Electronic Arts - college football, football

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I must preface this review by stating that I have been a fan of the NCAA Football series since it was "Bill Walsh Football". I have become accustomed to each year only having a few updates and modest improvements and those have been enough to satisfy my needs as a college football enthusiast.



THIS LATEST INSTALLMENT LEAVES MUCH TO BE DESIRED.



I play this game as follows: 50% of the time is spent in dynasty mode, 25% is spent playing against friends, 25% is spent playing online. With that said, dynasty mode is the mode that I obviously really focus on. I was alarmed to find out as soon as I booted up dynasty mode that it starts soliciting you to buy "add ons" that you would think would be standard. You have to pay an additional $2.50 per add-on ($12.50 for the total dynasty add-on package) -via the PSN store- to have things such as a second pipeline state, a recruiting advisor etc.



EA could have greatly improved dynasty mode this year by releasing these new options as standard features instead of gouging for more $$$.



It's not that the add-ons are expensive, but its that they are unwarranted and it is a matter of principle. I can honestly say that this will very likely be the last time I purchase a release from the NCAA Football series. NCAA Football 10

EA Sports has finally made a challenging football game. Playing the CPU on Heisman mode is like playing last year's Madden on Your Level. The game now adapts to the way you play just like a real (good) coach does. You can't run that option over and over, you will get stuffed!



In addition to making CPU play harder and more realistic, there is a new mode called Season Showdown where you chose your favorite team and everything you do on and offline gets tallied toward an end of the season winner. In Season Showdown mode, you get points based on many categories including Skill (making certain plays yourself), Strategy (Choosing the upcoming play type while on defense and successfully stopping it), and Sportsmanship ( where good sports that don't go for it on 4th get points and those that do or run up the score get them taken away). There is also an online trivia component where you go to the EA Sports website and answer 10 trivia questions each week for points. During the season, each week you can play your team's game online against players from the other team to get points. You get points whether you win or lose, but you get more for winning. Season Showdown is a great way to show support for your favorite team and it also gives a rating so when you are in a lobby you can tell if someone who is participating in Season Showdown will go for it every 4th or not and if they know how to stop plays by looking at their Strategy rating.



Teambuilder is another new mode where you can go to the EA Sports website and create your own school and design the uniforms, stadium and player names and attributes and then download it into the game. And you can use your Teambuilder teams in online dynasties, which is pretty cool.



Online dynasties are better, you can now create a custom team conference by swapping your members teams with teams in an existing conference. For example you can swap all the Big 12 teams with all 12 of your dynasty member's teams. This makes it easier for scheduling user vs user games. They also fixed last year's bug where you talked a player into staying (from going to the NFL draft or transferring to another school) they and they still left. The recruiting process is more involved now, you can talk down other schools the recruit is interested ins attributes and you have a recruiting adviser that tells you when someone is ready to sign, is interested in your school or gets a call from a mom who tells some of a recruit's interests.



The other new addition is Road To Glory, which has been in the game before but is vamped up with a video segment on your player after winning games that is hosted by Erin Andrews, who discusses your play during the game with Herbstriet and shows auto saved highlights from the game. Look for a similar video show presentation in Madden NFL 10 which will have a video show for the online leagues showing highlights from members of the leagues teams each week.



PROS



Season Showdown - It has brought a new sense of competition to the game, where everything you do helps your favorite school in the rankings.



Adaptive CPU Play - You have to really be on your toes to win against the CPU on Heisman mode now. All American mode is as hard as Heisman in NCAA Football 09.



Road to Glory - Your player is now ranked so you can see how others playing on your favorite team are doing. Plus you get to see Erin Andrews. lol.



Family Mode - This is another adaptation from Madden, which has an easy mode. Now, you can play a tough game against grandma. Family mode is a very simplified set of controls where even your sister can make a TD pass. So now, just about anyone can play and be good at it.



PS3 Trophies - For the first time you get trophies for your game play.



Tweaks to Graphics - Close ups are more polished, although most of the graphics are the same. Marching bands are now shown pre game and they have added additional uniform settings and TD animations (My team, USF, can now do the horns hand sign after TDs)



Players Are More Realistic - No More sub 4.3 40 yard dash players. Speed is not as much a factor as ability to catching or running through a tackle.



Ability to Tweak Team Play - Now you can tweak how your D and O play on different aspects such as blocking or tackling, with choices being Aggressive, Normal, And Conservative.





Cons



EA has now gone the money route. Additional items, like "Dynasty Accelerators" where you get things like an extra pipeline state in Dynasty Mode you have to play for, WITH REAL MONEY! You want to be a 5 star high school recruit in Road To Glory? You can pay for it now, 2 bucks. If you lost your manual for the game, you won't be able to download your Teambuilder team to the game without paying for it. And if you want to download other teams you have to pay for each team. Its not quite as bad as they have done with Tiger Woods Golf, but look for more of it in future additions depending on how successful they are this year.



