to go for this job and so far it has been a great performer.

Update 4-20-11 I've now put 8,000 3 1/4 SS ring shanks and another 3,000 B & C Eagle 314X120HDR/22 Round Head 3-1/4-Inch by .120-Inch by 20 to 22 Degree Plastic Collated Hot Dipped Galvanized Ring Shank Framing Nail (4,000 per Box)through the gun with no jams and only a couple miss-fires. I am now working away from my big shop compressor and I have borrowed a Bostitch CAP2060P 10.5 Amp 2-Horsepower 6-Gallon Oil-Free Pancake Compressor with a PUR-Hose PUR-38X100 3/8-Inch X 100 Foot Polyurethane 250 PSI Air Hose. It works for about 10 quick shots then you must slow down or even stop while the compressor catches up. I'll shoot another 3,000 stainless and then be done for a while. No problems at all with the nailer

Had to buy a pneumatic framing nailer to replace my Duo-Fast 360 which stopped feeding nails in the middle of a shed half done. Couldn't fix the Duo-Fast without sending it into the shop (Two weeks min.) so looked for the best deal on a replacement that used the same nails. Amazon as usual had the best selection and prices. The Hitachi I bought is excellent and works very good. Strong, (loud but normal) trouble free and the right price.

best framing nailer in its class. out of every gun i have shot the hitachi framing nailers are my first choice. 10,000+ nails in the past few months without a single jam. nail depth is spot on and the gun is light.

I am boggled by negative reviews on the Hitachi NR90AE nailer, have to believe off-brand nails, damaged strip collation and operator error are responsible. I have owned the NR90AE for 3 years, shoot only Hitachi nails and have NEVER had a single jam or miss fire.



Can't shoot 8D and smaller nails? Not for sheathing? ..... Say what? Just shot a box of Hitachi galv 2-3/8" ring shanks into studs through 5/8" sheathing with flawless performance.



Build quality on this "made in Japan" gun is sooooooo superior to all the "made in China" framers out there, super light and balanced, yet powerful with a precise depth of drive adjustment. And you can purchase this high quality tool for less then much of the disposable junk coming out of China, now that's value!



Is it perfect? No, would be nice if Hitachi provided a sky hook and bumpers to protect that beautiful finish and grip sloped surfaces.

I bought this nailer based on brand experience and warranty. However, I was very disappointed. This gun is obviously intended for occasion light use. The first time I took this gun out to the job = After a couple hours of frequent continuous nailing the piston started hanging and nailing was erratic. Often not driving the nails down if at all, misfiring. I think the piston got hot and swelled. I noticed that I could lay the gun down for 10 minutes and it would work well for about a minute. I bought it for the good warranty and due to the good experience I have had with my Hitachi circular saw. But the nailer is going back to the big box store.

Been using this for a week now, shooting varying size nails from framing sinkers to 2-3/8" galvanized ring-shanks. No misfires. Loading is easy. Wish it came standard with a rafter hook, though. I like the depth adjustment - it is fairly consistent in getting the nails flush, although you still have to be careful to keep the head angle and downpressure consistent to ensure consistent depth. Light weight is a good plus. - Nail Gun - Framing Nailer - Hitachi Framing Nailer - Nailer'


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Compact Photo Printer - photo printer, photosmart


I am a photographer so finding a compact printer to take with me is something I need to have at hand. I have the Canon Selphy 510 which takes the ink ribbon and the postcard paper (4x6).



I told myself I would never buy an HP printer since they were never that great. I took the chance and got this one since I had a gift card and figured it was worth investing in it. I wanted a compact printer that prints up to 5x7 and HP was the only one available that did that. When I first printed from it, I didn't like the way the colors printed. It felt like they bled in too much and there was no separation on the colors. However I was printing from my camera to the printer via usb pictbridge. So I did the one thing I should have done in the first place. I went to the colorspace on the printer screen and changed the colorspace to Adobe RGB. The colorspace on my camera was Adobe RGB and when 2 different colorspaces are set you are bond to get colors that don't look good or match what you see on your screen. So by changing the colorspace on the printer (its automatically set to auto) I was able to solve my color problem. Mostly all cameras are set on Adobe RGB. To change the colorspace on your printer go to the wrench icon, next go to PREFERENCES, scroll down until you get to colorspace and select Adobe RGB.



Your images should now print much much better and closer to what you see on your screen. Mine came out even better after changing the colorspace.



