Guy Low Price Electronic

Monday, 7 September 2009

Natural Beauty

This book is absolutely awesome. The recipes are simple (and great at that!), she gives a lot of background info on each of the ingredients. Being a licensed cosmetologist myself, I can tell you that she really knows her stuff (she is a licensed esthetician). I have been making my own bath and body products for a few years (using pre-made bases from suppliers) but just decided to introduce a completely organic line of products and I think this is the best book that I have read so far on the subject and highly recommend it. Great for beginners or those who have been doing this a while. Organic Body Care Recipes: 175 Homeade Herbal Formulas for Glowing Skin & a Vibrant Self

I LOVE this book!! Not only are there tons of cosmetic concoctions (ranging from creamy body butters & lotions to herbal hair conditioners & foot soaks), but there are also thorough descriptions of different hair & skin types that each recipe will benefit. It even has a section on edible body potions that you may want to try on your "honey" (think sensual love-making). The best part is that each recipe gives you just enough to yield about 1 to 2 applications. That way, you can decide which ones you like and which ones you don't before you make large batches of it. All the ingredients are easy to find (there is an appendix on where to buy / order) and the author even gives us a comprehensive list of the different properties of herbs, oils, essential oils, etc. that you can use in these recipes. I've made & tried three so far (coconut body butter, rosemary hair rinse, & orange sugar scrub) and have found each one to be great. I can't wait to experiment with the rest of them!

I purchased this book primarily because I am interested in making my own lotion, preferably with safe/natural/eco-friendly ingredients. I don't necessarily want to market it, like another reviewer, but I would like to make lotion that is somewhat professional/sophisticated. After a quick Google search, I had learned that lotions tend to include water-based ingredients, oil-based ingredients, an emulsifier (which ensures that the water and oil ingredients stay mixed together), and some kind of preservative. I bought this book thinking that it might go into a bit more detail about basic lotion formulas (ratios of ingredients to each other), or at least provide some recipes that I could learn from.

As it turns out, I had already learned more about lotion-making from my Google search than I learned from this entire book. Of the five body moisturizer recipes, four are basically oil-based, with essential oils added. There is nothing wrong with using oil to moisturize the skin -- but I find it can be inconvenient (insofar as absorption may be slower than with lighter lotions, and you're more likely to get oil on clothing or sheets). Additionally, oil-based moisturizers will probably not appeal to those with problem skin. The author's fifth body moisturizer recipe does include water in addition to oils, and uses beeswax and lanolin as emulsifiers. The recipe does not include a preservative, however, which means (as the author states): "No refrigeration is required if used within 30 days. If refrigerated, please use within 3 to 6 months. (Refrigeration may change the texture of the product, but potency will not be affected.)" Since this recipe yields 2 1/3 cups of moisturizer, and I'm not likely to use it all in 30 days -- and I don't enjoy cold lotion -- this recipe is of limited use for me.

There are also five face moisturizer recipes. One of them is basically water and glycerin, and another is oil-based. The other three recipes each call for a trio of emulsifiers: beeswax, lanolin, and borax. I'm a newbie to the world of cosmetics ingredients, but my understanding is that borax is considered by some to be an unsafe ingredient. (A good reference is cosmeticsdatabase.com.) My guess is that the author has a good reason for using borax, and the reason is probably that borax (it appears) may be safe in small amounts -- though possibly not for infants. What perplexes me, though, is that the author offers no explanation or discussion on this topic.

As mentioned by other reviewers, some of these recipes are extremely (absurdly?) simple. Examples include the Aloe Vera Toner (ingredients: "pure aloe vera juice or gel, commercially bottled or from fresh-picked leaf"), the Tangerine Toner (ingredients: 1/2 cup witch hazel and 10 drops tangerine essential oil), and the Yogurt Exfoliating and Bleaching Mask (ingredients: 1 tablespoon plain yogurt). I don't know about you, but I'm not sure those should count toward the "175 Homemade Herbal Formulas" in this book. As useful as they may be, I'm more inclined to call those "tips."

I don't mean to sound too harsh in my review of this book. I think that, depending on your needs, this book may be perfectly fine. Many of the recipes look to have interesting combinations of oils and essential oils, and I'm guessing many of the finished products smell like heaven. I'm mainly trying to present my perspective on the book, relative to my own goals -- and hopefully it will be relevant to people with similar interests. But again, if you are more looking for recipes for casual use, you might really like it.