Adaptive CPU Play - I know, I said it was a Pro, but its both. I am seeing players struggling in Dynasties that are set at Heisman mode, good players. When someone is ranked high against other players (top 1000) plays a game against the cpu in Heisman mode with Penn St and loses to Akron, you know something is wrong. Luckily, the CPU sliders are still included in this addition. Sliders can be adjusted to so that CPU and User play can be adjusted, like increase the likelihood your receiver will catch balls or your QB will throw more accurately.



Graphics and Presentation - While I know that they have worked more on game play and features this past edition, it would be nice to see a better presentation. Not all the mascots are in 2010 yet, there are more in the PS2 version. Many of the lines of the commentators are the same they have used for several versions now. The graphics are pretty much the same, although you get a glimpse of some better graphics during the brief close ups after plays.



Putting your D on Aggressive Stripping the Ball results on face mask penalties on just about every play. Its pretty much useless.



The video is pretty repetitive in Road To Glory. Heck Erin doesn't even have a wardrobe change. It would be nice to see her change wardrobe, and spice up the video some.







Overall, great improvements to last year's game. Much of this is because Tiberon, who makes the game for EA Sports, let seasoned NCAA gamers have a day with the game early enough in development to get input and use it to change and tweak the game before it was shipped. They also did this to Madden this year.





UPDATE: The more I play Madden, the less I like NCAA 10. Why? On the harder settings its like work. And conversely, Madden is pretty fun, even when you are losing. On the harder settings in NCAA 10, one mistake can cost you the game. The game presentation is boring and rather dull compared to Madden. Even though I am #1 for my school in Season Showdown, I still am considering selling my copy. Hopefully next year EA Sports will take the things that work in NCAA 10 and Madden separately and include them in both of next year's offering. - Ea Sports - College Football - Playstation 3 - Football'

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Computer Backpack - laptop bag, computer backpack

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I want to preface this review by saying that prior to purchasing the Swiss Gear Synergy, I owned a Swiss Gear Maxxum pack for about two and a half years (see my review of that pack as well). I wore the Maxxum about 6 days a week, with a consistently very full and heavy load and was extremely satisfied. But, after 2.5 years, the shoulder straps started to show their age, and I decided it was time for a replacement. I knew before I began my search that my next bag would also be a Swiss Gear, and perhaps another Maxxum.



I visited a local store that had 5 models of Swiss Gear packs in stock (but sadly, not a Maxxum) and gave them all a good looking over for features and construction as well as a check for personal fit. I was quickly able to eliminate a few of the smaller models as they simply didn't have the raw storage volume I require for my daily load. The final three in contention were the Cobalt, Pegasus, and Synergy. I next eliminated the Swiss Gear Pegasus (a great looking bag) from consideration, for while it was clearly designed for carrying very large laptops (17"), aside from the computer, this bag was obviously meant to hold generally flat things. While I gladly would have paid the higher price for the Pegasus, it simply would not accept the larger and roughly cube-ish, cylinder-ish or sphere-ish shapes I often need to carry (camera bag, lunch, water, soup thermos and more).



In the end, I selected the Synergy, and I'm VERY glad I did.



DECIDING FACTORS



VOLUME AND SPACE USABILITY - Of the bags I was considering, the Synergy has both the largest volume as well as the best configuration of that volume for my real world uses. Additionally, while several of the bags I was looking at had side zip water pockets, only the Synergy's felt generous enough to entirely contain a reasonably sized bottle when completely zipped. The total cubic capacity of this bag seems very similar to that of the Maxxum, but the pack has a more vertical and usable orientation of that volume. While the compartments of the Maxxum get shorter the further you move from the packplane of the pack, the Synergy takes very similarly sized compartments and arranges them such that they are in a taller, more back hugging overall shape. The Maxxum really sticks out quite a way when it's fully loaded, while the Synergy hugs your body more closely. I find this a great improvement.



BACK PAD VENTILATION - Having humped the Maxxum around for the better part of three years, I know how well the design of the back pad moves air around your back. The Synergy has the same back pad as the Maxxum, and to me, that's a big plus. I've carried this pack, fully and heavily loaded for very long periods, both standing and walking, and it's always been comfortable, even on warm days.



DURABILITY - The Maxxum and Synergy are very similarly constructed, and I can tell you that my Maxxum held up to very rough treatment for the full span of the two and a half years I had it. These are very tough bags, inside and out.



