Utility Hooks

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The command strips are amazing. This hook will support 7 pounds. We use ours to hand up coats on the door. I've never had one leave a mark on my walls or doors. We use them to hang stuff in the bathroom and decorations outside too. The elements don't seem to effect them.



Because this one can support so much weight, we mounted it on a door. I'm not sure I'd trust drywall or the paint to support that kind of weight.



Make sure you follow the directions. The surface should be clean and dry.



These are great for apartments and dorms. I highly recommend them. Command 17004 Jumbo Plastic Hook with Adhesive Strips, 1 Hook 4 Strips

I have been using Command hooks for all kinds of things and have a set that has been holing handbags on my bedroom wall for over a year now! I use one of these Jumbo Command hooks for my largest handbag. It's very heavy leather bag, with a very thick leather shoulder strap. I needed a hook this size to handle it's weight, and it has done so beautifully.



Mounted to the right surface, this hook could easily handle large items like electrical cords, outerwear, bathrobes, snow-pants, tote bags, several hangers filled with clothing, large wet towels (think coming in from swimming), and so many other possibilities.



Finally a way to hang even large items, without damaging any walls!

I use these hooks in my entry closet and in my bedroom closet for big/bulky and heavy objects. I weighed my heaviest bag + contents, and it came to over 6 lbs (3M states it can hold up to 7 1/2 lbs). The hook is wider than the other smaller hooks out there; I'd recommend it for backpacks, brief-bags, beach totes/contents, etc. I've also used these hooks previously for bathroom towels, but also have used the large-size without problems either.

We just bought a house that has hollow core bathroom doors. A like to think of myself as a DIY-type guy and was initially skeptical of an adhesive-based hook, but there aren't too many good mounting options for hollow doors that I'm aware of, so I tried these for hanging bathroom towels. It's been a week and so far, so good.

I have purchased several of these hooks for a walk-in pantry.

It comes one hook in a box and, although the description is true to state that you receive 4 strips, you need 2 strips/ hook so you only really get one spare set.



THE PLUSES:

* DOES THE JOB: even installed on not completely smooth surfaces (hollow door with wooden pattern and knock-down finished/painted wall), these hooks glue strong. I have tested the hooks with up to 10lbs and they did not bulge.

* Easy to install on clean and dry surface following the instructions, about 2-3 minutes/ hook.

* Wide hooks allow to hang bulky coats, several chef jackets, etc...

* Does come off the surfaces without leaving any residue, although it takes some strength and care to pull perfectly downward.



THE MINUSES:

* It is really utilitarian: pretty ugly to look at and comes in white plastic only. I would not use these hooks in plain view.

* The hook is very wide so it's possible that some items hang strangely from it. It should not be an issue for most items but shape could be altered on delicate materials.



I wish these jumbo hooks came in more attractive design/color but overall, I am very satisfied as they really do the job and hold at least the stated amount of weight. I would buy again and recommend.

My wife is on somewhat of an organizing kick and we bought several of these hooks for our mudroom. Installation is very easy; the instructions are very clear. You just need to clean the surface with alcohol first (I used an alcohol wipe), let it dry, then attach the provided strip of tape to the back of the hook, peel off the backing, then press the hook against the wall. It is a pleasure not to have to drill or use screws. And the adhesive certainly appears to be very strong.

The hook was not what I thought it would be. The hook was too large for the items I wanted to hang on it. This was not evident in the picture or description of the hook. The installation was perfect, but I will not get my moneys work out of the hooks. Great if you want to hang towels.'

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Impact Wrenches - impact wrenches, 18 volt

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Good tool and price but one problem, the socket retaining device broke the very first time I used it.

The impact socket wouldn't come off for anything the first time, I ended up putting the socket in a vice and pounding the socket off with a punch and hand sledge though the center of the socket. Retainer parts flew when it finally busted loose. Don't think there was anything I could have done differently. I'm sure I could send the unit back but it seems to hold the sockets on just fine without the retainer. Besides I don't see how a replacement wrench would be any different.



As far as strength goes, it was able to break a 8" long 3/8" lag bolt in half. I've been grabbing it every time since I got instead of my 1/2" IR pneumatic impact. It's been able to break loose tractor tire lug nuts that were torqued to 250 ft/lbs.

Hard to beat that. Bare-Tool DEWALT DW059B 1/2-Inch 18-Volt Cordless Impact Wrench (Tool Only, No Battery)

I own a business where we source vehicle parts for various shops - obsolete parts, discontinued parts, and when we're unable to locate NOS parts - used parts. I purchased this impact to replace another cordless impact that died, for mobile-use in areas where power is not available and extension cords are impractical (e.g. body shops, salvage yards, etc.).



While I've found this impact wrench to be more than capable, it has two major short-comings for those considering a battery operated impact for shop/professional use.



First, the anvil incorporates a detent pin, for retaining the socket. This makes the placing/changing a socket on the impact difficult, for most sockets. While those sockets with considerable wear usually go-on without much fight, most sockets either have to be forced onto the anvil, or the detent pin has to be manually depressed to get the socket to slip over the pin. Removing the socket can be even more problematic, if the detent pin is accidently placed into the retainer-hole that is drilled into most impact sockets. You must use a small diameter phillips or torx screwdriver to manually depress the detent pin, before it will release the socket.



Second, the "trigger" switch is non-standard and functionally poor in design. Unlike most impacts, the switch is a pivoting type of rocker-switch that is approximately 2" in length. This requires you to either reposition your hand to change from removing a bolt/nut to tightening a bolt/nut - or to use your index finger for removal and ring-finger to tighten. Several people "inadvertently" used the impact in the wrong direction before getting use to the rocker-switch, and in one case significant shop-time was wasted extracting a bolt that was sheared as a result.



To the positive, this impact is very strong when it comes to bolt/nut removal. I've had it remove 32mm axle-nuts, where a 25" breaker bar could not "break" the axle-nut loose after repeated tries - and this was not on a fresh battery. I routinely use it to remove pinch-bolts (spindles), subframe bolts (front wheel drive transmissions), and U-bolts (rear axle assemblies), without any significant problem.



Overall, I rate this cordless impact as follows:



- Ability (5) outperforms other battery-operated impacts in the same price and torque range



- Design (3) detent pin significantly increases time required to change sockets; the rocker-switch can be difficult for some to adapt to - especially when you routinely change between an air-impact and cordless-impact.



- Price (5) performs nearly as well as higher-priced cordless impacts, such as Milwaukee and Snap-On



- Useability (3) again due to the added time required to change impact sockets (detent pin) and non-standard trigger-switch, it detracts from use in situations where the socket must be frequently changed.



If DeWalt were to produce this same cordless impact with a hog-ring type retaining anvil, as well as a single-pull switch and separate directional switch - like the DC823B - I could see this becoming the defacto standard in mid-range cordless impact wrenches.



Overall, I rate the DeWalt DW059B/K Impact Wrench a (4).

This dewalt dw059B model has the highest torque of any cordless impact wrench I could find online; it even has higher torque than some of the cheaper air impact wrenches I found in the local stores in my area.