One final note -- as I've indicated above, the author calls for animal products in some of her recipes. This is fine, but I was disappointed that she didn't offer animal-friendly alternatives. (In her entry for beeswax, she does mention vegetable emulsifying wax as an alternative, but then says, "but this wax has been refined and does not have the same alluring qualities as beeswax. Always try to find the real thing!") For dairy products, the author makes no mention of looking for organic versions -- i.e., from cows raised on healthy diets, without use of rBST or prophylactic antibiotics. She also makes no mention of the fact that cows contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect (deforestation, water use, methane emissions, etc.). I was surprised by this only because I think there is a lot of overlap between people interested in organic products, and those interested in animal-friendly and eco-friendly products.'

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Letter Trays - trays, desk organizer

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This product is so inexpensive that I was worried that it would seem terribly cheap and flimsy. However, it's pretty nicely designed. The drawers slide out for easy access, the stand is reasonably sturdy, you can pile it high (I have!) without tipping it over and the feet don't scratch my desk. You do have to put it together without directions--but it wasn't hard to figure out. Also, mine arrived within just a few days of ordering. Sparco 90206 3-Tier Steel Mesh Desk Tray, Black

This item is actually 11-5/8" wide x 13-3/4" deep x 10-5/8" high.

As you can see, it is advertised as 10 3/4" wide x14 1/4"x 11"

I needed it to fit in a cabinet beside my printer and measured the space available for it. The size advertised would have fit, but the item as it actually is will not fit. The packaging on it confirms that it is this model Sparco 90206 and clearly shows the dimensions as the larger ones, not those advertised.

Such a hassle. I'll be sending it back and shopping around some more.

If the size had been correct, I'd give it more stars. It's fine if it had the correct dimensions.

The tray itself is very nice, and I like the mesh material that holds the papers. However, the "legs" were very unbalanced, causing the tray to wobble back and forth every time I tried to use it. I learned that it's possible to manipulate the tray so that it is level if you have a strong friend. ;)

As one of the other reviewers stated, this object is bigger than the dimensions provided. However, as a desk tray, it is a fantastic product. Easy to assemble, the drawers slide smoothly, and it holds papers well.

i loved the three tier desk rack, it was a perfect match for my other mesh accessories. could easily reach for whatever it is that I need simply by placing it to my right or my left and that has made and saved time when I am doing what I am doing and I can place my papers in one tray and find what i am looking for in the other because I have placed it their previously for that purpose. I also make for keeping a nest desk thank you.

This product was the correct dimensions and sturdy. The sliding trays made for easy access. I use one side of it as a bookend and it supports eight one inch binders. The bonus was that it was quick and easy to assemble. Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase.

This product was really a big disappointment. When I opened the package, I found that the some paint on the metal has already fallen off. Worst, after I assembled the letter tray, I found out that it doesn't stand properly on a flat surface. One of the legs stays in the air so the whole thing rocks. Although the material seemed pretty good, I was at large disappointed at the quality of this product. Don't buy. You don't want to go through the trouble of returning like me.

The frame for this tray came damaged. It was scratched and bent, causing the trey the rock. This item is useless as is and I will be seeking a refund. Do yourself a favor and buy something out of a local store. This online return stuff is a headache and waste of time! - Trays - Tray Tower - Desk Organizer'

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Cordless Nailer - nailers, nail gun

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This latest offering from Paslode is the next iteration of their venerable cordless framing nailer (IMCT). The unit has addressed some issues that existed with the original design and has added some new features. Some people found the firing rate of the previous design to be a little slow so this new nailer does fire faster. The nose of this nailer actuates in more positions and with less pressure than the older model making the nailing process a little easier when toe-nailing in tight areas. The fuel cell has been redesigned so that it is a simple drop in as some people apparently had issues with the fuel cell not mating properly with the metering valve; I never experienced this myself. This unit holds more nails per load and the rafter hook has been redesigned so that it can actually be hung on a rafter as the older style was to narrow. Finally they redesigned the combustion chamber with the intent of increasing the time that the nailer will operate reliably before needing to be cleaned. I have no reason to doubt this but it is too early for me to tell if it has been achieved.