STRAPS - while the straps were the first part of the Maxxum to "fail", I have to admit, with the load I put in mine, I fully expected the straps to have given out after about a year ... but they didn't. Not even after two years. Even at two and a half years, they hadn't exactly failed, they were looking pretty rough, and I decided to play it safe. I never weighed my pack full, but those who tried packing it often remarked 'What do you put IN this thing, bricks?' Well, a very heavy laptop + very heavy adapter + very heavy spare battery make up the worst of the load. Add in a camera, voice recorder, notepads, books, wireless mouse, lunch, assorted papers, vitamins, address book, keys, umbrella and more, and the bag gets very heavy. This size bag holds a lot, and if the straps aren't super strong, all that weight would rip them out by the roots (which has happened to me before with lesser bags). But not these straps. They're tough. As for those of you who prefer a waist strap, I've tried packs with them before and didn't like them for myself at all. This pack keeps the load right where I want it and keeps it comfortable for long stretches of time.



POCKETS - After volume, durability and fit, it's all about the pockets for me. Like the Maxxum, the Synergy has a truly brilliant combination of pockets for those of us who have to carry a mobile production studio on our back. If all you have is a laptop and some flat notebooks, the Pegasus looks like an awesome pack, but if you need to stuff in gloves, hats, cameras, accessories, food, water and more, the Synergy is the pack to get. How many pockets? Oy ... let's count.



PC COMPARTMENT (closest to your back)

1) Main padded PC pocket(red) with securing Velcro strap. NOTE: When you open the compartment nearest your back, the PC pocket is located away from your back. This provides more buffer between back of pack and the PC ... I like that.)

2) Netted accessories pocket next to PC pocket

3) Open center area within PC compartment for papers or notebooks (against your back, providing potentially more padding)



SIDE COMPARTMENT LEFT

4) Zipper close compartment for water bottle

5) Netted open top stretch pocket, wrapping around zipper pocket



SIDE COMPARTMENT RIGHT

6) Zipper close compartment for water bottle

7) Netted open top stretch pocket, wrapping around zipper pocket (not for nuts ... the squirrels WILL find them and eat through the net :) )



Now, moving to the front of the pack and working our way back toward the PC pocket.



FRONT MOST POCKET

8) Small zip pocket could hold CD/DVD player, wallet, address book, calendar or similar sized object. Good for quick access items.



PERSONAL ACCESSORIES COMPARTMENT (2ND from front)

This area is designed to hold small personal items like pocket cameras, keys, business cards, pocket knife, loose small items, pens, pencils, etc. Red liner makes it easier to find small stuff when in low light.

9) Large zipper "pencil" pouch (a pack of 12 highlighters fits in there well)

10) Elastic Netted "camera" pocket (for pocket camera)

11) Velcro flap cover "Pocket knife" sleeve

12-16) 5 card/cardstack pockets

17) Key ring clip

18) Open area in front of smaller pockets for larger calendar, papers, etc.



SHIELD POCKET COMPARTMENT (3rd from front, with Swiss Gear shield facing front)

19) This single medium/large sized compartment is perfectly sized to hold my winter gloves, sunglasses in case, warm hat, hairbrush and umbrella - accessories that I don't always need but REALLY want handy when the weather turns against me. Or in hot weather, this could hold a sun hat, shorts, t-shirt, flip flops etc. This compartment is tall, wide but not very deep, so it wouldn't work for a soup thermos, cubical lunch container, camera bag, etc., but for assorted flatter things 2-3" deep, about 10" wide and over a foot tall, it's perfect.



MAIN HIGH CUBE STORAGE (4th from front)

20)The main storage area within the 4th zip from the front is cavernous. I could easily fit my camera bag, lunch and a bunch of other stuff in here. Over a foot tall, about 4"to6" deep (depending on what you put in adjacent compartments), close to a foot wide, I also use it for spare clothes, jackets, towels or other bulky objects that need some serious room. This compartment allows this pack to be a really usable weekender, as it can hold spare clothes and personal accessories, while other compartments store the PC and tech gear.

21) Zipper net pocket - good for small important things you don't want flopping around in this BIG main compartment. Easily holds 5"x7" sized papers/cards, wallet, small notebooks, etc.

22) Folder Pocket - along the back plane of this large compartment, against the neighboring PC compartment, is a large open top pocket for papers or folders. If you need to keep something flat and the laptop area is full, this gives you another option.



TOP QUICK ACCESS POCKET - RED LINED

23) One of my favorite features of this bag and the Maxxum is the top mounted quick access pocket, lined in bright red, which makes it easier to find small stuff in dim light. Great for small electronics, keys, cables, USB thumb drives, memory cards, or anything small that isn't sharp. The lining of this pocket is softer than some and I wouldn't put anything pointy in there. Keys, pens and mechanical pencils are OK, but nothing sharper.

24) Inner Velcro flapped pocket for MP3 player, cellphone or other small device. This pocket within a pocket keeps delicate electronics both secure and protected from metal items that might scratch them. I think this pocket is just a touch larger than in the Maxxum, probably to accomodate smart phones not just MP3 players.