I purchased it specifically to remove a rusted anode rod and inlet nib from my 14-year-old water heater; the dewalt impact wrench loosened up both items after only 15 seconds. (By comparison, I wasn't able to make either the anode rod or the inlet nib budge even with a large socket wrench, breaker bar, and plenty of PB Blaster.)



I couldn't be happier with my new dewalt DW059B -- it has exceeded my expectations.

First of all, I never had air before. So I bought this instead of buying compressor and the hole nine yards.



I already had a 18v dewalt drill with a nicad battery. The battery is about 1 year old with not much use. At first when receiving this impact drill, I felt weak power so right away I made sure by fully charging the battery I had and trying it out. It worked well, but with automotive you know there are some stubborn bolt/nuts because of normal oxidation and things. So I would use heat/breaker bar then this which worked fine.



So just a month ago I bought the new dewalt lithium-ion battery with charger. Charged the battery and it sat for like 2 weeks. Finally had some work to do on a car where my elcheapo air tools frustrated me. Pulled out the impact drill and plugged in the new battery.



This beast blasted nuts off that I even had a hard time with a 18 inch breaker bar(more to do with position clearance; I have some guns on my arm).



So I came to the part where I put the new parts in. Normally I would torque to specs but I would at least use the drill to get close where i don't need to ratchet. I accidentally broke a bolt with this drill. It works so fast that I wasn't able to release and sure enough it snapped off the bolt with nut. Luckily it was an easy fix but I just wanted to warn people not to underestimate the ft pounds mentioned on this tool.



great job dewalt and great job amazon for price and delivery. - 18v - Impact Wrenches - Cordless - 18 Volt'

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Melissa  doug - letters, spelling

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My 3 1/2 year old daughter got this from Santa for Christmas, along with a few other Melissa & Doug sets. We are big fans of this toy company, so far all the sets we have purchased have been durable and well made, my daughter loved her alphabet puzzle with sound from last year, it still works great and looks brand new.

We got around to opening this set today, and she was all excited, and started to spell out several boards at once...then I discovered the problem, there were no letter "e" in the box, or "a"...only one each of the "d" and "o" letters. So being a long time purchaser of their products, called the number listed on the sticker on the back, and immediately was connected with a LIVE human being, no computer nonsense telling me to press 1 then press 2...that alone was amazing, lol...and the woman I spoke with took all the info quickly, and then without any hesitation told me a new set would be out to my daughter today...no asking me to return the defective set, she was quick, efficent, and very pleasant. This one problem with the set would not have turned me off to their toys, but with such quality customer service I am an even bigger fan than ever of this toy company... Melissa & Doug See & Spell

My 2 year old son is on the Autism Spectrum and tends to think in a very visual manner. He absolutely adores this toy! When I saw the recommended age, I was a bit hesitant, but I'm so glad that I went ahead and got it!

Not impressed with this toy. Good concept very poor execution. We have owned this toy about two weeks. Specifically the top color laminate of the letters is falling off about 25% of the letters. The storage box is poorly made with cheap materials. I would not recommend this toy.

I bought this for my 2yr. old (just turned 3), she loves it! She already knows most of her letters in uppercase, these letters are all lowercase so it is a whole new learning experience for her. She enjoys finding the letters and doing the puzzle, then telling me what it says.



There are 10 two sided sturdy wooden spelling boards and over 70 wooden letters included. The boards all have a picture of the word they are writing. This is an excellent way to teach your child how to spell as well as letter recognition.



We have a few other puzzles by Melissa nd Doug and we love them all, they make quality sturdy toys.



It says it's for ages 4 and up but my daughter loves it. It's never to early to learn letters and spelling, my little one just turned 3 and she can spell her name and has starting learning to write it as well.

We bought several different Melissa and Doug toys and we love them but on all of them, only after a week of play, the paint is coming off various pieces. On the letters, I can already see white where the red paint used to be on this toy. I'm disappointed, however, I surmise given the lead-paint scare last year that perhaps the company switched paint products and they are just not as durable but safe. I still caution, as your child may end up putting paint chips in their mouth. Or getting it on their hands. I'm going to write to the company to ask about their lack of paint durability; as with three toys and only a week's worth of play I should expect better.

My 5 year old likes to play with this toy, but the problem is the lack of a lid for the box. The letters fall out and it is a big pain to take in the car. For a Melissa & Doug toy, I'm suprised that the storage is so poor.

This toy is ok. The puzzles are fun, and my 4 year old enjoys them from time to time. It doesn't keep his attention very long. The part I don't like is the storage. The box the puzzles and letters come in is not very sturdy, and there is no lid over top of the letters. It would be nice to have a snap on cover so the letters would be easier to keep track of.

My 3.5 year old enjoys this puzzle very much. He matches the letter puzzle pieces into the words, he knows most of the photos by name so when he builds the word he sees how "Frog" is spelled. A very good learning tool. My only problem with it is that there isn't a cover to keep all the letter pieces together. I store them in a gallon zipper bag and fold it down and they still fit in the alotted letter area and they don't go flying everywhere when my son takes it down from the shelf :-)

My grandson is just under three and he loves doing these puzzles. I placed the letters for each two sided puzzle in a small plastic bag and printed the words on the label of each bag.Enough letters come with the puzzles to do this with a few extra letters left over. In this way, it is easier for a young preschooler to be successful. I began letting him choose the puzzle and giving him the correct bag with the letters in it. He has progressed to the point that he can find the correct bag of letters himself by looking at the labels on the bags. He puts the letters back in the bag after he has done a puzzle. He seems to have no problem with the effort this organization requires and is learning quite a few sight words. Happily, he thinks this is a lot of fun and it beats having letters all over the house.

I too, was a little hesitant when we saw the age (my daughter is not yest 3), but I knew it was something she'd enjoy since she's learning to read. Not only has this toy been an awesome tool, she just LOVES playing with it - every morning she wakes up wanting to "spell"! I'd recommend this toy to kids of any age interested in learning to read! - Puzzles - Melissa  doug - Spelling - Letters'

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Co2 Detector - air quality

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Purchased one of these for my office. Worried the CO2 level was too high, suprised to discover it was too low! The outsde air damper in the building was stuck open, so we were running the furnace 24/7. Fixed it and the utility bill dropped. Neat! Indoor Air Quality Meter - CO2, Temperature, Realitive Humidity

This unit seems to be working very well. The response of CO2 readings is very fast. One undesired feature is that it flashes light (from inside). It's a very small light and may be easily covered up, but still it is not a good feature if someone wants a total darkness for some periods of time. Among 3 humidity meters that I tested it gives the highest reading (at least 5% higher than the others), but may be the other 2 are wrong (one is built in a dehumidifier, and another an inexpensive digital device).

Every family alreay has a temporature/humidity meter, costing $10. So this product only gives you a CO2 function, but even this function overlaps with Smoke/Carbon-Minoxide detector. Therefore the CO2 meter has minimal add-on usage. The price [...] is a joke. [...] price may attract a hobby scientist like me to buy. - Air Quality'

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Gothic Church - spider-man, computer

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Hi, I've played pretty much every Spider-Man game that's been made from the Activision Spider-Man game for the PS1 through the Spider-Man Movie title games and now Spider-Man 3, and this one definatly tops the list thus far.