All in all the unit itself is a nice redesign that fits well in the hand and addresses a few deficiencies with the earlier design. However this offering does bring a whole new and in my opinion a show stopping issue to the table. Paslode management has decided to package the fuel cells for this product with the nails. This mean that they must be purchased together so if the cell runs out, is defective or you lose a fuel cell you have to get more nails. This also does not bode well for those who have stocked up on nails. The fact that the redesigned fuel cells are not compatible with the older units is a problem in itself and forcing customers to buy nails with the cells just adds insult to injury. Paslode claims that this will ensure that the customer has enough fuel for the lot of nails but i think there is an ulterior motive lurking.

In my opinion Paslode is showing very little commitment to the customer by selling fuel cells only with nails... I think their true reasoning for this may be to ensure that you buy Paslode nails. In addition, in terms of space there seemed no practical reason to change the fuel cell design other than to ensure that it was not compatible with older guns. The "drop-in" installation could of been achieved by redesigning the nozzle and slot retaining backwards compatibility. I am sure that someone at Paslode is planning on sun-lighting the older red fuel cells forcing owners of the older Framing nailer (IMCT) to upgrade. Sorry Paslode this is not the sign of a top company that supports its loyal customers... I hope that the management at Paslode see fit to offer the new cells both separately and for a reasonable price. I also hope that they find a way to ensure that older framing nailer's will continue to have fuel available. Homeowners who may not use the guns very frequently expect that their purchase(Expen$ive) of a commercial quality tool would function for a very long time, let's not let them down. Paslode CF325 902200 Cordless Framing Nailer

the gun works like a charm! toe nailing is greatly improved with this gun because of the new tip that you can change depth with your hands. I used this gun all day for framing a big deck, went through half a box of ACQ 3 1/4" nails and every time I pulled the trigger the nail drove home, not one miss fire. when gun gets hot it still keeps working perfectly (new stainless O rings) the fuel cell is easier to load and unload. Much improved over the previous 900420 cordless Paslode framer. The only reason why this gun gets a 4 star is because you can't buy the fuel cells without buying a box of 1000 Paslode nails. New orange fuel cell is different than the red fuel cells and you can't switch the cap of the fuel cell. they say that you should be able to drive over a 1000 nails with one fuel cell, well from what I've experienced with the 900420, if you don't have the perfect weather conditions (like 15 degrees) your fuel cells don't last that long and you need to keep an extra cell warm in your pocket, so while the one in your gun is getting too cold to work, you can switch with the warm one in your pocket. If they start selling fuel cells separately I will change the 4 star rating to 5.

I recently purchased Palsode's new and improved CF-325 cordless framing nailer when my 10 year old Impulse bit the dust. I like the rubberized hand grip which helps in keeping the gun under control as my hands are dripping with sweat, which is almost all the time down here in southern most Key West, Florida. (hot, hot, hot). I can toe nail like a dream with this gun. The gun hanger has a cool improvement, as it will hang off my tool belt or when switched around can hang on joists. Very handy. The new fuel cell set up keeps the fuel cell firmly in place so that it does not dislodge while firing, like in the older gun. The door for the fuel cell compartment is much beefier with metal parts, rather than just plastic. The depth setting is a breeze as you can do so by hand rather than having to break out the tools. I have gone through 4500 nails with no problems. I was very frustrated trying to find replacement fuel cells. None of the lumber yards in the Keys had heard of this new gun, let alone sell fuel cells. My only complaint is a ditto on the previous reviewer in that Paslode is not selling fuel cells by themselves. You have to buy nails and fuels cells toghter in a combo pack. I had plenty of nails from Home Depot and did not want pay the shipping fee for more nails just to get fuel cells. I hear that Home Depot is going to be selling the combo packs and the new gun in about 1 month. Fortunately, I was able to buy separate fuel cells on ebay and get back to nailing.

I am a DIY person who enjoys framing. I purchased the CF325 last week for a job building a stage in our church where I could not use a compressor. Opened the box, read the directions, inserted the fuel cell, loaded a rack of the largest diameter (.131") X 3-1/4" long Paslode nails and in less than 5 minutes, from opening the box, I was nailing 2 x 6 framing members together and a 3/4" OSB floor on top. On the second lowest setting for nail depth, it drove them perfectly, just slightly below the surface. No need to readjust going from 2 x 6 framing to nailing down the 3/4" OSB subfloor. You can justify the small cost of the fuel cell against the time to position an air compressor, it's operating and maintenance costs, and the hassle of the air hose. This tool is amazing. I could not believe how fast the whole job went. Outside in the winter, keep a second fuel cell inside your jacket where it can stay warm. As they lose pressure from the cold air, just rotate them back and forth. Takes only seconds. This tool, if it holds up as well as others seem to indicate, can revolutionize framing. - Nail Gun - Nailers - Cordless Nailer'

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Computer Heatsinks - amd, cooling

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Is this the best cooler money can buy? Of course not, it's $20.