NOTE: There's a grommet in the side of this pocket that allows headphone/earbud cables to extend out of a specially marked rubberized opening on the top/side of the pack.



That's 24 pockets/pouches/clips in all, which makes this backpack a real workhorse. One note of caution: Filled, this bag can be VERY heavy. The bag can take it, and I find the straps and back pad distribute the load very well and keep it comfortable for me. But I have read where some users were a bit overpowered by the weight this bag can hold. Keep that in mind when loading it up.



BOTTOM PROTECTION FROM WATER - I spend a fair amount of time waiting for buses at bus stops in the Pacific Northwest, where the pavement is quite frequently wet. While most Swiss Gear bags do a nice job sitting up by themselves, of the ones I was considering, the Synergy had the best bottom protection against the wet. Some of the bags were only partially rubberized on the bottom, while one can safely place the Synergy on wet pavement and have total peace of mind.



When my wife and I are heading out for a day or weekend of creativity in the field, this kind of pack is a life saver ... PC, adapter, spare battery, 2 cameras, web access, digital voice/music recorder, notepads, markers, cables, snacks, water, cold or warm weather accessories, spare clothes/shoes and lots of small stuff all fit nicely into one pack that really distributes weight well and never digs or rubs in uncomfortable ways. A truly awesome pack I can highly recommend. SwissGear Computer Backpack - Computer Backpack - Laptop Bag - Swissgear - Backpacking'

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Indoor Timer - digital timer, digital outlet timer

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This is one of the best, most versatile timers I've ever used. The astronomical feature will operate outdoor lighting in sync with sunup and sundown for your particular location. Or it will operate as a regular timer or a random timer (varies your programmed on/off events up to 30 minutes to make your house look more lived in).



There are 28 programmable events for 14 on/off cycles (they can be all on events or all off events, but that wouldn't make much sense). You can have all 28 events on the same day, or program different events on different days of the week. Each event is programmed for the day of the week, the time (hour and minutes), and whether it's an on event or an off event. There are two watch batteries inside that keep the time and run the display. The batteries will keep the time for 3 months if the timer is not plugged into power. This means you can program the timer while holding it, then plug it in when you're done. The on/off events remain in memory without battery power, and if you replace low batteries within one minute, you won't have to reset the clock's time. One very handy feature is the knob used to change all settings. You can go forward or backward for every setting by spinning the knob. Whatever's plugged into the timer's outlets can be turned on or off manually with a button on the front.



If you want to read the operating instructions for this particular timer, you can go to Intermatic.com and download them in PDF format for free. For the features, ease of use, and the price, you absolutely can't beat this timer. Intermatic DT620CL 15 Amp Indoor Astronomic Digital Timer

There are several secrets to programming this device. From reading the reviews you can tell that some people figured them out right away after reading the directions, some had difficulty, and some never figured them out and returned the device as defective.

Secret 1: OK doesn't mean OK. It means cancel the setting I just finished programing. To keep the setting you have to push PROG after setting the minutes.

Secret 2: An event is not an on-off cycle. It is just one time setting. To get an on-off you need to program two events. If you program an on time for event 1 and then an off time for event 1 you will find that the on time is gone. You can do on settings and off settings in any order. The device just executes the change of state when that time is reached for that day.

Secret 3: You have to push the ON/OFF button when you plug it in the first time after programming it. After that it operates by itself.

Secret 4: Dusk and dawn settings override time settings. I didn't set any dusk or dawn events so I didn't figure out the details of this one but if your device isn't going on and off when you expected it to, check your dusk and dawn settings.



If you plug a cord into the bottom half of the outlet it is then possible to plug in this timer at an angle at the top and it will still work. It is too big to go in straight if something else is plugged in. It is wide enough to take up three spaces on a power strip.



There is a three prong outlet on each side of this timer. Both follow the same program.



Once you figure out how to program it, this is an excellent timer. It has only been one day since I got the program working so I have no opinion on the durability of it. The secrets I listed are explained in the directions but obviously a lot of us didn't pick up on them at first reading.

Wanted something to turn the lights on and off in the house without being at the same time of day - mostly to come on for security

Features I really like:

- Considers geographic location for sunset and sunrise times

- Considers Daylight savings for the clock

- Has a random on/off time for even for the sunset/sunrise settings

- Covers only one of the wall outlets

- A small light comes on when it is on - nice to know bulb/fixture is off

- Fairly easy to program



Only had it a week, but I set it up to randomly come on at dusk and off at midnight - if it tracks the dusk changes throughout the year, it will be perfect.

I am using several of these to turn on various lights in our house at different times during the week. They also work great for controlling outdoor christmas lights when you have multiple strings on multiple AC feeds. With two of these things, I can get everything to come on and off at the same time.



