Saturday, 28 February 2009

Book Cover - book covers


I bought this in my local office supply store because I wasn't willing to pay $9 shipping on a $2 item.



It is way thinner than what I thought it was. I was expecting something similar to neoprene (sp?). This is about the thickness of your average bedsheet. This definitely will not work on paperback textbooks. It might protect hardback textbooks from scratches, but I don't see it protecting them from mashed corners or gouges.



These are very nice looking and definitely more environmentally friendly than cut up paper grocery bags (am I dating myself with that statement?). Well, it actually depends on the manufacturing process.



Anyway, I recommend these for their ability to be reused. I cannot attest to their durability as I just purchased mine. The Original Book Sox - Jumbo Liquid Ice - Book Covers'


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Most Comfortable - mules, most comfortable


It does not surprise me that these Easy Spirit shoes are comfortable. I own other Easy Spirit slip on shoes, but I think the cut-outs on the sides give this model a bit more style. So far I have only worn them indoors (I live in Wisconsin), but I'm going to take them to Florida next month. I know I will get tons of use out of them, so much so that I plan to order some other colors. Easy Spirit Women's Instep Sneakers NAVY 8W Wmns

Easy Spirit Instep sneakers are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I have trouble with my feet due to a fall several years ago and though other shoes I've bought previously often feel comfortable enough in the store, I find wearing them for any length of time often finds them to be uncomfortable. Not so with this style. For casual wear these are the best I've ever had and I do have three pair now in various colors and will probably soon be ordering another pair in yet another color. Size is true with plenty of toe room.

These Easy Spirit Instep Sneakers are the perfect summer shoe for jeans, capris and my new Orvis denim robe. I love the color (I got the navy blue)and how they stay on my feet without slipping. Well constructed, true to width and length and gives excellent support. These are my first pair but they won't be my last.

This is my fourth pair of these shoes. They are very comfortable. I have a bunion on my left foot and I have trouble with shoes but these don't hurt it or irritate it. I would recommend them. the only problem I could say they have is my feet sweat in the summer but even that wouldn't keep me from wearing them. - Sport Mule - Most Comfortable - Mules - Womens Shoes'


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Ipod Dock System - iphone speakers, ipod dock system


This speaker set really sounds great. I am an audiophile who would usually go the extra $$ for the best sounding unit (i.e. the Bose Sound Docks or something comparable) but you can only spend so much on peripherals. FYI, I checked out the various dock options on Amazon.com. I've heard the JBL On-Stage at a friend's house and liked it, but I was concerned about all the feedback in the reviews about that unit's volume control issues. Speaker sound is all about personal preference and hearing those speakers in the environment where they will be played. I went with the Klipsch for 3 reasons - the company is known for making high-end tower speakers, the unit includes an "S" video jack for showing videos and podcasts on my TV and the reviews here and elsewhere were positive. I normally wouldn't buy speakers without hearing them first, but I relied on the reviews and the company's reputation - and besides, the pricing was good and I could always return the speakers if they didn't sound great in my house.



I received the unit and unpacked it in my bedroom, where it will ultimately be used. It was super-simple to setup - indeed the instruction manual is only 3-4 pages of large type. I put my iPod on the unit and fired it up. The sound that came forth was crisp, clean and impressive. Frankly, not to knock Bose, but the sound was about as good as the sound from my Bose Wave Radio which cost more than 3X what the Klipsch cost. The sound is excellent with lusty base, crisp treble and superb midrange. I have played a variety of music and have been continually impressed with the sound reproduction. Pop, Hip Hop, Classical, Jazz - you name it, this Klipsch really delivers. And it fills my moderate-sized bedroom with music without any trace or distortion and it sounds very natural. I haven't used the S-Video hook up to view videos yet, but I'm sure it will work well also. In my opinion, this is the best unit at the $150 price point - it will not disappoint!



Here are my overall pros and cons for the Klipsch:



Pros:



-> Attractive form factor and reasonably small foot print

-> Easy to set up

-> Sound quality is excellent - at all ends of the musical spectrum

-> Price is very reasonable

-> Fills the room with clear, crisp music at any volume level - sounds great on low or played loud

-> Has video connection for movies and podcasts - many other speaker sets don't have this feature



Cons:



-> The volume buttons on the unit itself don't have a smooth positive feel - they are stiff in their operation

-> A screen like that of the Altec Lansing would be nice so that you could see the volume level and other key operating statistics of the unit



Bottom Line: If you appreciate good sound reproduction, this is the unit for you!!! Take it home and try it - you can return it if you don't like the sound. But trust me, you'll love it!!!! Klipsch iGroove SXT Speaker System for iPhone and iPod (Black)

Here's the quick. The Klipsch is quite good but not quite great. I performed my own side-by-side comparison of the Klipsch iGroove SXT ($149) to the Bose SoundDock Portable ($359).