But is this probably the best value cooler w/o spending $50+? I'd be hard pressed to find a better one.

My basic setup: AMD Athlon II X4 630 (2.8 Ghz mild overclock for now to 3.2 Ghz), MSI mb, 2 GB DDR2 ram, XFX ATI 5750.

With the stock heatsink and fan at this O/C my idle temp was ~ 32-34 C, at load around 52-54 C.

Not a difficult install, instructions are terrible but for an AM2+, AM3 chip it's quite easy with no tools, and do NOT have to remove the motherboard from the case (can not speak for Intel chips), just takes a little common sense although the thermal grease supplied is pretty bad (like rubber cement).

Anyways after the TX3 was in place my idle temps are now at 22-24 C and at load 36-38 C. I'd say for a $20 cooler that isn't too loud, that's a pretty good result. Cooler Master RR-910-HTX3-G1 130-Watt 92mm Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler for 775/1156/AMD/AM2/AM3

I am overall greatly impressed with this HSF for its price to performance ratio and ease of installation.

I purchased this CPU cooler for a new Socket 1156 (Core i5 750) build, after having already built the computer and using it, the stock Intel HSF was a great disappointment. Intel's stock HSF is about half the height of its usual circular fin array. It also performed, in my opinion, horribly. At idle the temperature was around 38 degrees Celsius with the fan being audible over other fans and components. At full load it approached 76 degrees Celsius, which was disturbing enough for me to not perform a prolonged stress test on the CPU. The fan at this point was a very audible whirling, like most small fans running at high RPM pushing air over a small surface.

This HSF was an easy installation, no need to remove any components. It uses the standard push-pins for Socket 1156 compatibility. With its light weight and compact size, I am confident the push-pin locking mechanism will be adequate for holding it in place. I used OCZ Freeze thermal compound, for its ease of use and no need for a burn in period. I ran into a little trouble when attaching the fan, the metal fasteners need to be oriented correctly for their middle section to lock into the grooves of the heatsink. It takes a little coercing of the tension. I had to be careful of the fins, as they are not completely dull. I managed to snap them in place without hurting my fingers.

With the installation complete, I proceeded to the testing phase of the setup. Because the fan uses a four-pin PWM connector, you will have to rely on the BIOS settings to automatically or manually control its RPM. In my case my board needs to use an OS utility for advanced control, I am using Windows XP, so it took a little time to get oriented to its behavior.

I was immediately pleased with the idle temp staying at 23 degrees Celsius. I monitored it while it was idle for about an hour observing no change. That is an improvement of 15 degrees Celsius over the Intel stock HSF. The fan during this idle period tended to stay near 1500RPM. When I was manually adjusting the RPM, I found that 1500RPM was just under the range where I could here the familiar whirling. So I locked the idle temp to 1500RPM. Under full load I was again pleasantly surprised to find that the fixed 1500RPM kept the temperature from going above 56 degrees Celsius. That is an improvement of possibly more than 20 degrees Celsius over the Intel stock HSF. The next greatest benefit is that the noise the fan makes at 1500RPM blends directly into the ambient noise of the other system fans.

My system build is as follows:

Antec Mini P180 Case

Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 micro-ATX

Intel Core i5 750 (stock settings)

G.Skill DD3-1333 2048MBx2 CL 7-7-7-21 1.5v

I've recently built an AMD Athlon II 425-based computer (a certain regional electronics retailer well-known for their CPU/motherboard combos made an offer I could not refuse. What I paid for the CPU works out to less than forty dollars.) Naturally, and like most other people who choose to assemble their own PCs, I could not resist the allure of overclocking. Of course, stock cooling solutions are adequate for... well, cooling the CPU at stock settings. Since all modern CPUs have great overclocking potential but get quite hot when doing so, I wanted to upgrade my cooler.