The clock seems to be very accurate and I have not noticed any issues with them running slow or fast. All of our units are still synced with the current time over a year after purchase! I find the programming easy once you learn how the system is laid out. The "owners manual supplied" with the unit provided ample instructions and I have no complaints.



I use another one on my cable modem and router to power cycle them every other night at 3AM to keep our network refreshed and optimized.



I have used a lot of various timers over the years, and this one is hands down the best I have come across.



Some have claimed this thing to be difficult to use...



All I can say to that is... If you are one of those technophobes who's VCR has been flashing 12:00 for the last 10 years, you may have issues. ;o)



I wouldn't have purchased more if I wasn't so impressed. I currently own 6 of these.

A very good timer that works well, but i bought mine at the end of June and it craped out the end of October.



I have a second one I bought and havent used and am trying that. The unit gets quite hot which is one possable reason thy it burns out.



THE GOOD:

BUTIONS and DATA ENTRY WHEEL! Only two things that need instructions: Clearing memory (hold on/off while using a paper clip to push reset) and programming where OK returns to menu PROG steps through the programming settings. The rest is very intuitive (no hold button a and push button b 3 times to do one thing and then push button a three times while holding button b to do something else).

Dawn Dusk look up table the dawn/dusk events can be off set or changed by changing location (for a given state you have "N,NE,NW,S,SE,SW,Central) as well as the manual arbitrary offset.

Random is a mode so you don't have to change any programming to use it, just push the mode button for a random add/subtract from the ON/OFF times.

Can set events to every day, week days, week ends or a single day.

Total of 28 events with no limitations as to how many are assigned to a day interval.

The ON/OFF switch changes state until the next event. i.e. pushing ON turns the outlets on until the next event (if its OFF then the outlets turn OFF, if its On then the timer just takes over).

Real useful wattage and two 3 prong outlets.

Reasonable price.

Nice appearance.



THE BAD:

No day by day or event offset when using Dawn/Dusk times. The time can be offset but that applies to all events using Dawn/Dusk. So no way to account for sleeping in on Sun.

Random applies to the timer and all settings as a whole not to an event.

On most outlets, power strips of cords will take 2 outlets and as the sockets are on the side if both are used will potentially take 3.

Doubtfull durability.

Takes 2 expensive L44 batteries (around $4.50 each at Radio Shack).



THE UGLY:

The timer gets warm and stays a bit warm when plugged in even if not programmed. I don't know what the current draw is as I can't find my watt meter.

No real provision for rechargeable batteries.



It would be nice if there was an option to turn an outlet on when the other turned off.



Overall a big improvement over the other timers I have used and I am planning on ordering some more. - Timer - Lamp Timer - Digital Outlet Timer - Digital Timer'

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Kindle Accessory - kindle battery, kindle accessory

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First and foremost, Kindle is an exceptional product. That being said, the battery provided for it, is not. After less than three months of moderate use, the battery that came with the Kindle went from working great to flat dead. I would definitely recommend that you buy at least one extra battery to have around just in case you find yourself inconvenienced by this poor product. Fortunately for us, the pricing on this battery is fairly low. Hopefully, the manufacturer is looking into this and will be providing better batteries down the road. {ssintrepid} Amazon Kindle Replacement Battery (for 1st Generation Kindle)

My battery is dead after only 3 months as well. Based on the comments I have read others are having the same issue. Is Amazon looking into this? Are they going to make good on the replacement batteries for customers who have this problem? It's a shame, the device is great. I hope they don't let this issue overshadow the device's good points. Take a lesson from Apple when the iPod had battery issues when it first came out. FIX IT!

I don't consider having a swappable battery a feature - as much as a common sense engineering decision. I can understand to some small extent why the iPod doesn't - as they are shooting for extreme size reduction. However even in their case - it was a mistake.



The issue with the Kindle battery is that they die too fast - I'm getting 3-4 months before the battery fails to hold a charge - I just ordered two more because my last one after charging all night held the charge for almost 15 minutes - not useful.



I suspect this is either very poor quality control in the Chinese made battery or a design flaw in the charging circuit. In any case Amazon really needs to look into this.

I love my Kindle and use it almost every day. However, after 3 months, my battery just died. I expected it to last longer. Luckily I had a spare. I was reading and the text froze. None of the buttons worked. When I turned off the device the page I was reading stayed on. It did not go away until I took out the old battery. I love my kindle but it looks like I need to have spares all the time.

I have a ton of products with Lithium Ion batteries, but I don't think I've ever seen one die quite this fast. 3 months, and maybe 20-25 recharge cycles and I'm down to an hour or less of battery life.

While I love my Kindle, the original battery that came with it only lasted a mere three months (and not real heavy usage) and is now dead and won't recharge. And now I see Amazon is sold out of replacements!