Bose

* Richer, deeper more robust sound. Truly is impressive.

* Touch volume buttons easier to push (vs. Klipsch mechanical buttons take a little force).

* Cord transformer part of the plug plus the cord can smartly be partially hidden in the transformer to let out only the amount of cord you want (vs. Klipsch transformer in the middle of the cord that clutters the countertop). Advantage Bose.

* Achieves louder volume (though Klipsch is pretty good too).

* Heavier unit, presumably a reflection of larger speaker magnets. (Both units have essentially the same countertop footprint but the Bose is taller.)



Klipsch

* Very good sound, but just not as impressive as the Bose.

* Exchangable docking port for various MP3 players (though the one-size-fits-all on the Bose works fine for my iPhone).

* Accepts the iPhone without a warning. (Annoyance of the Bose: it displays a warning message that it's not compatible with the iPhone even though it actually is.)

* Price.



Bottom Line:

If you have $149 to spend, buy the Klipsch and you'll be happy. If you have $359 to spend, buy the Bose and you'll be very happy.

If you know Klipsch like I know Klipsch, then you, of course, should not be surprised at the great sound. The bass is not exactly earth shaking, but with the type of music I'm currently listening to (Jazz, New Age, Alternative), it suits my bedroom just fine. I'm definitely hearing a wider range of sounds than before. The system itself is pretty small (a lot smaller than I expected) but with the nice sound coming out, I'm glad it's a space saver.



My main concern is the docking connector. When you dock the Ipod/Iphone, it is only held up by a small connector; your Ipod/Iphone is not thick enough to lean up against the wall of the slot for support. Therefore, when you use your Ipod/Iphone, it definitely jiggles and will eventually loosen the connector. My easy solution: I folded a piece of tissue for support! :-)



(Also, the volume switches on the speakers are hard to push, but the remote solves this concern.)



Hopefully the next edition of the iGroove will address this problem, but until then, I'm enjoying this Klipsch immensely. - Ipod Dock System - Klipsch - Iphone Speakers - Ipod Dock'


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Android Tablet


This is the type of product that comes close to being good on so many levels - but never quite gets there. Full of good idea's that were never quite implemented properly.



The Xoom does fit securely in the case, I never get the impression my Xoom is about to fall out for fit and security it's perfect.



Overall the case is good, the majority of the outer cover is a semi hard vinyl/plastic like material - much like you would find on luggage but firmer, perhaps due to some adhesive used to give it strength. This is fine by me as this material will gives it a bit of shock resistance should something heavy fall on it. It has a textured surface which helps prevent it from slipping from your grip.



The edges of the case are hard plastic and do a fair job of protecting the corners from impacts. This protection was obviously not the intent - as the hard plastic is primarily designed to hold the tablet in place, otherwise the corner plastic would have been made just a bit larger to protect the bottom corners completely.



The inside of the case where the back of the tablet sits is similar to the outer shell, but not textured and a bit more fabric like feel. The inside that covers the screen when closed is made of a hardened foam that helps protect the screen. There are built in troughs that the bottom of the tablet can sit in when open to give it a nice viewing angle when watching video, running a slide show etc...



The largest design flaw is the fact that although there are cutouts for the speakers, power button, camera, headphones, SD slot - they have neglected to make cutouts where they are needed the most! There is no opening for the charger, USB, or HDMI - so anytime you want to charge the unit, connect it to your computer, or use the HDMI output you must have the case open - serious flaw. Who wants to leave their case sitting open when it is charging.



All in all it's okay, and I would recommend it overall, but know that it is a tiny bit frustrating to have such potential and then fail because of simple flaws. Motorola Protective Portfolio Case for MOTOROLA XOOM (Motorola Retail Packaging)

I am not sure why everyone is so down on this case. I purchased it locally because of all the negative reviews so I could return it quickly if the negativity was justified - it isn't.

First off, all the complaints about scratches are bogus. The case does not scratch the device in anyway. It's plastic on metal... which do you think's gonna win?

Quite honestly, other than it's slightly bulbus profile, the only "negative" thing I could find on it was that it doesn't have a very good typing angle setting. There's tilted, more tilted, and flat with a slight incline.

Excellent feel. Excellent protection. This thing could be dropped from quite a ways and survive with this case on.

Overall, it does exactly what it says. This isn't an apple product that fits inside, no crazy scratches here ;-)

Honestly? $40 for this?



I just received my case this morning, and within minutes I was quickly shocked of the poor quality of this case.



1. It is constructed with cheap vinyl materials and plastic. The plastic is already separating from the vinyl right out of the factory sealed paackaging.



2. The case does not fit the Xoom tablet well. Perhaps there was a manufacturing defect as the plastics are separating. Seems that I would really have to torque down on the case to get it to fit the tablet well.