First off, for those of you who may worry if this game is the same as the console version or not, no worries, this game for the PC is identical to it's game console counterparts, with the exception of the Collectors Edition which includes an unlockable Goblin character.



Now about playability and performance on a PC. I've also played this game on the Sony PS3, and on my computer, not only does it look just as good, it most definately runs better. I have the game set on 1900x1200 reolution with all the detail options maxed out and the game runs flawlessly. Also much to my surprise, I didn't even need to program my Logitech Rumble Pad 2 (PS2 Style Controller, as the game already had presets for it already made. So not only does this game look and run better than on the console, it controls identically as well.



Now you may be asking, what kind of PC do I have that it runs so well, good question. I'm running an AMD Athlon 64 4000+, FOXCONN Geforce 8800 GTS 640MB version (the 320 MB version should do fine for those of you running below 1900 resolutions), 3 Gigabytes of PC3200 DDR RAM, Soundblaster 2 ZS, and my HDD's are in RAID 0 (Yes, Raid is the way to go for improved Hard Disk Speed), and I have a 21" CRT Monitor.



Okay, now that I've got some of the technical stuff out of the way, here's a little about the game. I havn't completed the game yet but here are my impressions thus far.



Game Play:



The game play is awesome, New York City is rendered wonderfully, and is the best looking so far in the series. This game is "Sand Box" Style, meaning it's completly free roam leaving you to do whatever missions or tasks you want to do, in any order. The web swinging is amazing and not hard to get used to. It really gives you the feeling of what it would be like to web swing around the city.



Controls / Fighting: The fighting, if you'd like to learn the combo's can be great, or you can just button mash your way through the game, if you don't wish to memorize the various combination of button pression for specific combos. As Spider-Man you also have something called "Spider-Reflexes" which when activated, slows everything down and enables you to dodge enemy attacks and unleash more devastating combos. There are also come parts of the game, to get through specific areas of the game or cut scenes, the button number of a specific button will flash on screen, and you will need to hit the buttons in sequence as they appear, or fail. It may take a couple of trys sometime, but it's not hard.



Missions: There's quite a lot to do in this sprawling city, and not only can you go around the city, you can also go under it, yes you heard me right, there's the full NYC Subway system, as well as sewer systems in the game, for more free roam and mission enjoyment.



Pulling up the map screen shows you where to go to see where the missions are, if you select a mission (to find it more easily) an arrow will appear when you exit out of the map, showing you how to get to that location and the distance to it. The Map view also shows you where various challenges, and races are in the game, as well as what are good areas for crime fighting.



There are many mission types in the movie, some that are related to the story line of the movie, as well as original mission story line / content. The missions can be fun, diverse and challening. You also have puzzles like bomb disarming.





Final Thoughts and Conclusion (for now):



So here's the summary, if you have a decent computer / video card then don't hesitate to run out and buy this for the PC, don't dispair if you don't have the best computer, because you can change the resultion, and various detail settings to better suit the needs of many computer types / configurations. 1 GB of RAM is required and at least a 2.8GHZ P4 or equivelant. The game runs beautifully on my system, and looks and controls better than the PS3 verion I tried. The missions are fun and varied and gives you plenty to do in the game. The fully rendered city, and web swinging / wall crawling is within it self so much fun it's worth getting this game.





On a side note:

For those who comment about PC Games needing patches, may be true of some games / programs but certainly not all games / programs. Als also more and more console based games have been needing "Pathes" themselves lately. I personally would much rather be running a PC game where I have more flexability to do what I want with it, and have more easily available upgrades, patches and upgrades to a program if and when they should become available. Spider-Man 3

I have played Spiderman 3 the game once, but not on my computer. It has great graphics and compared to Spiderman 1 or 2 the game Spiderman 3 is much better. I personally think the it is the best Spiderman game ever made for a PC. The game comes on a DVD and for that you will have to have 6 GB of free space for installation. I do not give it 6 stars because of the massive amount of system requirements. This is designed for people who are wiling to pay $200 on upgrading their machines. Even a 3 year old computer can easily play Flight Simulator X which has more scenery and takes more that 15 GB of space, but it cannot play Spiderman 3. Most of the people I know cannot play this game on their machines. I know only one person that can play this game. I can place a bet that only 20% of the buyers that bought Spiderman 3:The Game, can actually play this game on their machines.



System requirements:



DirectX 9

256 Onboard Memory

Capable of T&L (Transform & Lightning)

Shader Model 3.0

Pentium 4

2.8 GHz or 2800 Processor

1024 MB of RAM for Windows 2000/XP

1536 MB of RAM for Windows Vista.

6 GB of free space.

(to Play the game you MUST have everything, so check before purchasing)



Maneuvering Spiderman 3 is not that hard. To shoot a web and swing you will have to press the middle mouse button (the wheel on the mouse). To shoot the next web you will have to press the button again. You can maneuver and do tricks in the air. It is hard to fight because to make a move you will have to right-click three times, or left- click three times. During the game you will be able to upgrade you webbing and unlocking super moves. The player will have the privilege of having all New York City and that's not all, the player will also have the sewers and the subway. [...]. - Gothic Church - Spider-man - Pc Game - Computer'

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Canon Digital Camera

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For serious photography, I prefer a big, heavy digital SLR. But where my goal is not photography but I want a camera along for snapshots, I use this.



I expected to buy a Lumix LX-series or Canon S95 - both attempts to match the capabilities of a SLR as much as possible in an easily-pocketable camera. But as I kept reading the reviews I got more confused, until I remembered the basic laws of physics haven't been repealed.



To roughly summarize the camera review sites, all major-brand subcompacts do a good job in bright light. The differentiators are low light, flash, performance, and manual control. And when you read carefully, you realize there's not a lot of practical difference here either. But there's no way to compare them without exaggerating the differences, which makes them sound more significant than they really are.



LOW LIGHT

In low light, digital cameras increase the ISO, which means the weak signal coming from the sensor is amplified. This also amplifies noise, which causes an overall grainy look and, in dark areas, colored confetti. I don't expect any camera to work well in low light; this goes for pro-level DSLRs and film cameras as well. So paying extra for a camera that's really bad in low light rather than terrible doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It's a lot like choosing sunglasses based on their performance in dim light, or a screwdriver for its ability to drive a nail.



FLASH

For flash, a commercial photographer typically uses a power pack that may draw 15 amps AC and power multiple heads which range in size from 4" diameter to over 36". Subcompact cameras have ridiculously small batteries and tiny flash tubes (typically under 0.2 sq inches) located at the worst possible place: near the lens. It amazes me that any of them work as well as they do. Do I really care that one extends to 13 feet and another only 11.75? There have been times where I'd wished for a more powerful flash, but I'm thinking an extra 30 feet; I wouldn't notice an extra 2 or 3.



The A3000 flash will synch any ordinary slave flash if you turn off the red-eye feature in the camera. It won't meter it, however, so it's easy to wash out the picture. I believe this is true for all Canon subcompacts.



