Apple Power Adapter - apple charger, magsafe

Click here for more information I received this charger 2 days after I ordered it; it shipped well, but immediately, straight out the box, the light began to flicker.

Within 15 minutes of use, it completely stopped working.



I called apple and got a replacement. You should try that. Unless you like sending packages back and getting refunds. 60W AC Power Adapter Charger For Apple MacBook Magsafe

I got the charger in the mail and it worked alright for about one day, and then started to malfunction. I would have my laptop on my lap, with the charger plugged in, and if I shifted my body or moved at all, it would stop charging. I kept having to unplug, and plug it back in for it to work. Before too long, (about a week and a half) it just stopped working all together. Just enough time had passed where I couldn't get my money back. How lovely. They are sending me a new one in the mail, but I've had to go to the Apple store and buy a new one for $85 because I needed to use my computer! Now I'll have two chargers. Great. This has all been one big headache. I should have just shelled out the $85 for a name brand product to begin with.

This worked great for two weeks, then got so hot you couldn't touch it. I was using my computer in bed one night, and sparks started to come out of the wall outlet. Not safe! I will stick to the Apple Store

Originally I had this plugged into a relatively new surge protector that sat on the floor and didn't notice anything wrong for a week or two. Then I brought it to a friend's house and plugged it into the wall only to see sparks shooting out of the charger! I've had the charger four months and now that I can no longer return it, it has stopped charging my computer even plugged into the surge protector. Not only that but it sparks when I move it, even just slightly. The tightness around the prongs and gravity of the surge protector being on the ground seems to be what was keeping it from setting my room on fire. I can no longer safely keep this product in my residence hall. I know it hurts, but spend the money and buy a new charger from Apple. It's not worth potentially burning down your house. Also, there is no way to add an extension to this charger cord.

I thought the price for a genuine Apple AC adapter was high, so I took a chance on this Brand X replacement. Big mistake! Not long past the 30-day return period, it started to work only intermittently. I had to jiggle the plug in the outlet to get a connection. Now, after less than four months of use, it does not work at all.



I wasted $22.00 on this, and ended up purchasing the genuine Apple replacement anyway.



Lesson learned.

There is a serious design flaw in the plug that connects to your computer. The cable is too small for the connection reinforcement--you know, the little rubber part that surrounds the area where the cable (wire) goes into the plug. Since the cable is too small in diameter for the reinforcement tunnel, the reinforcement does not work. IT DOES NOT KEEP THE WIRE FROM PULLING OUT OF THE PLUG. This is why they break either immediately, or very soon after the 30 day period. Like mine did. I realized there was a flaw, and used electrician tape to build some reinforcement, which helps. When it actually pulls out completely, I'll use shrink wrap to build a proper reinforcement, and reconnect it correctly. If you don't want to do that, just go buy one with the appropriate connector design.

I ordered this adapter two times and it sucks! The first time it wouldn't charge unless the computer was turned off, so they sent me a second one. The 2nd one worked for about a month before the cord near the magnet ripped! I do not move my adapter around so there should be no reason why it got so worn out so quickly!! Do not get this item!!

I ordered two days ago this charger, and not only IT IS NOT AN APPLE ITEM, but its broken and DOES NOT CHARGE MY COMPUTER. I've been conned. Absolutely UNVELIEVABLE that Amazon backs these guys. I will be expecting feedback from the seller! Because I wont even make the trip to the post office to return this. I EXPECT MY MONEY BACK!!!!! - Apple Charger Macbook - Magsafe - Apple Charger - Apple Power Adapter
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Apple Power Adapter - apple charger, magsafe

Kindle Dx Accessories - kindle 2 book light, kindle book light

Click here for more information If you need a light for your kindle I recommend you buy the Great Point reading light. This light is perfect! It stays in place when clipped on, the neck can be adjusted in any position and it provides full coverage. I thought it was a bonus that it came with batteries installed as well as replacement batteries.



Please don't waste your time and money with any other reading light. After purchasing 3 brands I was starting to get so frustrated I almost gave up! Either they slipped off my kindle or the light did not provide enough coverage. I spent so much time trying to make them work I was too tired/frustrated to read!