I bought a replacement battery and it may prove useful BUT a longer lived battery is badly needed. When I connect to download, I can see the charge decreasing while I wait! Otherwise, in the course of ordinary reading I don't get much more than 4 hours (estimated) . The replacemant battery performs the same way. A longer cord on the charger would be helpful.

It was only two months before my battery would not hold a charge for more than a day. I would charge the battery and then when I went to turn it on later in the day, it would show only about one third full, then last only an hour. Very frustrating! This device was too expensive to have such a basic problem like this. When buying the Kindle, you must buy a backup battery! The reader is awesome--the battery--not so much. - Battery - Kindle Battery - Kindle Accessory - Ebook Reader'

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Resistance Band - resistance band, spri

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I like the door attachment but the bands are too light. I am a unfit woman who started the P90X system so bought these bands. I ended up going to a sports store to buy thicker bands that I could actually try before purchasing. These bands are recommended for woman but I think that the average woman should buy the heavier bands. SPRI ES500R Xertube Resistance Band with Door Attachment and Exercise Charts (Green, Light)

My favorite form of exercise is walking. I can do it year-round, through summer heat and winter's sub-zero temperatures (though neither of these extremes makes me jump for joy). I consider it one of the best forms of exercise and I like the fact that I don't have to belong to a gym to do it, especially since I live some distance from town.



But, unless I'm using walking poles (which I sometimes do) walking doesn't do a lot for the arms. These resistance bands - I have them in green, red and blue - help me take care of that, rounding out my daily routines. They're affordable, easy to use and, IMHO, effective.



I particularly appreciate that they are small and packable, making them easy to take along while traveling. Thus they join walking in being (almost) always available.



All-in-all, a good product at a good price.

This band is excellent for lightweight stretching and tension. It's the first i've ever gotten and i love it. I hurt my shoulders and have been going to physical therapy and i ordered this product to help keep the tension relieved in my shoulders and it works wonders! I use it after applying a warm rice pack(sock filled with rice and heated 1.5 minutes in the microwave)to my shoulders, then stretch them using the band. The door attachment makes it VERY easy to achieve different stretches. Seems to be holding up very well also, there's now wear on it at all yet..completely worth the investment!

I have been using these (green and red) for over a week now. They're easy to use and store. I loved using the door attachment too. I did read some reviews about the dangers of the door attachment. But as long as you follow the directions well and make sure the door is CLOSED, and pull hard on the attachment to make sure it doesn't move - you should be absolutely fine.



The price too is perfect! I just hope the bands and the handle attachments last for a long time. - Resistance Band - Spri - Excercise Equipment - Resistance Bands'

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Door Hardware - door handles, handlesets

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I have replaced all of the locks in my apartment building with Smart Key locks and in one year eliminated my locksmith budget. The previous year we spent almost $700 on rekeying locks after tenants moved out or lost keys. I have not had a single problem with any of the locks and have rekeyed them myself (in under a minute) many times. They have, so far, stood up to the abuse of our tenants brilliantly.



Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.



Aside from the great re-keying Smart Key feature, these locks are the first I've encountered (and I've installed a lot of locks) that seems to be designed for a do-it-yourselfer, not a locksmith. They are very, very easy to install and take about a tenth of the time to install than the average door knob and lock set.



Update 04-02-10



The little metal dowel that supports the thumb-latch inside the handle broke off and the thumb-latch on the lock-handle fell off! The package claims a lifetime warranty so I called KwikSet. The American customer service rep seemed rather new to the job, but he was very helpful and after putting me on hold for a moment to consult with his manager, he came back and gathered my shipping info to send me a replacement. I had to pay $5 for the shipping, but they sent me a brand new lockset exactly like the one that broke, including the deadbolt. To say I was thrilled is an understatement. These are not cheap locks, but a warranty like that certainly makes them worth the extra money and even the extra I had to kick in for shipping!



PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (the "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.



Update 06-06-10



In the last three weeks, three of the four smart key deadbolt locks have "reset" themselves! For absolutely no reason they each, one by one, stopped working with the key they were set for. Luckily, I was able to get into each of the apartments through other accesses to open the doors. I replaced the first two, then bought the Kwikset 83260-001 SmartKey Cylinder Reset Cradle with the intention of resetting the now useless locks and reusing them. Well, this cradle-thing is designed for locksmiths and comes with absolutely no instructions on how to remove the inner core of the cylinder so you can put it into this tool to reset it. Another waste of money on a Kwikset product that is now useless to me.



I tried calling Kwikset but their customer service is closed on Sundays, so for now I'm out three(!!!!) deadbolts and am quite unhappy about it. I changed the number of stars I gave it from 5 to 2. Kwikset 800ADH ADL 501 SMT CP Ashfield Single Cylinder Handleset with Ashfield Lever Featuring SmartKey, Rustic Bronze

I was tired of my rinky-dink front door knob and finally jumped in with this beautiful set. My wife and I really like the rustic bronze finish as there are not many sets out there like it. It was relatively easy to install after taking out the old set. As with most things like this you may have to do a little tweaking to get it set just right, which I did. We did not drill a hole through the door for the bottom connection and it works fine. It was pricey, about $150, but I think a worthwhile investment in my home and appearance as you enter our house.