After some searching, I found the Cooler Master Hyper TX3. In keeping with the philosophy of my build (buy the product at the point where performance just about stops increasing linearly with the price), I made the purchase, and the product arrived at my doorstep a few days later.

Cooler Master has elected to use plastic blister packaging for the Hyper TX3. It was easy to open, and required no scissors, which is a refreshing change from most packaging of this type. I received the universal version of the cooler, meaning my version of the TX3 supports Core 2 as well as Core i5, along with pretty much all Athlon 64s and above (Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2, Athlon II, Phenom, Phenom II.) The cooler does not require installation of a motherboard backplate for use. Since this is a smaller cooler, it uses Intel's standard push-pins or AMD's clips to remain secure. Cooler Master has apparently revised the TX3 recently; previous versions used a clip to secure the 92 mm fan to the heatsink. This clip received VERY mixed reviews (Yes, I do mean VERY - some reviews were absolutely glowing while others had the deepest contempt I have ever seen. Okay, maybe the reviews were not that extreme, but I did see a lot of love and a lot of hate.) The new fan retention mechanism is made of plastic. The fan is secured to the plastic mount with screws, and the mount itself snaps onto the cooler. Rubber pads are used to dampen fan vibrations. Also, this revision apparently makes the gap in between the heatpipes and aluminum smaller, which is always a welcome change.

The TX3 comes with one 92 mm fan, but comes with all the necessary accessories required for attaching a second 92 mm fan for a push-pull configuration. Cooler Master also included a tube of thermal paste, which is a nice touch, though I elected to use Arctic Silver 5 instead. I did search online to see how good Cooler Master paste is, and although it is not as good as AS5, it does easily beat the thermal pads that come default with many heatsinks.

Now, as for installation... I can only comment on AMD. Installing the TX3 was not as easy as the stock heatsink, as the TX3 is larger, leaving less room for your hands to maneuver. Additionally, I chose to go with a micro ATX case and motherboard, leaving me even less room. Whereas the push-pins for Intel are attached solidly to the heatsink by screws, the clips for installation into AMD-based systems are only secured when you finish installing the heatsink. Before installation, the clips are kept in place mostly by gravity. They're also two pieces, so when you're fumbling around in a small space trying to install the TX3, you might bump a clip off the heatsink.

This cooler is about 140 mm tall, according to my measurements, so it'll fit into any standard ATX-width case with millimeters to spare.

I've seen some comments (complaints?) about the TX3 using a 92 mm fan as opposed to a 120 mm fan. For a cooler in this price range, I am not sure if those complaints are valid. Remember, the stock AMD fan uses a 60 mm fan and spins at over 3000 RPM. I'm going to guess Intel uses something very similar. This cooler is 92 mm and spins at 2800 RPM maximum. Beats stock, yeah?

As for the part everyone cares about. Performance beats stock, of course. Keep in mind I am using a micro ATX case. Also, I'm providing CPU temperatures, not core temperatures. The diodes used for monitoring core temperatures are not accurate at lower temperatures. They're built into the CPU for throttling (they save your CPU from becoming an expensive key chain holder.) Idle temp stock is 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, depending on time of day. TX3 is able to do 32 to 35 degrees Celsius. Full burn from Prime95, stock reaches 71 degrees Celsius, while the TX3 keeps it under 53. I've since overclocked my CPU from 2.7 GHz to 3.41 GHz. Max temp I've seen in Prime95 is now 58. Not bad for $20. Your results will vary depending on what thermal paste you use, how well you've installed the cooler, whether or not you overclock and how much you overclock, how well air flows in your case, what else you have in your case (buff graphics card? =) and so on.

Well, I'm happy. Great cooler. You can buy this and be unhappy at the small stuff like how the part of the heatsink that makes contact with the CPU isn't perfectly flat, but you have to remember this is a budget cooler, and also a perfectly flat heatsink is just a means to an end. You buy a heatsink because it cools better than stock, not because it has a perfectly flat surface. A perfectly flat surface might cool better, but then again, how much better? Remember, this cooler has direct contact heatpipes, so there is going to be some gaps. The heatpipes and the aluminum also have different coefficients of thermal expansion, so maybe the surface does get more flat when it's in use ;p. Also, does a "nonsmooth" direct contact cooler beat a mirror-finish non-direct-contact cooler? Think about it! - Amd - Computer Heatsinks - Cpu - Cooling'

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Cooling - wheeled cooler, coleman

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I am somewhat of a lunchbox connoisseur. I have gone through many. Lunch is my most important meal of the day, literally making or breaking my mood.