PERFORMANCE

When prefocused, picture-to-picture processing time is barely noticeable -- less than half a second. When you include focusing time, less than 2.5 seconds. It's faster with the continuous shot option, which does not refocus between exposures. This is respectable, and more than enough for my needs. To keep up with a very active child or pet, you might want faster performance. Tested with 4 GB Lexar Platinum II 9MB/sec SDHC.



MANUAL CONTROL

I use manual control on my SLR most of the time. I had it on my last two subcompacts, and seldom used it. The A3000 doesn't have it. The only time I missed it was using slave flash. If I'm out with the family, I don't want to be thinking like a photographer, so the camera will probably make better decisions. And manual control is less convenient on a subcompact because of the ergonomic compromises necessary for such a small camera. Nice to have, but as processors get smarter, less important.



MEGAPIXELS

The best professional color printers print 90,000 dots per square inch. That means it takes 4 x 6 x 90,000 = 2.2 megapixels for a 4 x 6 print. 5 x 7 = 3.2 megapixels. 8 x 10 = 7.2 megapixels. Higher megapixels increase image file size and shot-to-shot delay (while the camera compresses the image and writes it out to the card). The only advantage to "higher resolution" than that required for your final print: you can crop the picture a bit without losing any picture quality. The A3000 is 10 meg; if they had a 6 meg version, it would be a better camera. Canon knows this; they also know megapixels are a lot easier to sell.



SENSOR SIZE

Bigger is better, but more important than sensor size is pixel size - the larger the pixels the higher the dynamic range, which means more detail in very bright and very dark areas. It usually means better low-light performance and less noise because of other engineering choices available because of the larger pixels.



The difference in sensor size between this and some of the more expensive small cameras (S95) seems significant until you put it into perspective. The pixel size of a Canon S95 is 6% that of a 12-meg professional DSLR (FX format). A3000 is 4%. Given the dynamic range and low-light performance of a pro DSLR isn't that great, I don't see any reason to pay a premium for 6% vs 4%.



CONCLUSION

My ideal small camera - pocketable, usably large viewfinder (I can accept a smaller LCD), 5-6 megapixels, manual control, image stabilization (small cameras are hard to hold steady), not cluttered with silly features - is no longer made. If a camera manufacturer wants me to spend more, they're going to have to come closer to that; more megapixels won't do it.



Until then, I'm OK with the A3000. Pictures are excellent for a subcompact. Flash even in a big room is more than acceptable for on-camera flash, focus is quick and remarkably adept at identifying the right subject, image stabilization works as well as I'd hoped. Controls are well laid out and intuitive. LCD is bright and clear, even outdoors. The shutter release could be more prominent, and I may attach a thin rubber disk to make it easier to find by feel.



The A3000 doesn't looking expensive, so subjects tend to ignore it. And I'm more likely to take it along because it if gets damaged or lost, or encounters the uneconomical-to-repair "lens error" that seems to afflict all brands, it's not a big deal. Manual is pdf file on disk, also available on-line. Camera made in Malaysia. 1-year limited warranty. Canon PowerShot A3000IS 10 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD'

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Force Feedback - gamepad, pc gamepad

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I had this unit for about a month, used it to play Half Life, and Need for Speed 2 Underground. Outstanding performance in both cases. I'm running a dell p4 2.GHz 512mb WinXP Pro SP2. Easy installation, no problems of any kind so far. The original batteries are still going strong. Hope this review is helpful. Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 with Vibration Feedback (Black)

I was very skeptical about these at first. They looked cheap and I was not sure how long it was going to last. Let me tell you, they are great!



I purchased two of them to play the new Lego Star Wars with my son and I am utterly blown-away as to how much more relaxed we are when we play. No more cords!!!! Its been over 9+ weeks of use at nearly every day and neither sets of batteries has died yet, and thats using the cheap-O's included with the pads!



I did get hung-up trying to configure them at first. PLease understand that their software works great and you need it for the rumble effect, *HOWEVER* the software was designed with the assumption that you only have ONE gamepad. It is next to impossible to configure two gamepads using their software. I finally figured it out by uninstalling their software and simply letting Windows XP discover the devices and going to the game(s) and configuring the pads there. Most games allow you to do this by simply changing the keyboard layout from a certain set of keys to whatever you input. So if a game is set to use "W" as its up key, simply press enter and the game waits for you to press any key that will represent the new layout. So go to your gamepad and press the UP stick. Windows will auto-populate the field with the proper settings. Very nice!



I highly recommend this device. Its VERY durable and cleans well (sticky fingers) not to mention it is GREAT to play a two player game from over 10 feet away in bean-bags as opposed to stiff chairs bound by cords! Buy this product now!



Update: 9/2008 : It's been 2 years since I've had these. Well: I STILL HAVE THEM! Did I mention I have TWO boys? They work these things HARD and they still operate as expected. Logitech made a VERY reliable controller. They still sell em so it's a good thing. YAY!

Aside from the convenience of cordless (I'm now trying to kick the habit of constantly moving the now non-existent cord out of the way), there are other reasons to like this controller. Some complain about the weight, but it doesn't seem too heavy to me. With the batteries installed, it has just the right amount of heft, making it feel solid and well-built. The controls are smooth, accurate, and well-placed for my thumbs (I have somewhat large hands). There is no cheap plastic feel, and the slightly textured plastic case is pleasing to the touch. The rubbery tops of the thumbsticks provide a secure grip for your thumbs.



With wireless, I was worried about lag, but there is none perceivable. Action games play fine where timing is critical. A nice touch is the ability to quickly swap the D-pad and left analog stick via a toggle button right between them (with corresponding indicator light). That makes it easy to go exactly straight forward when you need to. Because although there are slight centering guides to keep the thumbsticks centered horizontally and vertically, it is still very easy to move off to the side. That's not a complaint, as I think analog controls should allow you to move in any direction easily.



Only two complaints:

1. When releasing the thumbstick quickly, its self-centering action will often overshoot to the opposite direction for a split second before settling in the center. It is enough to turn the game character around. I've had to get used to releasing the stick more gently to avoid this.



2. Macintosh software is not included nor available from Logitech's web site for customizing buttons. The included software is Windows-only. I was disappointed when the D-pad was not automatically recognized in certain games. I figured I could just configure the game's controls to perform the appropriate actions, but the D-pad is not treated as buttons and not recognized at all. However, I was able to solve this by using the shareware "GamePad Companion" to assign keystrokes to the D-pad.



Pros:

Solid feel

Smooth action

Wireless

Analog <-> D-pad toggle

Thumbsticks act as two more buttons

Excellent battery life (seems to be true to the advertising claim of 100 hours with vibration off)



Cons:

Thumbstick overshoot

No Mac software

Before purchasing this controller, I have been using the Logitech Wingman RumblePad and Thrustmaster Firestorm Dual Power controllers. And finally, I decided to go wireless. However, not only did the wireless and the brand "Logitech" interest me, but it was the familiar interface to Sony's PlayStation controller.



It basically IS a PS controller, but with some minor tweaks. The 8-directional D-Pad feels much better (kind of reminds me of the original NES D-pad). The D-pad on my other two controllers (the WingMan and FireStorm) feel extremely stiff compared to this Rumblepad 2; definitely would work well with fighting games. The 4 buttons on the right are easy to press and big. The added weight of the two AA batteries actually makes the controller feel better: not "cheap" and more solid.