I am very impressed with the quality of this handle set. The Smart Key feature is ingenious! Do not worry about damaging or making the handleset/lock irrepairable. The rekey sequence is very simple and very straight forward. Just read the directions. I replaced all my doors with this type of system and it took about 15 seconds to rekey each new lock.

These handlesets and locks are extremely difficult to find at you local stores now, but Amazon had all of them and at excellent pricing too.

While the idea of being able to rekey this bolt sounds like a good thing, it leaves consumer in the precarious position of being an expert locksmith - or else! If you mess up the re-keying or if any of your keys accidentally dislodge the tumblers, the lock is broken and cannot be fixed or re-keyed, even by a professional.



I purchased this set and installed the deadbolt. The first re-key did not go smoothly, but I was able to get the second key to work a few times. Someone else used a copied key that happened to be a little worn in some spots. This caused the tumblers to dislodge and the key got stuck. Locksmith had to come and take the whole deadbolt apart. Mechanism does not allow you to repair the dislodged tumblers.



Manufacturer warranty does NOT cover it if re-keying is messed up or if your key caused tumblers to dislodge. At least I still got to use the entry handle, but then that's one expensive entry handle as I had to replace the bolt with a regular non Smart Key version!

I was really disappointed when the spindle and bolt mechanism wore out after eight years. I expected the parts that wear to be better made. I've lived in other houses where the door knobs just kept working. The inside spindle that rubbed against the door mechanism was a half cylinder that just rubbed away. Pretty brass handle lasted, but the spindle can't be repaired and the whole handle needed to be replaced. Kwikset is a division of Black and Decker and my experience it that B&D makes cheap stuff that doesn't work or breaks to easily. I would recommend Schlage or some other brand. - Door Handles - Smartkey - Handlesets - Front Door'

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If you want to read the opinion of a professional photographer, read on...

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The TX10 is NOT Compatible with Sony Marine Pack Enclosures or any other enclosures.



Pros:

1) The TX10 shines in low-light still photography, it eliminates most of the noise even at ISO 800.

2) The small form factor means you can easily hide the camera from "predators."

3) It is water "resistant' but not truly waterproof aka. you shouldn't go scuba diving with it.

4) It's High Definition 1080p video is pretty good compared to other digital cameras in this price range.

5) Zooming while videotaping is possible. Most consumer digital cameras can't zoom while in video mode.

6) Surprisingly good wide-angle (you don't need a wide-angle adapter)

7) The panorama mode is cute and effective but not very high quality (noise is introduced due to panorama cropping).

8) Excellent flash coverage.

9) Choice of MPEG or AVCHD recording. MPEG is the best choice for compatibility and editing but it takes more space in your memory card. AVCHD is a pain to edit compared to MPEG.



Cons:

1) Compared to my old Canon HV20 the TX10 is simply unable to stabilize the image. Not a deal breaker but you may want to bring a tripod with you at all times.

2) Battery life is dismal, I cannot get more than 80 minutes of continued video shooting from a fully charged Sony battery. I understand third party batteries fair worse (if they work at all). This is a particularly poignant issue if you are near water since you cannot open the camera to change the battery then.

3) The TX10 can charge the battery "in-camera", it does not come with the standard battery charger, instead Sony has included a USB cable and a USB adapter. This is a terrible problem for travel photographers since the battery life is short but it takes several hours to recharge the a battery inside the camera, obviously, while it is charging, you are unable to take photos or videos. This also means you cannot charge your "spare battery" at the same time. In order to solve the problem, you would have to buy extra batteries and an external battery charger, so now you have to carry two chargers. This could have been easily avoided if Sony had included their regular battery charger as they do with older models.

4) All the 3D shooting modes are useless gimmicks, ignore them. They just take precious space in your memory card and you can't view 3D without special equipment.

5) A Mini HDMI to HDMI cable was not included, it could cost you up to $30 to buy a Sony cable. Just get a cheap one for a couple of bucks, don't buy the Sony one, HDMI cables are all compatible.

6) The interactive touch sensitive menu can only be described as a complex labyrinth, extremely awkward to navigate. If Sony was aiming for a friendly interface, they failed miserably.

7) The LCD touch screen is hyper-sensitive and the tiny icons are way to close to each other, the end result it that you rarely press the icon you were aiming for, by the time you solve the mess you created accidentally, your subject has fled the scene. You can help this by "hiding" the icons but then, well, that also requires extra time. Results in an above average learning curve.