3. The case appears that it is supposed to snap shut. However, it DOES NOT. Again, this may be due to the situations I mentioned in gripes 1 and 2.



4. You do not have access to the charging port while the unit is in the case. I considered making a small hole in the case so I could plug my unit in. But, why should I have to do this to a $40 case? And considering my total disappointment with this case, I will end up returning it anyway.



5. If you use this case regularly to make the tablet stand vertically, prepare to have the case scratch your $600 + investment.



This case, as far as I am concerned, is very much an overpriced piece of GARBAGE!



I will be returning and purchasing a zippered case and a small travel stand to use with my device. Amazon has those and the total price tag is far less than $40. Shop around for better options and see what you can come up with. This case is severely flawed.

Where to begin?



There is nothing good about this case



It's made of cheap material



YOU CANNOT CHARGE OR HAVE A USB CORD ATTACHED WHILE THE CASE IS CLOSED



YOU CANNOT CHARGE OR HAVE A USB CORD ATTACHED WHILE THE CASE IS OPENED TO HAVE THE XOOM ON THE 'KICK STAND'



THE BACK DOESN'T FLIP BACK AND LOCK, SO IF YOUR HOLDING THIS AND WALKING AROUND YOU EITHER HAVE TO HOLD THE BACK AGAINST IT, OR LET THE FLAP DANGLE



I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING THIS BAD!

All in all, I do not think that the case is bad. I have read other reviews where there are claims that the materials separate or that the device get scratched. I have not noticed those in my case, it might be a manufacturing defect.



I have 2 main complaints about this case:

1. As mentioned before, no charging port hole. I might cut a hole and resolve this issue...



There is another flaw that got not thing to do with the case - The charging port on the Xoom is at the bottom of the device. If you want to charge the device while tilting it it's impossible.



2. The case leaves some dirt on the screen, I keep having 3 lines of dirt that come from the case.



Outside of that, the case is protecting my Xoom very well.

Bought it from the Verizon store when it first came out because there were no other options. Returned it within a week. Cheap plastic look that barely held my Xoom in place when propped up. My advice is to do what I'm doing which is waiting for some 3rd party to produce a quality alternative.'


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Master Lock - door lock, doorknobs


I bought this lock to replace an existing lock. I had never replaced a lock, but the directions were easy to understand. It took me less than 10 minutes to remove the old one and install this one. It looks good, feels solid, and works just fine.



Though I did not have to use this feature, it is possible to adjust the setback from 2 3/8" to 2 3/4".



If you are looking for an affordable, easy-to-install lock, this one would fit the bill. Based upon this experience, I would not hesitate to buy another Master Lock in the future. Master Lock BAO0115 Ball Keyed Entry Door Knob, Satin Nickel

I'm not "handy" in the least yet these were a snap to install. I love these -- the only problem is the price keeps going up. But I found these very easy to install. My wife loves them and we want to slowly redo our house with these. One note of importance is all of the keys are interchangeable so if you're using this for your master bedroom and your walk in closet the same over sized key will work on each and every lock. This would be a problem if you were in a roommate situation where you need individual locks for each room. As I live in a family house, I love these and it keeps my 2 1/2 year old daughter out of my studio. It's also far more beautiful than the gold ones that were on there. It matches our brushed Satin fridge.



EDIT:



I have to add that some knobs use different keys and some the same. I never know which is which and it's a bit confusing and I not have these all over my house. I still love them and wouldn't remove a star for this reason. Just be aware of this.

I had these mounted on an interior door in my house, and the only problem I had was that they turned in the wrong direction to open. I ended up losing the keys in the middle of the night, and a locksmith wanted $150... so I set out to destroy these knobs as quietly as possible. I tried smashing the door in...didn't work. The striker held in the frame. The door was flexing and starting to separate, but the knobs stayed strong. I took the largest screwdriver I had, and began to pry and pry and pry, destroying the door. I ended up using two wrenches, one as a fulcrum, and just prying in every direction until the thing started to bend and look terrible.



It took me 30 minutes to destroy these stupid knobs. Could you do it quicker with a sledgehammer, an angle grinder, or a large drill bit? Oh yeah. That being said, these are a good set of medium-duty door knobs. It would take some real work to get through these without waking you up.

Re: Master Lock BAO0115 locking doorknob



The only problem I encountered (if it can be called a problem) is that the striker plate was shaped slightly different than the knob setup I was removing. Specifically, the position of the hole in the door jamb was positioned back slightly, requiring more effort on the door for the latch to secure properly. I tried adjusting the plate's position to no avail. So I just re-used the plate from the previous setup and the problem is solved.