I appreciate the numbers (not some random letters or shapes) written on all the buttons for assigning the controls. (When you assign buttons with the controller for a specific game, it correctly displays as "Button 1" and "Button 2" and so forth. My Wingman controller had letters for each button, which helped in no way; it made things confusing.)



The wireless response is excellent. I can practically go anywhere in my house and hear the game still respond to my controls! I have enough cords around my computer, so this made it convenient: easy to store and take out only when I need to play. I have routers and other electronics around, but I have not encountered any conflict.



I do have ONE complaint, however (this might be the same as the PS controller): personally, I think the handles are too short, so it makes holding the left joystick a bit awkward; I have to raise a part of my palm to use the left joystick. It may be okay for children's hands, but a bit uncomfortable for an adult-sized hand. On the other hand (sorry for the pun), I can hold the handles securly and comfortably when using the D-pad.



Pros:

* Wireless; excellent response.

* 12 programmable buttons (including the joystick *BUTTONS*; press down on the joystick)

* D-Pad is soft and easy to press

* Solid feel

* Vibration feedback

* Buttons with its corresponding number written

* Grip on joystick

* Black design and simple

* Plug & Play



Cons:

* Short handles: makes holding the left joystick feel a bit awkward.



Overall, I would still recommend this controller. I already owned two controllers before this, but this was worth the upgrade. If you're looking for a PC controller, this is definitely one of the best out there today. - Cordless - Pc Gamepad - Controller - Gamepad'

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All In One Printer

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I bought a new HP printer to replace one that I had for over 4 years. The quality of the printer is exceptional for the price. I was curious, though, why the ink cartridges for this new printer were about half the cost of the ones for the old model, so it seemed like a really good deal. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that the new ink cartridges for this model last about half as long as the others. I agree with a lot of the recent press about the need for ink manufacturers to label their products with the quantity of ink rather than the number of pages they can print. It is impossible to compare prices and know for sure how much you are getting for your dollar. Nevertheless, I still recommend this printer. HP is a great company. HP 60 Ink Cartridge, Combo Pack (CD947FN#140) in Retail Packaging

There is honestly no question that when it does come down to the best in quality printer, HP has really delivered the highest quality in ink cartridges, for their printers. That is proof with the number 60 cartridges. These are actually great and simple to install in my new deskjet printer. They deliver more ink that keeps them going well with each and every time I have to print up a project on paper. Whether it is writing up a resume, or printing coupons you need off the internet for all your shopping needs, they absolutely do the trick well. Anyone who owns a HP Printer knows what they get well in the quality of ink, and that is proof with the #60 cartridges. I absolutely recommend the 2 pack of black and color cartridges as a must have for anyone who has a heavy duty printer.



Price: B+



Convience: B+



Overall: B+

I'd been saving the dual package in my wish list while I was checking around for the best price.

Well today I found it at wal-mart for $30.97 and in the package you get 2 black and 2 tri color packs. Can't beat the deal. Amazon wants that much for just one black and 1 tri color. It pays to research and shop around. So glad I didn't order it here, but I still find great values on other merchandise here. I love the printer, but the ink sure doesn't last very long. Cheap printer that I ordered from amazon (and I like the printer), but expensive when you print as much as I do. Just wanted to pass the info for those that might need the #60 ink.

I was sucked in by a bargain price for an HP printer C4750. While it works very well, it uses ink like water. The cartridges are miniature in black and in color. HP has sucked in their customers and they are motivated by greed. I have spent more on ink than I have paid for the new printer. Buyer beware! I am ready to throw it out.

Ordered #60 Combo Ink Cartriges......recieved one empty black cartrige in a torn package .....contacted supplier and they were very curtious....said they would correct the problem.......next I recieved a black cartrige only.....contacted them again....they said they did not have any tri-color cartriges and would refund part of my money....they did.......so after all the time I wasted waiting for ink, I still had to go to Best Buy ...I should have went there in the first place....it would have been cheaper.

Purchased the combo pair and did not use the color for 6 months. Never opened in that time frame, with original packaging. Needed a new cartridge and installed this and was immediately defective. Cant believe ink dried up when not exposed to elements at all. Made in Ireland for HP. Waste of time and money!'

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Exercise - ipod accessories, running

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This is a great item especially for new or casual runners.



A few caveats:



1. There's an option to calibrate or not to. Calibrating will work for some, while others will receive a more accurate mileage read if you don't. Best way to check is by measuring your distance on a treadmill. That being said, give it a little wiggle room for error.



2. Try not to use it (by keeping in/on your shoe) if you aren't using it for a run you want to measure, because the battery keeps going as long as it senses movement.



3. Don't buy a used sensor - you have no idea for how long it was previously used. The battery might just die on you on your first run. A brand new, unused sensor will last a couple to several months. Mine lasted 3 months, being used 6 times a week at 2-3 mile intervals.



4. Input information! Your weight, time and date are important to review your progress and give you a better idea of calories burned. I was deliriously happy to learn that I had burned 500+ calories on a 3-mile run, only to realize later that it was because my weight had been inputted at 250lbs. :P



The great thing about this little gadget is how easy and user-friendly it is. It tracks mileage, pace, calories burned and your progress. It's simple, great for motivation and doesn't interrupt your music abruptly. And hearing someone congratulate you for your longest/fastest run is pretty fun.



All in all, definitely worth what you're paying for. NIKE + IPOD SENSOR-USA

Feeling lucky? I was when I bought this. It's a fun little gizmo. One week (four runs) later, it's a dead little gizmo. Which works out to about $5 per run. When it's working, wonderful. But a week? Really? And no, I didn't move it when I wasn't running. In fact I made a point of keeping the sensor as still as possible when not in use, have read some of the other reviews here.



The problem is, the sensor is already on by default when you receive it, so the clock on the non-replaceable, non-chargeable battery is already ticking before you even touch it. Good idea, Apple/Nike? I mean, really. Why not have it turned off by default?



Again: a non-replaceable, non-chargeable battery on a device that is highly sensitive to movement.



So. You might get lucky and get three months (as some have said) out of your sensor, and give it five stars (as I probably would have), or you might get a week (four runs!) out of it, as I did, and others have too.



One week and now it's off to the landfill. How very eco.



Get with the program, Apple/Nike.

I really love this item. I run with it every time. It plays my music for me, including setting a power song to get you through your run. It tells you your pace, distance, time, & how many calories you've burned. You can set it for a certain distance, time, or just an open workout. Also on the webpage you can join different clubs that measure your distance to achieve a set goal. It's pretty motivating. I've noticed I run more often and better because of it. While running 5k & 10k races it's great because you can see where your at & how far you have to go. I love it!



Be sure to calibrate it with a pre-measured distance.

Do not buy a used sensor!!! The nike plus system is great and easy to use but there is a great weakness in the sensor. The sensor uses a battery which is very difficult to replace. In fact, Apple and Nike suggest you buy a new one instead. Beware when buying used because there is no way of knowing how long it was used before and the battery could die very quickly.