8) This camera is extremely slow sometimes, mostly because the 1080p video and the larger 16.2MP pictures require more processing time. Not an ideal camera for action photos.

9) If you like manual exposure controls, forget it, this camera will make you crazy mad. It is automated, albeit it has a nice white balance mode. On the other hand, the auto presets do a better job than a human would in many cases.

10) In video mode, the color saturation is lacking and the video is overexposed 1/2 stop, this creates a somewhat washed out bluish appearance. I suspect they rushed this camera to the market and it just needs a firmware update to fix this. On the other hand, the still photo color balance and exposure is much more pleasant. Sadly the camera "forgets" your manual exposure adjustments when you turn it off.

11) The digital zoom is surprisingly the worse of its kind, quite useless, but I never use it anyway.

12) Attention Divers: The Sony "Marine Pack" enclosure is incompatible with the DSC-TX10.

13) For amateur divers: TX10 is NOT truly waterproof no matter what Sony may want you to believe. The camera is only "water-resistant" at best. It is possible to open the battery latch underwater by accident (there is no secondary locking mechanism like Panasonic's) and the seals are not strong enough anyway. Remember, all it takes is one tiny drop of water to fog your camera lens from the inside.

I have yet to see an "waterproof" consumer camera that can last more than a few hours underwater without a case. The internet is full of horror stories regarding this issue. There is no need to gamble with your investment. However, I highly recommend the TX10 for use in the rain or the snow. Maybe even kayaking.



Overall, I like this camera, it takes superb photos, not as good as a Nikon SRL but the color balance is pretty decent for the price but if you don't need a water "resistant" camera then get the recently released Sony HX7V, it takes better pictures and it is less expensive.



By the way: I returned the TX10. The issues mentioned above became too much of a nuisance. Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX10 16.2 MP Waterproof Digital Still Camera with Exmor R CMOS Sensor, 3D Sweep Panorama and Full HD 1080/60i Video (Black)

I own the TX9 which has been stellar thus far (with the exception of the flash failing and needing replacement from Sony) with excellent video quality and very good photo quality. My review of the TX10 is based on my experience with the TX9.



Rather than getting deep into a wordy review of this camera I will give good/bad qualities:



Good:



- Water proofing to 15 feet is a really handy feature. This camera handled pool water like a champ with no issues of water infiltration anywhere.



- Sharp video with beautiful color saturation. Compared to the TX9, the TX10 has slightly better video quality.



- Quick functioning zoom, especially during video recording and compared to the TX9.



- Menu layout is a bit more intuitive compared to the TX9.



- Camera body is smaller compared to TX9.



- Fish-eye effect seems to be less compared to the TX9 at wide angles. (but it's still there)



- Steady shot seems more aggressive compared to TX9 which makes video more enjoyable to watch.



- Ability to snap photos while taking video.



- Slightly improved low light performance especially in video.





Bad:



- Audio seems muffled compared to TX9. I believe this is due to the water proof material that encapsulates the microphones, but there is a noticeable degradation compared to the TX9.



- Terribly slow start-up, especially taking video. Time from turning the camera on to taking a photo is, on average, 6 seconds. Time from turning the camera on to taking video can take as long as 9 seconds.



- Superior auto mode and intelligent auto mode has lackluster performance compared to the TX9.



- Zoomed video is less sharp compared to the TX9.



- Because of the smaller form factor, I find myself catching my fingers in photos and video more often compared to the TX9.



- On the TX9, you can be in photo mode and have the option to immediately take video at the push of a button on the touch screen. On the TX10, there is a video record button on the top of the camera, but when you push it in, it takes about 5 1/2 seconds before video recording starts. On the TX9, it is immediate.



- Don't notice a real difference in picture quality with the 16.2 Megapixels.



- Eats batteries compared to the TX9. Not sure why, but I only got 25 minutes of video from a full battery where I get 40 minutes on the TX9.



- Does not come with a plug in charger like the TX9, but rather a USB cable that plugs into the phone to charge the battery.



- Smaller LCD compared to the TX9, with what I perceive to be lower resolution quality which makes it somewhat difficult to determine if a photo is properly focused.



- Auto focus is not as quick during video compared to the TX9, sometimes resulting in fuzzy video especially in low light.



- Menu uses swipe technology similar to iphone and Ipod touch. However, it is not nearly as responsive and often results in selecting items you did not mean to select.



Overall, I like the camera, but I think that unless you will use the waterproof ability on a regular basis I think the TX9 is a better buy. They are very close in image quality with the TX10 slightly edging out the TX9 in video quality. The smaller form factor may be an issue for those with larger hands. My original intention was to keep this camera and sell the TX9 on ebay, but I actually think I'll return the TX10 and wait for the next generation. - Lens Cleaner - 28mm - Digital Camera Battery - Cybershot'

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