Also I have read the other reviews the bad ones too and realize that many people don't seem to do enough research on the printer before they even buy it. I haven't tried the bluetooth yet and wouldn't bother since phone cameras are not so great in the first place and you can't expect the printer to print high quality images from a phone. Its rather annoying when people complain that their phone pictures didn't come out great like the printer would magically fix the crappy camera phone quality. PLEASE!! If you want to print pictures from your phone I recommend the Polaroid PoGo printer for $50 you can get prints at 2x3 which is wallet size and it does print okay. Not 100% excellent but good enough to make you happy to have that little printer.



I love the fact that it takes larger than 4x6 paper, the touch screen rocks and the fact that it came with its own bag is sweet.



Also I recommend buying the ink by itself and getting the paper on sale. People don't seem to realize that they can get the paper on sale for much cheaper than what it costs. I bought a box of 5x7 50 pack for less than $8 and a box of 4x6 for under $10. If you buy things for less you do save more on ink and prints.



The only cons I have with this printer is that it does print a bit slower than I would like for a 5x7. However the print quality is set to best so I would believe that is why it prints slow. If it was set to normal or even fast normal I'm sure the speed would be much faster. I also don't like the fact that it doesn't take compact flash cards but it does accept pictbridge.



All in all I was glad that I like the printer. Also I am still using the ink that came with it. I have already printed 5 5x7 size prints and still have ink to spare, although I am sure I will run out quickly since I am printing larger sizes. It says it can print up to 15 4x6s on the ink that came with it which everyone should know is how all printers are. I also think that they based it on normal printing not BEST printing quality.



*Read the whole specifications about the printer before you buy so you know what it is saying. I hear too many people complaining how the printer doesn't have this or that, well you should have read what it comes with before you buy it! Its called research. That's why I got this because I liked what it said and was worth a shot buying. HP Photosmart A646 Compact Photo Printer (CC001A#B1H)

I bought a few HP printers years back. Switched to Canon for the next 4 because they are more consumer friendly in the matter of ink cartridges. My wife bought this HP Photosmart A646 today. Read the fine print, buyer. The included ink cartridge is "introductory". We got about 12 prints out of it, not counting of course the failed ink first print and the finals that discolor. Buy a cartrdige too when you buy this printer.



I was bluntly reminded of HP's arrogance. It costs them next to NOTHING to include a normal cartridge v.s. an "introductory" one with the new printer purchased. And its a given they will appreciate good profits on the cartridges we will be buying for it in the future. It never ceases to amaze me that a corporation that is stingy, gouging and manipulative believes I would overlook such an attitude when readying to purchase my next laptop, or other computing gear. The fact is, my near term next purchase - a netbook - will NOT be an HP because of such now recalled HP arrogance. Their behavioral choice - my choice with my money.



After 12 prints the printer seems fine for my wife - ease of use and output, although she had trouble getting it to see devices via its bluetooth - more trouble than for the devices she was pairing to it. We'll see how it goes longer term. - Hp - Photosmart - Compact Photo Printer - Photo Printer'


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Highly Recommended - lcd mount, tv mount


This product comes with various size screws to fit virtually any TV. Just make sure to measure the distance of the mounting holes on the back of your TV prior to ordering it. I mounted our TV in a bedroom wall stud. I reccommend that after locating your wall stud you predrill a hole and then put a bit of bar soap on the threads of the mounting screws. This makes installation way easier. I very much like the articulating arm and adjustment screws on the mount that allow one to position the TV at virtually any angle for easy viewing. I am 100% satisfied with this sturdy product. When not viewing the TV can be "folded in" so that it is close to the wall and not an obstacle for any other activity in the room. VideoSecu Articulating LCD LED TV Wall Mount Aluminum Alloy Bracket for VESA 100 Flat Screen Monitor TV 1EC

I mounted an 22 lb. monitor on this with the included hardware and haven't had any problems. The extension feature is great, and I'm surprised how solid the swivel mounting is- it's easy to adjust and stays right where I leave it. I store it flat against the wall and can pull it out and adjust the screen for any seat in the room. This was a great buy!

This arm is nicely made... its quality exceeded my expectations...

I'm only going to verify other reviews:

The screws it comes with are fine

-it does take a bit to get balanced but you shouldn't have to unscrew it -from the wall.. there is some play in the mount that hits the monitor and the joint that allows you to pivot the monitor angle left and right.

-Very quick to install (after finding the stud about 3 minutes)

-can definitely handle my 23 inch computer monitor

-very adjustable

a good buy for anyone on a budget

This is an excellent wall mount for an lcd/flat panel monitor or flat panel TV. It easily attached to the back of my Samsung 2433 monitor VESA mount and to the wall stud behind my computer desk using the screws/bolts that were inlcuded with the mount with no problems. It was completly painless. It is very well made and holds the monitor very solidly. It is not height adjustable, so make sure you attach it to the wall at the height you want it to be. It does tilt up and down which allows for fine tuning your vertical viewing angle, and pivots left and right as well. While not necessary, adding a bit of lube to the pivot points makes it move even smoother. For the price, it would be hard to do better. I am completely satisfied.