I never thought that I would be so happy about a book light, let alone write a recommendation for one! But what can I say....The Great Point reading light has further enhanced my kindle experience. LightWedge Flex Neck Clip-On Reading Light for Kindle (White)

After years of using many different reading lights I finally found one that does everything you want. It lights up my Kindle DX perfect! The light is not too bright or too dim.



It grips great on the Kindle frame without touching the screen(I tried the Mighty Bright but the only way to secure it was to clip it on the screen. Yikes!)



It's beautifully designed and very sturdy. The head also locks in the clip when your not using it.



The bonus was it came with batteries included AND an extra set of batteries.



I love it. I think I might buy the black one too.



Enjoy.

I received this light along with the Kindle as a Birthday gift. The person who gave it to me did not know that I had the Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 already from reading at night when my husband can't sleep. I have tried to use it for the past couple of days to give it a shot as maybe it would be better than my current book light. Potential shoppers please listen to a person who has REALLY tried every book light out there. This light is not very good. While it is better than a few I have tried, it is still so inferior to some others including the Mighty Bright light. This light only has only one level of lighting and though it was bright for the first 4 hours of using it, it started to get dimmer and dimmer the next few hours after. It did come with batteries but what will happen after the next 4 hours?? I would then have to look for button cell batteries. They are expensive. AAA batteries are less expensive and in my drawer or easy to find when traveling. The clip is easy to open but it is HUGE on the Kindle. Looks really bad.

I had my doubts after reading the negative reviews about other clip-on lights. But I have been so pleased with this accessory. It clips easily to the K-2, doesn't slip or slide, but stays where you put it. The clip does not interfere with the screen at all. Aesthetically it matches the kindle. The flexible neck stays put and is easy to move without having to hold the clip. Once you find the best position for you, it stays put - even when I remove it from the Kindle.



The light coverage is superb over about 90% of the screen. The bottom 10-15% kind of fades off, but it has presented no reading issue. There may be a tiny bit of glare at the very top, but nothing is perfect.



The only complaint I have is the on/off switch is a bit flimsy. But I can easily read for hours without eyestrain in a dimly lit room or in bed at night.

When I was shopping for a reading light to use with my new Kindle, I read all sorts of reports complaining about the different lights. This one had the most five star reviews (when compared to the single two star review), so I decided to try it. Why not? I could always return it if it didn't work out or wasn't what I was looking for. It's perfect. It has a great light and is very bright, showing the entire Kindle. It hooks securely to my Kindle without leaving any marks or even touching the screen (something I was anxious about after reading about some of the other lights that have ruined people's screens). This light is perfect. It may not be the most stylish light when compared to some of the other ones out there, but it is excellent quality! I would recommend this to ANYONE who is looking for a reading light for their Kindle. I'm so glad that I bought this one!

I got this with my Kindle 2 as I prefer low light in the evenings and am prone to headaches. I have noticed no eyestrain and when reading in complete darkness this light is more than enough. The neck stays in place and it's very easy to adjust when I change position. I'm able to limit the glare off the screen, as I have it clipped on to my cover, it just takes a minute to find the right angle. The 2 led lights don't get hot and so far as the battery life has been great and I appreciated the replacements that are included. This is the first reading light I've tried and over the past few days have been very impressed. I have recommended it to my friends that also have Kindle's and those that just like to read! - Kindle 2 Book Light - Kindle Book Light - Kindle Accessory - Reading Light
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Kindle Dx Accessories - kindle 2 book light, kindle book light

Sex Change - superhero, adventure

Click here for more information This seems to be a real love it or hate it movie. To everyone who hasn't weighed in, let me give you a few words of advice. If you're looking for a deep plot, a profound message, or award-winning characterization--don't bother because it's not here. However, if you're looking for a silly, shiny popcorn flick that you can spend a little time laughing at and you're willing to let go of any lurking high standards enough to enjoy it, then you're in the right place. Also, as I believe other reviewers have mentioned, this is a kid-targeted and kid-friendly film. Zoom: Academy for Superheroes

No, this won't win any academy awards. Yes, the special effects like the 6-year-old lifting 2-ton weights are a bit cheesy and you can tell they are made out of plastic. But this movie targets pre-teen kids and isn't supposed to be highly sophisticated. Show it to some kids between the ages of 5 and 13 and see what they think - that's the demographic here. My guess? They'll love it. And if your kids are teens but haven't hit that "everything is stupid" stage, they'll probably like it too.