This is the second sensor I've purchased. I used it for five 20-minute runs, and the battery is already dead. I only wear the the running shoes when I run, so I know it's not because I left the sensor in my shoe. I got slightly better battery life from the first sensor, but not much. The manual says that the default position for the sensor is "on," so I'm guessing that the shipping process and handling runs the battery down well before you even get it. Default "on" seems like a pretty stupid idea to me....please fix!!! I otherwise like the product.

What a great way to keep track of how much running I have done. I am using it with my iPhone and found once I calibrated it after 2 runs - it's been right on the mark each time. Along with the online service I find this to be motivational and I feel guilty when I miss a run. Well worth $20 in my opinion.

I love running, but I never really have the motivation to go running. And it's a hassle to track my progress through the old standard of writing it down in a book. But with the Nike+ iPod sensor it's effortless to track my running stats and try to improve my times and distances. Since I can see what kind of progress I'm making I feel more motivated to keep going. If I felt like I wasn't making any progress in my running I would probably stop. With Nike+ I can see how well I'm doing easily. It's just so great. Let me break down the aspects of Nike+ into sections for you.



Getting Started

In order to use this sensor it is advised to have shoes that are Nike+ capable. That is, they will have a little compartment under the sole of the left shoe that you can slide this little bean like sensor into. You don't have to own Nike+ running shoes. There are little pouches out there that allow you to lace it through your shoelaces and it'll keep track of things like that. But to me that seems primitive, so I went out and got some runnings shoes (my first pair of shoes dedicated to running by the way). As for accuracy, it's pretty accurate out of the box, but you can calibrate it so it will be more accurate for YOU, as apposed to the general populace.



Apple Integration

Some iPods and iPhones have the ability to detect the sensor without a dongle, and they have a Nike+ App pre installed, all you have to do is activate it. Just go to "Settings" and there should be a Nike+ option somewhere in there. I don't know how the sensor works but I don't think that it will ever run out of "battery" power because I think it is simply powered by moving around. When you are done running or walking the Nike+ app will save your running data and next time you sync your iPod or iPhone it will upload the data to the Nike+ website. You should be aware though, that it will only upload the last run you did. So if you have gone on two runs since your last sync it won't upload your previous run. It's kind of a hassle to have to sync it after every run. But it's way easier than trying to figure out how far you've run, what your best mile was, how long you've been running, etc. It's a small price to pay.



Web Product

The online Nike+ website is pretty useful. I've had difficulties with it, but that is not at all the sensors problem. The website is where you will be able to access all of your old runs and see how fast you've gone and stuff like that. It's basically your running journal. You can make notes to go with your run, like if you ate a burrito just five minutes before a run and you think that's what made you so slow, then you can record that. My only problem with the web product is that you cannot integrate a training plan with your iPod or iPhone's calendar. You have the option to chose a coaching program that will tell you how much you should run each day. But the only place you can access the information is online. You would have to write down everything it wanted you to do and whatnot.



Sorry for the long review. But I tried to fill it with relevant information. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll try to get back to you. - Running - Ipod Accessories - Nike - Nike Plus Ipod'

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Canon L Series Lenses - canon l lens, 24-105

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I am a hobbyist and this review is for people like me. What I mean by that is that I take pictures for fun and nobody buys my pictures. I mostly shoot landscape, nature, and portraits of family, friends, and relatives. I will refer to 24-70mm as the 70, and the 24-105mm IS as the 105. I first made the mistake of buying the 70, then I returned it with a hefty restocking fee and bought the 105 - I don't have the slightest regret and I could not be happier. I'm taking my time to write this review so that you can spend your hard earned money wisely. Let's analyze the trade-off between the two:

* Both lenses have excellent build and image quality. So these are not differentiating factors.

* The one and only advantage of the 70 is the one smaller f-stop. For me, this means more blur when I shoot portraits, so this is all good.

* The advantage of 105 over the 70 are as follows:

- You get an extra 35mm, which is 50% more zoom. I like this.

- You get a 3-stop IS. For me, this is a great advantage, because I rarely use tripods and IS saves the day. I would choose the 105 over 70 for the IS alone.

- The 105 is 10 ounces lighter and close to half an inch shorter.

The last part is the most important part: that additional 10 ounces make a heavy lens TOO HEAVY, and that extra length makes a big lens TOO BIG. Carrying the 70 on my 50D was a pain. I can assure you, the 70 is just too heavy to walk around and take pictures for fun. The keyword here is "fun". The 70 is a pain, the 105 is fun. The 105 is still heavy, but not too heavy. It's still big, but not too big. After having the 70 for a few weeks, I lost all my joy for shooting. It just made me very uncomfortable (and I'm 6-foot 2). When I replaced it with the 105, it did make a difference. I enjoy taking pictures now, once again. Pros might like the 70 because they need it for their professional work. But if you're shooting just for fun, stay away from the 70 and get the 105. Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras

The name of the game here is portability, flexibility, and good but not incredible image quality.



This lens is often tagged a "walkabout" lens, and that's a good description. There's nothing better if you want to carry camera and lens about and get a variety of shots in the range from wide angle to short telephoto. It's difficult for lens designers to make all the compromises necessary to have a lens go from wide angle to telephoto, and have a max focal length over four times the widest focal length, but Canon has done a good job here. The image stabilization works excellently when hand held (it cuts image quality if you use the stabilization from a tripod, though). The f/4 maximum aperture cuts the size and weight down quite a bit. Image quality is excellent for a zoom from about 30mm up to 90mm, good from 90mm to 105mm, and tolerable from 24 to 30mm (getting better in the 28 to 30mm range). As expected, image quality is best stopped down to about f/8, but is still good wide open at f/4.



I can't say the lens has major flaws, but relative weaknesses are the wide angle performance, and the f/4 maximum aperture. The lens is not fast enough for shots of moving subject indoors. For stationary subjects, the image stabilization lets you take shots with slower exposure times than you'd expect, but stabilization won't do anything to improve a moving subject.



Build quality is excellent as expected, but the lens is quite compact and light, much better than the 24-70/2.8 zoom that is its obvious rival.



Also, if you are after the absolute maximum image quality, prime lenses will do better than this lens in the normal and telephoto range (35 to 105). My $75 50/1.8 lens far outshines this one in sharp, crisp imaging. Zooms that don't have to accomodate both wide and telephoto focal lengths will also outperform this one--My 70-200/4 lens is much sharper and more contrasty, and even my 16-35 lens outperforms this one in the 24-28mm range (the 24-105 does do better from about 30-35mm, though). All these things aren't surprising, and they are no reason to condemn or even criticize the 24-105.



If money isn't a major concern for you, and you want a superb compromise lens, this is the one to pick. The only lens that can hold a candle to it is the old 28-135 IS zoom. If you get that one, you'll get inferior image quality and much less effective stabilization. But you'll also save quite a bit of money!

This is a great range for use as an every day walk around lens. It's very versatile, light and produces great image sharpness throughout the range. There is a bit of vignetting at the wide end, which I actually like. But there is also quite a bit of barrel distortion at the wide end, which I dislike. This is quite noticeable when shooting interiors architecture; it can be corrected in software however it can be a hassle.