Otherwise, this Master Lock(R) brand locking doorknob is well-made with quality materials and feels quite solid. It is also very reasonably priced and I find great value in this piece of household hardware. 5 stars

Installed in a few minutes and it feels solid. However, I don't know if I installed it wrong or if it's designed this way, seems like you can only open the door turning it one way (towards the hinge), I'm used to knobs that can open turning either way so I get thrown off. - Handlesets - Doorknobs - Door Lock - Kwikset'


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Tools


Writing a good book about power tools is not easy - the market for these tools is changing too fast. Moreover, for obvious commercial and legal reasons it is impossible to make any quality or value judgements in print. So what can an author (who admits to be a "power tool junkie") do when writing a 260 peage book on power tools? Well, our author took the easy way out of the dilemma: Load the book with beautiful pictures of new and old tools and supplement that picture album with some basic and superficial text. The end result is a beautiful sales brochure incorporating all brands not just most popular ones. If you wish to get a brief description of what the market has to offer in power tools, then this is the book for you. If you wish to learn more and seek the answer to questions like how are power tools constructed internally, how to distinguish their quality and durability and how to use these tools efficiently, then this is not a book for you. Power Tools

I am an incipient woodworking amateur and as such the value of this book is in the tutorial and recommendation aspects. I liked a little better the Ortho book (all about power tools) as it does a better job of describing practical tool applications.



Despite the previous comment, I did like this one.'


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High Magnification Over 11x - birding, binoculars


I purchased these binoculars to bring to concerts and plays. The size was perfect for my small evening purse, but I didn't realize just how well they worked. Wish that I would have owned them when I was sitting in the upper stratosphere at the Celine Dion concert in Las Vegas. They go with me to every event now to ensure a "good" seat every time. Bushnell Powerview 12x25 Compact Folding Roof Prism Binocular (Black)

I have shared a pair with a friend for more than a year and I must say I was amazed the first time I looked through them, having had all my experience with a [$] pair of older compact binoculars. These were nearly as good and a fraction of the price. Highly recommended.

these glasses are small, protable and good for concerts and quick bird work. I keep a set in the car, but they do not replace my larger busnells for birding. please don't expect to do more than a little backyard birding with these, and i am now adjusted to my larger set, so i use those in the yard. You get what you pay for.

These binoculars are much smaller than my other 16x Bushnells, but surprisingly are comparable in quality. The greatest advantage of having small binoculars is that they are portable, and lightweight. One would expect to loose a lot of quality compared to larger ones, considering these advantages. But to my surprise, that trade-off was worth it. Bottom line, lower price, higher portability, much lighter in weight make these binoculars a winner in its category.

As a former seller, I find these binoculars to be excellent for nature watching and all other general purposes. The compact size and weight, with case, make them most suitable for traveling. Highly recommend. Bill

The real value of this binocular is because it is so compact. It could fit into your pant pocket and still give you a useful tool. It has 12x magnification and the image is quite good compared to other binoculars in the same price range. It also has a rugged look and feel with a nice rubber casing.



The only problems that I find with the binocular is that 12x is a bit too unsteady to hold with your hands. So I find myself leaning on a nearby support in an attempt to keep the view from shaking. Also due to the small objective lens of the binocular, the view at night is not as bright as it could be (on comparing with a binocular with a 50mm objective lens). These are not really problems of this binocular but are limitations due to its size and magnification.



In short these are quite impressive.

The Bushnell Powerview 12x25 is a fine, small pocket-sized binocular. Since my wife is an avid bird watcher, we already have several binoculars of various sizes and viewing power. Our grandson accidentally broke her small 10x25 Bushnell that we used for trips, so I researched, then bought this one from Amazon for her birthday. She loves it. The viewing power is a bit greater than the other and is every bit as compact, which makes it easy to pack for vacations, yet provides for a good viewing experience when enjoying the various bird populations around the country. We both highly recommend this, and other Bushnell products.

The zoom-in capabilities of this pair of binocs is great. But, as a glasses wearer, the extra distance created by the glasses narrows the width of field considerably. Glasses wearers should either choose a wider angle binoc or look without the glasses. I use these on horseback and love the small size.

Bought the 12X version so that we could look at the lava build new land in Hawaii at night from the balcony of our cruise ship. The problems that I had were strictly my own... Small binoculars like these require precise alignment with the eye in order to get the image centered. Larger ones are easier for me to line up with my glasses (or without). Buying 12X made the problem worse. I should have stopped at 10X. And given an option I would have liked a larger tan 25mm objective lens.



The case is nice and holds the binoculars snugly. Never tried the belt loops. The size is great and fits nicely in a cargo pants pocket. When a larger model is not convenient, these work well.



Using them for a long time is tiring. But for quick spotting, these are fine.

These are lightweight binoculars with a neck strap and carrying case. I like the fact that the eyepiece can be adjusted to accomodate people who wear glasses. The zoom is easy to use. I took them on a trip to Alaska and they were perfect. - Birding - Binoculars - High Magnification Over 11x - Bushnell'


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