THE PLOT:

Tim Allen plays a grown-up and burned-out superhero named Zoom who can run real fast (think of "Dash" in the animated movie "The Incredibles"). As a child, Zoom was taken to a special academy (Area 52 in Nevada...more secret than Area 51) where he, his brother, and other kids with superhero powers are supposed to develop themselves. While there, the government irradiates the kids to enhance their powers, something goes wrong, and Zoom's brother (Concussion) turns into an evil arch-nemesis where he is stuck in some kind of time warp. Fast-forward 30 years. Concussion is coming out of his time-warp to wreak havoc. The army is preparing for his return and has recruited a batch of new superhero kids to battle him, and they've forcibly enlisted Allen (Zoom) to train the kids. He's burned out and bitter about the same army that wrecked his life and his brother's life. The movie charts his redemption as he slowly forms the new kids into a team that treats one another like a family, helping Zoom find his calling once again.



My pre-teen son picked this off the Blockbuster shelf because he'd seen a commercial for it. I figured, what the heck, it's rated PG, let's take a chance on it. So, we sat down that night with people from each of three generations: me (I'm 45), my son (he's 11), and his grandmother (she's 69). We all enjoyed it.



THE GOOD:

1) Wholesome message - The kids feel like outcasts because of their powers and gradually learn to support one another. There isn't the usual petty bickering like amongst siblings. They get along and take care of one another.



2) Redemption - Zoom goes from a burned-out cynic to a genuinely caring father figure and role model by the end of the movie. He redeems his long-lost brother (Concussion) as well.



3) Language - There's none of the usual potty mouth jokes and innuendoes. This is a big deal for me. I love many of the newer animated movies, like Shrek, but it as though the producers want to be certain that the adults watching the movie have humor directed at them, so they push the envelope with jokes they hope will go over the kids' heads but hit the adults. Newsflash: if I want adult humor, I'll rent it. The Incredibles was a great example of a movie that appealed to all ages without having to push the envelope. Zoom was another great example.



4) Normal Kids - It didn't feature "perfect" kids as one had a speech impediment, one was overweight, and one was moody and picked on by the cool kids at school. It was nice to see "regular" kids cast in this movie instead of just the popular, beautiful images of perfect hair, perfect teeth, and popularity that the Disney Channel usually gives us with kids like Jamie Lynn Spears and Hillary Duff.



THE BAD:

There really wasn't anything I didn't like about the movie, but we happened to watch it while we were eating pizza and there are a few places where it gets a bit gross: one involving flatulance and one involving mucous. Consider yourself warned - it doesn't mix well with food.



THE UGLY:

Uh, none to speak of. Tim Allen seems a bit obsessed with Courtney Cox's little green dress. No ugliness there, I can assure you.





THE ACTORS:

In addition to Allen, there are some other actors that adults will enjoy here. Courtney Cox (Friends) plays a dweeby and ultra-clumsy scientist who has a crush on Zoom. Chevy Chase of Saturday Night Live fame plays the aging nobel-prize-winning director of Area 52. His makeup is hysterical and he dresses in fashions from the 1970s. Rip Torn plays the gruff army general who views the kids as collateral weapons to be used, not human beings of value. Allen is like a one-man arsenal of funny one-liners and quips and is constantly peppering Torn's and Chase's characters with ascerbic wit. He's a quintessential Smart Alec in this movie.



THE BOTTOM LINE:

But all in all, it was a truly fun movie. Kids will like the special effects and the comic-book plot and won't see the cheesy-ness: they'll think it is cool - the top-secret installation, the superhero costumes, the training, and the unique superpowers each person has. Adults will like the wholesomeness of the message and the absence of violence and language.



Buy it? I dunno. We rented it. My suggestion: rent it first and if you like it, get it for your library. It's the type of movie kids will want to watch several times, while adults will probably find that once is sufficient. - Superhero - Adventure - Tim Allen - Family
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Sex Change - superhero, adventure

Mac Compatible - portable hard drive, firewire

Click here for more information I got this portable hard drive recently to use for Time Machine with my MacBook Pro. Some notes and observations so far:



1) First off, the hard drive's ruby red color is not as bright as the Amazon photo. It's a darker red, which I prefer.