First, I used paper bags. Mom knows best. But these are disposable, and get thrown away, and are bad for the environment. They also offer little protection or insulation for my lunch, and no spillage or ziploc bag crush/pop countremeasures.

Then came the soft coolers. These are nice, but hard to wash, and do not protect my PB&J and bananas from being smushed. Upside: you can fit "just a little more" in them and still zip it closed.

Then I got a hard cooler: but it was either too big, or the inside was too small. I either looked like I was going to a BBQ or carried around a cooler so I could have small juice and a sandwich only.

Then I got this thing that was invented in India supposedly. It has three containers in a thermos. This was great, but I couldn't use it for sandwiches, and it couldn't hold drinks (except in a bowl) and did nothing to protect my bannanas and sandwiches which still had to go in the soft box. Awesome for leftover day though.

Then I found this, one morning in Hawaii at my friends house. I promptly found the model number and wrote it down. Insulated. Hard. Durable, and protective of my food. No silly sliding top like an igloo to get stuck on anything too tall. Big enough to hold a six pack of soda, snacks for the beach, or lunch if I packed carefully...most importantly..thin walls. I don't know who at rubbermaid came up with this, but he or she should be promoted. Unlike other coolers with half inch thick walls, these walls are thin and not overly bulky. I can still carry enough food without looking like I am going camping everyday. I have no need for another lunch box. Ever! The search is over! Granted, the insulation wont last as long, but thats ok, I mean, its only there for 8 hours tops. Its also easy to wash.

Capacity: 1 can/small bottle, 1 small/medium sandwich, 2x fruit (bannana, apple, pear, kiwi, peach), 1 yogurt, 1 ziploc bag of snacks. Rubbermaid 5-Quart Personal Ice Chest Cooler, Red

I got this cooler because my work lunch bags got smelly and gross and weren't easy to clean no matter how well I tried to keep them nice because they held moisture. This is near perfect by comparison. It holds a small lunch and with the addition of ice packs, keeps it cold all day in my office. I'm not sure it would be as effective outdoors or in a hot place, but it keeps my lunch and snacks cool all day if I put in a few ice packs.

If it latched closed more securely, I'd give it five stars- as it is, it can open up if tossed around the car or upended.

Mostly though, it is great because you can really clean it out to keep it odor free. Take the dishes out of it as soon as you get home and leave it open overnight and it stays free of old lunch stench quite well.

What more can I say than it is a personal sized cooler... I am sure it will serve well for anything I need to use it for. Bought it mainly to be able to keep water samples cool for my water system... will either be sent by ups or self delivered and this cooler will get the job done just like the other ones have done for years... wish there was an option for a maxcold cooler just like this one, but none the less this one will work just fine.

My only complaints are that the cover opens really hard and wakes up the 4 year old in the morning, and the insulation isn't that great. I would also like to see it a couple of inches wider, so that I could put my coffee thermos inside.

The price is right. - Stanley Thermos - Wheeled Cooler - Coleman - Camping'

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Digital Camera Battery - digital frames, digital camera case

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I bought this as a gift for my mom to replace her nice, but bulky digital SLR. Her requirements were the camera must take excellent pictures, be user friendly or intuitive, and also be easy to grasp and hold while taking a photo.

The Sony DSC-H70 passed all three by me, and more importantly by my technologically declined mom.

The 10x optical zoom on the camera is sweet, while it isn't as flawless as the alpha models lenses or carl zeiss lenses it comes really close. It has a very high-quality lens and internal components. For the price/quality tradeoff I think this camera beats out all camera's under $300 currently on the market. I think the 16 MP is probably overkill, but it doesn't seem to sacrifice image richness so the more the merrier. Also, the blue color looks classy.

A huge selling point is the smart design of the camera. It has a groove for your thumb on the back, and the front has a slightly raised and concave area opposite of the lens side to grip. With the really thin cameras it seems people end up pinching the edges or hold the camera in an awkward position. You can grip this with a more natural grasp which helps keep the camera steady (although it does have a really good image stabilizer on it).