Great product for the price. This type and quality is double the cost in retail stores. I read the reviews before buying and now that I own it, would agree with the positive reviews. Product was shipped as promised. Very pleased.

This is a GREAT little wall mount! Easy to install, easy to use, love it! It moves in/out, left/right and up/down. It does everything you could need/want and you cannot beat the price. If you have a smaller TV and you're wondering what mount to buy, this is the one. I would definitely recommend it. - Tv Mount - Lcd Wall Mount - Wall Mount - Lcd Mount'


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Lens Filter - digital slr, 58mm filter


Looking through it with the naked eye reveals no distortions or imperfections. This is a genuine multi-coated UV filter (test this by looking at a reflection of a light source on its surface: a perfect reflection indicates no coating, a dim reflection indicates a single coating, and a green reflection indicates multiple coatings). Multiple coatings yield greater light transmission through the glass, and less glare, but (and this affects all multi-coated filters from all companies) also pick up dust, fingerprints, and condensation very easily (just holding it on the metal ring with your fingers causes condensation from your perspiration). Hoya 58mm UV (Ultra Violet) Multi Coated Glass Filter

Great filter, good build, glass, multicoated, not overpriced. Everything a filter should be. I've bumped the edge of this filter against hard surfaces more than once and it has not bent the aluminum ring or damaged the lens it was attached to. Good product.

This item turned out to be the right quality and the right price for me (I bought two of them for two lenses). Research convinced me to buy a lens filter that had multi coating on it to go with the lenses that are multi coated. These had good reviews and a reasonable price, so I gave them a try. They showed up in good shape, went on easily, and are now doing exactly what they should be doing... protecting my camera without me noticing the difference.

I bought this item after seeing all the rave reviews for it and have to say I'm a bit disappointed. While the filter itself is fine when brand new, it scratches and smudges easier than most filters I've had at this price point (though it is also optically superior). I have no complaints about the smudges as they come off with some cleaning which is needed for any UV filter at some point, but the scratches render this product useless very quickly. I recommend the Hoya Super HMC Haze UV(0) series over this one in a heartbeat. I don't believe the Super series costs that much more (~$45 for a 67mm filter), and it is much more scratch resistant due to the excellent multi-coated glass.

First thing is first: In terms of optical clarity, this filter gets a 5/5. If you have a good lens, you are screwing yourself if you put a cheap, uncoated filter in front of it. So in that respect, this is a great product.



But secondly, I knew the multi-coated surface was delicate, but, DAMN! I made every effort I could to be careful with the filter from the second I removed it from the case. I took it out in my back yard for about twenty minutes to test out both the filter and my new lens. By the time I got back inside, the glass was fine, but there was a thin 'scratch' in the multi-coating that I could see when I held it up to the light. I don't even know what happened to it because I THOUGHT I was being extremely careful. I haven't noticed anything in my photos yet, but it bugs me that part of the filter isn't multi-coated now. I'm now scared to take my filter anywhere outdoors!



Bottom line: Great filter if you're going to use it under very well-controlled conditions. But if you ever expect ANYTHING solid to accidentally brush the front of your lens, try to consider another solution (maybe an uncoated filter)

I hope I read other reviews about multicoated UV filter much early. I use a normal ... UV Haze filter on my kit lens since the first day, 2 years ago! I can take some sharp pictures, but always feel a masking over the picture and have to use software to touch up. To attack glare I even bought a flower shaped hood. With this Hoya HMC zipped on, I can tell it's more clear through now. Adorama standard shipping is lightning fast. From placing order to getting the filters only took 4 days, including a weekend.

The Hoya Multi-coated filter does not get in the way of excellent photograhps. Cannot detect any reflections or extraneous light from the glass, I cannot detect any difference in image quality in photographs taken with and without the filter. I consider it to be a high quality filter at least for the photo enthusiast.

The Hoya is affordable and seems to be very good quality

This was the most affordable "multi-coated" filter I could find to protect my lens. The next time you're in a camera shop, do a visual comparison between a single and multi-coated filter.