2) As with most portable hard drives, it is very quiet. Sitting a foot or two away from it, you should barely hear it, if at all.



3) This hard drive does not spin down after a certain amount of inactivity (unlike, for instance, a WD Passport, which spins down after 10 minutes or so of inactivity). You may or may not prefer this, depending on what you use it for. I use mine as a Time Machine, which backs up my hard drive every hour. I prefer the fact that it doesn't keep spinning down and spinning back up every hour (many argue that this is worse for a hard drive than simply leaving it on all the time, but there are varying opinions on this).



4) I wouldn't say the hard drive runs hot. It feels warm to the touch when idling all day like mine. However it may get hot if being used for constant data access. The only time it has felt somewhat hot is when I did the initial ~200GB backup of my hard drive.



5) This hard drive works well for daisy chaining. I have it connected to my MBP via Firewire 800, and I have a Firewire 400 external hard drive connected to the Iomega. NOTE: If you have the Iomega connected to your computer via USB, you cannot daisy chain a Firewire device.



6) Size-wise, it is a bit bigger than my (USB-only) WD Passport but it is still fairly compact.



7) The exterior feels like plastic, but the box says that the case is made from aluminum, so I'll trust that it is.



8) The light on the back of the drive is VERY bright. It actually projects light onto my wall. The color of the light may vary. I bought two of these drives from two different Best Buys... One has a blue light, the other has a white light. Either way, I found the light to be pretty annoying, so I simply covered it up with a small piece of black electrical tape. Works well.



9) Comes with a USB cable, Firewire 400 cable, and Firewire 800 cable.



10) One review noted: "No on-off switch, drive does not stop when computer sleeps, does not stop when computer turned off!". As far as bus-powered 2.5" portable hard drives go, I have not seen any with an on-off switch, although some may exist. If you want that, you will probably want to go with a 3.5" external desktop drive. HOWEVER, I think it is important to note that the Iomega WILL power down when the computer is sleeping or shut off. I was worried when I read this review because I thought the drive would keep spinning when I put my computer to sleep, but this is not the case. The only thing that stays on is the light. It will only turn off when you unplug the drive from the computer.



Overall, this drive works perfectly as a Time Machine. It is fast, small, quiet, not too hot, and unobtrusive. After the initial backup, you should barely notice successive backups (unless they are really big ones). The price is also great for a portable hard drive with three different connectivity options. The only thing I can't review is hard drive longevity... Only time will tell. Here's hoping that it lasts for a long time.





--UPDATE February 5, 2010--



Hard drive is still working extremely well for me as a Time Machine. A few new notes and observations:



1) A lot of people have been reporting that the top of their cases are detaching, which is pretty discouraging. I've been lucky, as the only problem I've had is that one of the front corners has come up about 1-2 millimeters. However, the top of the case is still in place and secure for the most part. I bought another one of these hard drives for my father, and the top of his case has not detached at all. I should note that I leave my hard drive on all day and sometimes overnight, whereas my father only turns his on every once in a while (when he turns his computer on), but it is generally turned off. I did buy my hard drives from Best Buy... Perhaps they received a shipment of units that were of better quality than what Amazon received?



2) This is a strange one... My hard drive runs SIGNIFICANTLY cooler than when I first got it. It hardly feels warm at all, even though it's spinning away all day. I don't really understand why, but I can't complain.



3) My thanks to A.W. Jester for pointing out that you must register online to get the 3 year warranty. I had missed this at first!



This product seems pretty hit-or-miss based on the workmanship. On the one hand, I'd have a hard time recommending it based on the other reviews I've read. On the other hand, I would recommend it based on my own experience. It's a great value for the price if you're lucky enough to get a good one. Iomega eGo Mac Edition 320 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400/800 Portable External Hard Drive 34649 (Midnight Blue) - Portable Hard Drive - Firewire - External Hard Drive - Iomega
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Mac Compatible - portable hard drive, firewire

Small Kitchen Tv - kitchen radio, under cabinet radio

Click here for more information I tried other radios in the kitchen, but none could compare to the sound of this unit. FM reception's pretty good too. The "kitchen friendly" controls are easy to clean. Mounting is done by drilling three holes, for which it has a paper template, and it has adjustable spacers to accommodate cabinets with recessed bottoms. It's about 11-1/2 inches deep and just an inch or two wider.