Also, being an f4 lens, this lens is simply not fast enough for me. I shoot a lot of images where I want the out of focus areas (bokeh) to be glassy smooth and creamy (for weddings, macros, portraits and such) and you cannot get that with this lens as good as you can with the 24-70 f2.8. Granted, in the 70mm-105mm range at f4, the bokeh looks pretty great and the 24-70 can't even get there. If you zoom all the way in, your DOF will be low and pretty darn smooth though in my case, I just prefer the look and bokeh of the 24-70 overall rather than this lens. I found myself wanting to shoot at a wider than f4 aperture a lot of the time.



The 24-105 f4 lens does have image stabilization which will help you to hand hold and get the shot in lower light situations, but there is not much that can be done to get that super smooth bokeh with it in the 24mm-70mm range. Although the 24-70 f2.8 lens is super heavy in weight compared to the 24-105.



The image stabilization in the 24-105 does also help quite a bit when shooting video however keep in mind that if you are using the built in mic, you will hear the IS motor loudly in your video, which makes it unusable; so you you will want to turn of IS anyway unless you have an external mic for your DSLR.



I'm a professional photographer and so while my needs and likes are geared towards preferring the 24-70 f2.8, this doesn't mean the 24-105 isn't ideal for many if not most. After all, it is quite a bit lighter than the 24-70 to carry, it gives you more range at the long end and has image stabilization. - Canon L Lens - Canon L Series Lenses - Canon - 24-105'

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Knife Sharpner - knife, kitchen gadgets

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I own a set of Henckels knives that are several years old. They are used every day and despite regular honing they were becoming dull. Keeping knives razor sharp is a skill that requires some practice and the right kind of sharpener, and so I was skeptical that one of these quick sharpeners would do a good job at sharpening them, but I decided to give it a try. Does the sharpener make dull knives sharper? It certainly does, in just a few minutes. Does it make them sharp enough for routine use? I would say yes; I am not a professional chef, but I find that I am much happier with the performance of my knives after sharpening. Does it return them to their factory degree of razor sharpness? Unfortunatley, no. I think there is no question that my knives were sharper out of the box than I can achieve with this hand sharpener. But that does not mean that this was a bad purchase. It has restored my knives from being a bit dull to being perfectly adequate for the use they get in my kitchen.If you want to achieve like-brand-new razor sharpness, this sharpener will not do that for you. If you want to bring your dull knives back to a degree of sharpness that will be adequate for 99% of home cooks, this would be a good item to have.

I am the proud owner of 25 Henckels knives, largely due to a consolidation of two households. I was never able to get a truly sharp edge on these knives, regardless of the sharpeners used and I tried many different gizmos using different sharpening techniques. The latest was the motorized "Chef's Choice" using diamond encrusted wheels and magnetized knife guides for the proper sharpening angle. Doing 25 knives took about two hours at least and the result was usually unremarkable. Actually, the knives remained remarkably dull regardless of the effort expended with this noisy gadget. And then I stumbled across the Twin Sharp Duo Knife Sharpener. Somewhat encouraged by the largely positive customer feedback, I bought one and have never looked back. The process is silent, it takes less than one third of the time compared with the "Chef's Choice" and the results are remarkable. The knives slice through the edge of a sheet of paper with no difficulty, tomato skin is no longer a challenge and carving a side of beef or a turkey is a joy. Pulling the knives through the sharpening ports of the Sharpener at first seems to yield nothing, but after the third or fourth pass the steel or ceramic plates engage the knife and impart an amazing edge. Maybe I am over-reacting because all my previous efforts with other sharpeners were overly time consuming and did not yield good results. This one, however, is different. It actually works! Some have said that the gadget does not impart the same edge as a professional sharpening would and that may be true. However, I don't intend to shave with my knives and for demanding kitchen work they are about as sharp as one would need. I think Henckels has done it this time. This is a great sharpener!

This was a gift for my wife who is going to Culinary School and uses Henckel Four Star knives. The two step sharpener works great and is very easy to use. A few strokes in slot 1, then about the same amount of strokes in slot II and the knife is new sharp again. The body of the sharpener is easy to grasp and really feels secure on the table with its rubber feet holding it steady as you run the knife in each of the slots. This sharpener not only works great but also looks great with its stainless steel body and frame.

While I have a great set of Henckels for home use, I bought this more to use on my work knives as a bartender. At work we have cheap generic knives that are highly abused.It took some time with the steel wheels to clean up the edge on the cheap knives, much more than "5 passes", but once I got the edge down and nicks out, the ceramics gave them terrific edge. Almost a month later the edges are holding up great despite heavy abuse and constant runs through the dishwasher (dishwashers take the edge off of knives - hand wash), since I have no control over the abuse my coworkers dish out.I am really looking forward to using these to clean up my personal knives out home, as soon as I get them out of storage.Highly recommended.

I give this thing an A+. I have a set of 14 year old Henkle four stars that I have never sharpened with anything other than the steel. I needed something more. This thing worked very, very well for me and the price is not bad at all. Needless to say my knives are now as sharp as when they were new. I'm pleased with my purchase.

This sharpener worked fine for touching up the edges on my knives (4 star Henckels and some random no-names). For edges that have a correct existing bevel and are dull but not abused, restores a fine edge fast. If the existing bevel is too steep or otherwise messed up this may not work (it's not a grinder). Takes some attention to get a smooth pass without chattering. - Knife Sharpeners - Sharpener - Recommend - Kitchen Gadgets - Henckels - Knife'

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Canon Power Shot - point and shoot, digital camera

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In short, this is a great camera in a very small package that produces good results! I wanted a small portable camera with HD video capabilities that I could take with me when I did not want to lug around my DSLR (Canon 40D + lenses) and this little gem fits the bill perfectly.



This camera replaced a Canon PowerShot SD780IS (Black) that I returned due to constant audio noise (hum) while recording video. Rather than risk getting another defective SD780IS with the same issue (many seem to report hearing the noise/hum), I decided to upgrade to the latest Canon PowerShot SD1400IS (Black). I am happy to report that this camera has no such issue with audio when video is being recorded.



The picture quality of the SD780IS and SD1400IS is roughly the same and on par with what one should expect from such a small ultra-portable camera. Going from 12MP to 14MP is a wash as the sensor is the same size and results are very similar. I have posted several shots of flowers under the "customer images" section of the Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP (Black) and also uploaded several 100% crops of each image so pixel peepers can see the detail that this camera produces.



Let me be clear, anyone that thinks this camera is going to produce anything close to the quality of a DSLR is fooling himself or herself. There is no way that this small of a package (3.6 x 0.7 x 2.2 inches ; 4.6 ounces) can produce the same image quality as a DSLR. If image quality if paramount, one would be better off considering the Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera, but you will lose the HD video capability, some portability and spend more money. When I want extreme quality, I simply take my Canon 40D + lenses with me and shoot in RAW.