My order with Amazon shipped fast and arrived in perfect condition



Here's an intersting discussion "Do I need multi-coated filters vs mono-coated?"

http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000Vya

Let me preclude this review by saying I sometimes can be obsessive-compulsive. But even so, this filter is very hard to clean! It is well built and has excellent optics but I probably went through half of my lens cleaning tissue and I'm still not satisfied with how I cleaned this filter. The problem is the filter streaks even after you clean it. I tried different types of cleaners including pre-moistened wipes and even my sensor cleaners but I can't clean this filter to my satisfaction. I ended up actually not using a filter on my lens because of the streaking issue. If you want to read more about this, just google "hoya hard to clean". I'll probably buy B+H if I decide I'd like to use a UV filter. - Lens Filter - Hoya - Digital Slr - 58mm Filter'


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Coffee Maker - light weight, gsi


We recently bought the GSI Personal Coffee Press along with the GSI manual grinder for use in making small daily coffee batches at home and when we camp. They work very well in both situations, which is pretty remarkable.



The Personal Java Press combines a reasonably durable and effective 2-3 cup plastic coffee press with a 1-1.5 cup insulated mug that nests inside for transport. The nesting feature makes this a fairly space efficient and very weight efficient coffee maker and mug combination for 1-2 people to use while camping. The capacity is also perfect for the individual or couple who needs fresh coffee every morning and doesn't like reheating old coffee from a larger automatic mater. (We have a 12 cup automatic drip, that really doesn't make good coffee in quantities smaller than 4 cups.) It works well using ground coffee, but you do get a small amount of sediment. You do get less sediment using a courser grind, and the Press works very well with the GSI hand grinder when you set it at a medium peculator grind (only a little courser than high volume store brands but a lot courser than a fresh ground drip or espresso grind).



The cylindrical shape and lack of a protruding spout means that some of the coffee you pour soaks into foam insulation, so it is best to do the pouring over a spill friendly counter. The cylindrical cup is also very difficult to drink from without dripping because it has no lip. The lid for both the cup and the press work well for keeping heat in without taking up space, but are a compromise between preventing spills and allowing access for pouring or sipping. Basically I would suggest the cup is very useful for camping, and just too messy and awkward for use as a regular mug at home or as a travel mug separate from the press.



If I were rating this for value as a coffee system for car camping for a couple, I would give this a 5-plus. As either a 1 or 2 person home coffee system or a backpacking system it rates a 4. Overall, as a compliment to a larger coffee maker (for company) I would rate it a 4.5.



I bought this product for its price, my previous experience with GSI products and because there are two articles in one, the press and the mug. The last one can be placed within the first one to save space, and well, when you camp one important point is to save space, no matter if you are backpacking or doing car camping. In general other reviewers have already said many things about this product, but overall I have had no problems when I serve the coffee to one cup or to the included mug. I pour the coffee mug in a "normal" way, but carefully as you normally would do it with any other french press, no hurries and have not had problems spilling coffee when serving the coffee in my mug.



Another important feature is that in my experience, there's no a 100% efficient java presses (french presses) to prevent sediments from coffee beans in to the bottom of the mug. There are some better than others, but no 100% effective when filtering the liquid. This coffee is one of the best I've ever had. The filter (mesh) fits very well into the container and the pores or holes of the mesh are small enough to make a decent job with the sediments.



The coffee stays hot for a while. I guess this is due in part to the lid of the mug and the neoprene cover, but if you want to have a hot coffee for over several hours this is not the product you need, get a thermo with the java press instead.



However, something I did not like is that the lid that comes with the mug is not very comfortable to drink from it, at least not for me. It could be better if GSI make a lid similar to those regular lids or covers provided in the cups that you get in a regular coffee shop. However, so far at this time the liquid has not drained out of my lips and my clothes have remained without coffee stains.



I gave 4 stars because this lid issue. But in general is undoubtedly one of the best products that you can get, whether for home or camping, so it is highly recommended.



By the way, measures of the coffee press are: 5.5" (h) x 4" (diameter)

If you enjoy your multi day backpacking/hiking and you must have your coffee, this is an awesome product. Now Im not a super ultra lightweight backpacker enthusiest, but I try to keep the weight down as much as possible. There are more weight effecient ways to make coffee but this is super conveinent and works great. I always bring it with me on my multi day hikes and put it in my pack- its a good buy-

As long as you have the means of heating some water, this is a great coffee maker for camping, especially if you are making coffee for just one person (although I'd say it makes enough for two, but only comes with one cup). I like the way the coffee cup nests inside the maker to save space and it's very quick and easy to assemble. My only complaint is that it seemed to dribble a little bit each time I poured the coffee from the maker into the cup. May have been user error...perhaps I didn't have the lid on quite right. Over all, I definitely recommend this. - Light Weight - Coffee Press - Gsi - Coffee Maker - Travel Press'


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