I don't seem to get any weather band channels, and the TV channels I get are very quiet so I have to remember to turn the sound down before switching to FM or CD. The timer's a nice feature for the kitchen but seconds can't be set and it takes a lot of turning to get to longer bake times, like an hour or more. The magnetic remote's also nice but you have to be able to see the sensor and stay within about 45 degrees for it to work.



Overall I'm very happy with it. The sound is great and makes spending all day around the kitchen less lonely, plus it doesn't take up any counter space. I do feel like I paid a small premium for the name Sony though. Sony ICF-CD543RM Kitchen CD Clock Radio (Silver)

We went through 5 (yes, five) of these within a year. The CD mechanism was very poor and would eventually stop playing CDs. Luckily Target exchanged it every time for us. I kept exchanging it out of spite until Target got an updated model, the Sony ICF-CD553RM Under Cabinet Kitchen CD Clock Radio (Silver), which I paid 20 bucks more for and have not had a problem with it at all.



Maybe it was just a bad run, but it seems from other reviews that Sony quality control was sleeping when these went out the door.



Definitely spend the extra $ and find the upgraded Sony ICF-CD553RM - it's slightly bigger, but it works and the sound is better, too.

I live in an urban area with generally good radio signals. The radio reception for this system is very poor. The AM antenna is internal and the power cord acts as the FM antenna. The reception is horrible. The unit does not accept an external antenna, so options are limited. All other features of the system work well but the radio is unusable.

For the four months we've owned this cd player, we've loved it. Love that it's off the counter. Love the remote on the fridge. Love the sound and ease of use. Then, the cd player just stopped working. When we contacted Sony we were informed that our only option was to mail it to their repair center at our cost and have a refurbished model sent back. Shipping set us back about $25 (not including the cost of packing materials). It doesn't speak well for Sony that they wouldn't send a UPS label to cover the cost of shipping, particularly on a product that broke with only a few months of standard usage. We are very, very disappointed.

Like other reviewer's, the CD player stopped working after a couple of months of use. It took several months to get my unit fixed. It was very hard to deal with their uneducated customer service reps. Fortunately, it has been working since the repair.



AM/FM reception is poor. Most stations are unpleasant to listen to due to the high level of noise. What Sony suggests for optimal reception is rotate the unit horizontally, stretch the power cord and reinstall the unit.

Reviewer: Trisha Saxon "Trish" (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews

Am getting ready to return my second "under counter kitchen cd/radio"--my Christmas gift from my husband, too!! Both the GE and the Sony sound great with the radio, but produce only a small hissing sound when the cd player is on-the cd player doesn't work at all. You can get a radio anywhere; it's the cd player I was looking forward to. Incredibly frustrating; am suspecting they're all made in the same factory in China and all have the same defects. At least I tried this one before drilling more holes in the bottom of my cupboard!! In any case, am not sure what I'll do next, but this is really disappointing and annoying. I'm envious of the few reviewers here who have had a great experience, but am not willing to invest more time in this quest!!

We bought this for our kitchen around Xmas 2003. We loved the idea of a compact unit for our kitchen and were excited to install it. Once done we tried to play a CD - nothing !!! We took it back for a replacement. Second one worked great and the system was exactly what we wanted.

Forward on 11-12 months...........the CD again has stopped working. We no longer have the receipt and plan to buy a non-Sony system (once we can find one !!).

We had a home mini-stereo that went the same way. My advice - Sony are good for TV's and Video camera's. Any other appliance - buy a different manufacturer.