I was instantly a fan of the option for the auto setting that takes two shots at slightly different settings when light conditions are low or there is abnormal backlight conditions. When I tested it under a variety of poor light conditions one of the two pictures always turned out great (the other was good too, but one was just more ideal). That feature alone is worth buying the camera for. Saves a ton of time knowing you'll have a good snapshot when light conditions are less than ideal. The smile recognizer actually does work well and I can see it coming in handy quite often. The panorama setting works better than any camera I've seen to date. I weebled and wobbled the camera on purpose and the panorama still would turn out really well.

Those are the main items noticeably better than other digital point-and-shoots. It does come with an digital instruction manual on the camera if your curious about what something is when you are away from home.

I've been playing with my FujiFilm 3D camera recently, which if you are a photography geek I recommend scoping out. I went with 3D over high-quality 2D, but after seeing this in action I'm seriously considering the H70. Before this I was eyeing the alpha line (a55) from sony, which is an amazing camera in its own right. Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H70 16.1 MP Digital Still Camera with 10x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom G Lens and 3.0-inch LCD (Black)

This is my 3rd Sony camera and like the others it takes great pictures. What I mainly like about the camera is the SteadyShot stabilization and the Active mode that is available for videos. Other cameras usually only have an electronic stabilization which doesn't really do anything. Sony's actually physically moves the sensor. Getting up in years, my hands are not as steady as they used to be and at full zoom, taking a picture or video with other cameras at full zoom is very jumpy. Another cool feature is the Sweep Panorama which creates some great shots. Unfortunately the only way I have found to view them in sweep mode is using the included PMB software. Viewing them in a slideshow only gives a static image though. All-in-all, you can't go wrong with this camera.

PRO's - Steadyshot, great pictures. zoom range

CON's - Zoom noise is very prevalent in videos

Bought this camera five days ago. Paid full retail which was around $229.00 and I had to buy a memory card, it did not come with one. The picture quality is great and it is very simple to use. The panorama actually works pretty good and I got it to take a panoramic photo on the 3rd try. The movie quality is outstanding, and again, easy to use. There are some settings I've yet to figure out. To me, it seems like a lot of camera fo the money. Plus, I've not had many problems with Sony products.

I bought the camera this past weekend, used it at my sons baseball game the pictures came out nice, just wish the zoom was a little bit longer, for having 10x zoom the camera is small and slim, it might not have touch screen and all the other little nice features but it does what a camera should do take nice pictures. I use to use a olypmus 10x zoom and a kodak 10x zoom but this little camera in my opinion takes nicer looking photos and is a lot smaller then those other bulker cameras i use to use, I think this camera is a bang for the buck.

I really like this Sony. I bought it because I needed a portable camera. I use a Canon S10 IS but it is too big to carry around on vacation or casual events. I was wary because the reviews on Amazon were varied but a digital camera review site gave it extremely high marks. After having this camera for 3 weeks, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

The best auto - mode I have seen anywhere. I took pics in Disney world in daytime and low light conditions, indoor and out, and the pictures came out great with no flash needed...ISO adjusted automatically

Burst mode - press and hold button to take 3 consecutive shots

10x zoom - almost unheard of for a camera this small

Shutter speed is great, yes really. But if you are in auto mode and the setting has changed (daytime to twilight for example) your first shot will be delayed while it changes to the new mode

Portrait mode will recognize up to 8 faces in your picture, great for families or group shots

Sony now has a slot for an SD card in addition to their Memory Stick, this was a big selling point for me

CONS:

Shutter speed for changing modes as above. You can manually set the mode to bypass that.

I have not yet figured out how to stop the preview after a pic. Not sure that is Sony's fault.

No optical viewfinder. They are more rare in small cameras but help when it's sunny out.

This camera takes some practice. Not a lot, but you really do need to look at the online manual to get the best use from it.

MY CONCLUSION:

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. If you want a point and shoot that is easy out of the box, there are better suited cameras out there. If you want a camera that's a few steps up from a basic point and shoot, this one is great if you are willing to take the time to learn how to use it. Once you do, changing the settings is fast and easy. - Digital Camera Case - Sd Cards - Digital Frames - Digital Photo'

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Vehicle Backup Cameras - rear camera, backup camera

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Item arrived with all specified parts and in working order (including the drill bit)

Installation is a little time consuming, so don't take this on if it's your first try at car audio / video. Unfortunately there were no instructions, and wires on the harness from the camera were unlabeled but luckily they were easy to figure out.