The Auto mode is smart and I think there is more happening behind the scenes than one would expect. If one takes the same image (same ISO settings, lighting, shutter etc.) in Auto and then in Program mode, the results are similar, but I think the Auto mode wins nearly every time. I have no way to confirm this, but the Auto mode seems to have different compression algorithms depending on the subject and can produce a less noisy image at higher ISO than Program mode can. Inside shots are good but I wish I could set an ISO range to force the Auto mode not to exceed 400 ISO.



Tip: If you are getting blurry images, remember that the minimum focal length is much less 5cm when at 28mm and significantly more 50cm when zoomed in to 112mm. So, if you are trying to get the camera close to your subject, be sure to gauge your zoom/subject distances properly otherwise your subject will be out of focus. Perhaps this would have helped the 1 star reviewer.



Final items of note:

1. There is no viewfinder and quite honestly, the small viewfinder on the SD780IS was useless so I do not miss having one. The LCD is bright and works great even on bright days.

2. There is no optical zoom while recording video, only digital zoom, so one has to decide on a zoom length before starting to record. This is a non-issue for me as many people overuse zoom and usually would have been better off just recording a static shot rather than making me dizzy with shaky-cam + zooming at the same time.



Bottom line: This is a fantastic pocket camera capable of decent images with HD video recording as a bonus. It is small enough that it will get taken everywhere enabling capturing of all those special moments. I would highly recommend it to anyone, so long as they realize the limitations inherent to ultra compact cameras. I hope this is review is helpful.



Update: I forgot to mention that one should be sure to get no less than a "Class 4" SD card (Class 6 would be even better) to prevent any video recording issues (missed frames etc.)



Update 2: Still loving this camera after six weeks of use, I particularly like HD video capabilities and use it all the time. The .mov video files make for easy import into Apple iMovie for editing and produces great results. At a recent event, I was able to get some very nice pictures in low light without using a flash in AUTO mode. I was really surprised at the quality achieved in such hard shooting conditions. Best results are had by not zooming too much as there is less light available (f-stop changes when zoomed). If you are noticing blurry shots, try to zoom less and get closer to your subject.



Update 3: I just ran across the recent announcement of the Canon PowerShot SD4000IS (Black) 10MP, it was just released and the list price is currently more than the SD1400IS but the new 10MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor looks very promising for decreasing the noise that is common in sub-compact cameras. The SD4000IS also has HD video capabilities with the addition of stereo sound and can be zoomed while recording video along with a new "Super Slow Motion" video function and a faster f/2.0 lens. It will be interesting to see what users think of this new camera in the coming months. I hope this update is helpful. Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Pink) - Point And Shoot - Powershot - Compact Camera - Digital Camera'

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Outdoors - outdoors, spax

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[...]That is a great bargain considering it is probably the highest quality screw that you'll find for general outdoor construction.



For the 2-1/2 inch length you get 420 screws per 5lb box.

For the 3 inch length you get 350 screws per 5lb box.

For the 3-1/2 inch length you get 285 screws per box.



The screw is rated for a working load of 240lbs shear and 750lbs pullout. The ultimate rated strength is 320lbs and 1000lbs, respectively.



These screws are listed as either made in the USA or Germany. I'm more than happy with either location as they're both good indicators of quality (not made in China for sure). The manufacturer is ISO 9001:2000 certified.



The quality of the screw is most evident when driving the screws into hard material. You can see the great quality control in the tight tolerances of the #2 square drive heads. I have never run into a malformed, loose fitting, or jammed up head after driving over a couple thousand of these screws. Keep in mind that these are stainless steel which is a relatively soft metal. They will not stand up to a lot of camming-out before the head strips and you can no longer drive it. So make sure you're aligned, applying adequate driving pressure, and don't use a worn out bit. If you're driving it into something really hard, make sure you pilot the hole first. This is true of any stainless steel screw. Compared to other stainless screws I've used, these are the least likely to strip the heads out or have the heads shear off.



These screws also use patented technology on the threads which helps them bite and cut into softer woods more cleanly and helps reduce splitting. The upper threads near the head are designed to improve clamp up. Often when a regular screw exits the first board and enters the second, the tip takes a moment to bite into the 2nd piece, creating a gap. The segmented thread design here improves the ability to suck up that gap.



The thread design shouldn't be confused with composite deck screws (like Double-Dekkers or Trapease screws) which have counter-threads at the top to prevent mushrooming around the screw hole on a composite board. These screws do not have that feature but are great for just about all other applications where you need a high quality, non-corrosive screw.



Using these is actually a pleasure, they work so well, you feel good about their quality and the quality of the item you're building, the clients are happy, they will last a long time. (Keep carrying this item Amazon!) Spax 4577000500637 10-by-2-1/2-Inch Flat Head Stainless Steel Screw, 5-Pound Pack

I put my deck together with these screws. They are easy to use, don't split wood as easily as traditional scews, and draw warped boards better than traditional screws. I LOVE them! I had used several other Spax products (lag bolts etc...) before building my deck. There was no doubt what I was going to buy for the deck. I ran out of some lengths during construction and went to the nearest store and bought traditional deck screws. They went in harder and didn't pull the wood together as well. I went back and replaced them after I received my new boxes of Spax screws. Spax is great!

In today's world I tend to roll my eyes at the marketing done with most products and reserve judgment until I have put something to use. In this case, I would totally agree with the selling points listed for these Spax fasteners.



First of all, the quality control for these is outstanding. I went through two boxes (10 lbs.) of the 2 1/2 inchers refacing a deck with not a single unusable screw....unheard of with most manufacturers. There was nary a buggered up head nor misshapen thread in the lot.



Second, the thread pattern really performs as advertised...it starts quickly with no need for undue force and runs true without the need for pilot drilling to avoid splitting. I was fastening pressure treated 5/4 inch decking material, so most deck screws would work, but I was impressed with the performance, nonetheless.



Third, the split thread design does its job well of sucking up the gap between decking and framing...holding the board tight to the frame.



Lastly, the #2 square drive works well, but with the caveat that you need to keep a fresh bit in the drill to lessen the chance of cam out and buggering up the head beyond saving. The stainless is a softer material compared to a standard deck screw with hardened and brittle carbon steel...and it will definitely take less of a mistake to butcher one. I would suggest you count on using more than the one bit provided per box to be safe. A new bit will fight to remain stuck in the screw head for the first 100 or so...then you hit the sweet spot for about 200 when it performs like butter...and then about 301 the performance will taper so you are always on the edge of spinning out and fouling a head. I ended up fouling about 4 of the screws, but it was usually when I was tired or off balance...not bad for over 800 cycles.



All in all, I feel the Spax screw is worth the money for its quality and ease of use...and I will be purchasing more.

These screws are the best performing fastener for a wide range of jobs. I always keep a bunch handy in my toolkit. The square drive means limited slipping. The length is perfect for 2x4s and other medium-large projects. They are very high quality and do not break or snap like a cheap deck screw.

Everything the other reviewers said is true. These are great screws. It is hard to get excited about a screw but man these are great. They work very well, drive in easily and frankly I think you could drill one in as far as you have the bit to reach. I just bought more of these today. You will be impressed as I was impressed. Quality, quality, quality. I will be a Spax customer for the foreseeable future. - Spax - Ss - Outdoors - Stainless Steel'

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