The video out line is easy to spot as its the industry standard yellow RCA cable (17' extension included)

The positive voltage that powers the camera is the wire that has the fuse in it (this line connects to the white back-up light in your tail lights and powers the camera)

The remaining line is the ground and can be attached to almost any bare metal on vehicle, I usually choose a screw somewhere close.

The cables included are long, but you may need to an extension for the power wire (to tell the receiver when to turn on the rear view monitor). I chose to extend the wire from the tail light so the video camera and the receiver got the same signal.

The top of the camera is not noted, so you'll have to adjust it after installation.

The camera automatically adjusts between regular and IR mode and the LED's around the lens will not light up. You'll know when it's in IR mode as the picture will change from color to B&W.

The field of view is a little constricted compared to many cameras, but its enough for me (I can't see the corners of the vehicle, but can see behind me). PYLE PLCM22IR Flush Mount Rear View Camera with 0.5 Lux Night Vision

I'd installed the camera in my Jeep Grand Cherokee with Pioneer 5600 DVD. The Installation was not simple, since I had to add extra video cable (the power cable is longer). As I noticed in other review, the hole saw that was supposed to come included in the kit was missing so I had to buy another one to be able to make the proper hole. The camera is water and dust resistant, and has a clear night vision, but since it has no angular lens (peep hole type) it doesn't cover both ends of the bumper and right there you miss the whole point of having a rear view camera. Just because of that, I would suggest further research of other similar products.

Overall this seems like a very good camera. The quality seems good and so far has not had any issues due to weather like previous cameras. I didn't want to drill a hole in the body of my truck to accommodate this camera so I installed it into a plastic housing under the bumper. It gets a good view, but surprisingly it can't actually see to the corners of the vehicle. The viewing angle of the camera almost makes it, but objects have to be 3-4 feet away (behind) the corners in order for the camera to pick them up. In the worst case, if something were right at the bumper on either side but just out of view of the side mirrors, you wouldn't be able to see it and could hit it. Other than this, if you're starting out somewhere that you know to be clear, then you're OK and can use your mirrors and camera to make it all work. The image quality is quite good, and at night can see well too.

item was delivered on time but something was missing in the delivery. Specifically the hole saw that was suppose to be included was not there. in addition the instructionmanunal was also not there sometimes making me think wheter the item i bought was brand new or not

I bought this rear view camera to be used on my Pioneer Car AVHP4000DVD Double Din AV Multimedia Receiver that I have on my Lancer 2008.

The camera images look GREAT, it also has infrared sensors for an AMAZING night vision, you don't even need your reverse lights to be turned on to see in complete darkeness, I can ASSURE you that.

It is waterproof, and this feature I did test it already, since it rains a lot in my country and haven't had a single problem with the camera.

I purchased this camera intending to put this on the front or rear of my car for an in-cab DVR. Therefore; I was intending to make adjustments to the camera if I needed to so I was planning on opening the case if I had to.

What I found when I received the camera was a pit-specked lens. I tried to wipe what I thought was dust off of the lens but I found the pits to be inside - So I took the camera apart and what I found was that the rear of the camera is probably more water-proof than the front lens portion.

I uploaded several images one showing the front O-ring is too big for the groove where it is supposed to sit (the picture with the yellow arrow). One side of the ring is supposed to sit in the O-ring groove and the other against the outer lens glass. When I opened the camera I have, the O-ring was pinched and hanging over the groove and potentially susceptible to leaking. Since I had not mounted the camera yet, obviously I fixed the O-ring problem. Also, since I decided to mount this camera on the front, I disconnected the IR LED's.

Applying this observation may lead to the conclusion that a portion of these cameras will get water inside them because of incorrect O-ring sizing. If a water-proof camera is important to you you should check yours.

Other than that the camera works and seems to have a very good picture - BTW: I polished the front window glass on mine and was able to remove almost all of the pits. Maybe these should be sold as "camera kits".

I use two of these cameras on my car in place of my side view mirrors. They work well during the day, but have trouble if the sun is shining into them. The night vision mode only works for a few feet behind the vehicle, after that you're out of luck. Also, if dirt, snow or rain gets on the lens, the camera will focus on it and will basically wash out the rest of the image. So make sure you mount the cameras in a location on your vehicle that will be less likely to get dirty or wet. - Rear Camera - Backup Camera - Car Camera - Vehicle Backup Cameras'

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