The product was easy to install and works as expected. The sound quality is good, but not great. We use it a few times a week, but mostly for talk radio as it's not really a HIFI system. Still, the sound is pretty good. The remote is a nice option. - Under Cabinet Radio - Kitchen Radio - Under The Counter Cd Player - Under Counter
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Small Kitchen Tv - kitchen radio, under cabinet radio

Ipad 2 Leather Case - ipad 2, leather case

Click here for more information Yoobao Executive Leather...188g....leather..........kickstand

CaseCrown Bold Standby.....226g....faux leather...kickstand

BearMotion Leather:...........291g....leather .........kickstand

SwitchEasy Canvas:...........392g...."canvas".......3 grooves



I've tested the 4 cases above with an iPad2. Each is a portfolio case. You can find reviews of each online. I found good video reviews of each except Bear.



Three of these are "kickstand" cases. That is, the cover folds back and slips into a notch (the "kickstand") which holds the cover in a certain way that creates a stand. One case (SwitchEasy) doesn't use the kickstand but instead has grooves on the inside cover which the side of the case can slide into to create a stand.



All cases had magnets on the cover that turned the iPad on/off. This function worked well with all of them. Also, none of them had any problem with the magnets turning the case off if you flipped the cover around back, as some of other cases do (I had the latest version of the Yoobao, which apparently fixed that problem in an earlier version).



The Bear Motion was my favorite. The review below goes from lightest to heaviest.



YOOBAO EXECUTIVE. A glove for the iPad that was just a bit too flimsy for me.

Pros:

Very light. By far the lightest. It is basically a thin leather glove that goes around the iPad, and then a thin leather portfolio cover. You barely noticed the extra weight/bulk.



Cons:

1. Though made well, I didn't think it lived up to the vaunted reports of "Yoobao quality" that some other reviewers mentioned. A few of the holes on top were slightly off, and I wasn't really impressed with the look of the black leather and the off-white stitching.

2. The kickstand worked, but not as well as the other two kickstand cases in this review. Because the Yoobao is so light and thin, the cover would slip out of the kickstand notch sometimes if you were moving it around in your lap or in bed. No problem of course if it was static, like on a table.

3. Most annoying to me, the cover magnets were not strong enough to keep the cover closed if you turned it upside down or just grabbed it to carry it a certain way. In other words, the flap would flap open, turning the thing on and then off again when it flapped closed. It seemed to do this every time I picked it up.

4. It offers only a very thin layer between your iPad and the outside world (not a con for me but perhaps for others). It's fine for walking into a meeting or putting in your briefcase. But if you were concerned about the iPad getting banged around and wanted serious protection, it's not the case for you (particularly with the flap issue noted above).



CASECROWN BOLD STANDBY - A well made faux leather case. My runner-up. It is very close in design to the Bear

Pros:

1. least expensive of the lot

2. well made, everything works.

3. second lightest, while giving almost as much protection as the heavier models. Indeed, I would say it's got the best weight and bulk of the 4.

4. faux leather is actually quite nice. Unless closely inspected, hard to tell it's not the real thing. It looks smart.



Cons:

1. The volume buttons are just a tad difficult to reach, you have to kind of push your way in there. (The Bear has a bit of this but it's so slight as not to be an issue.)

2. After handling the Bear leather case, you can kind of tell the CaseCrown is not real leather when it's in your hands. It's just something I noticed. You might not.

3. Perhaps because of its lighter weight and bulk, or its build quality, it's just a bit looser and flimsier than the Bear. This might not sound like much, but over time it started to annoy me. For instance, when you flipped the cover behind the iPad to hold it open, or when you put it in its kickstand to create a stand, the cover had a "looseness" not found in the heavier cases. That is, it would come off its stand, or would flop around a bit, or otherwise just feel a bit loose and cheap. Another minor example is that the cover, while it always worked to turn the iPad off when you closed it, sometimes didn't line up exactly with the edges of the screen the way it did with all the other cases. These examples may seem minor, and perhaps they are, but as I say, after experiencing the feel of the Bear - the looseness of the CaseCrown started to bug me.



BEAR MOTION LEATHER. A really well made leather case. My first choice. It is very close in design to the CaseCrown.

Pros:

1. To me, had the best overall "Feel". Fine leather and acceptable weight. The Bear is 100g heavier than the Yoobao, which to my hand felt acceptable. In contrast, the SwitchEasy is 100g heavier than the Bear and, again, to my taste, was just 100g too much - see discussion of SwitchEasy below). The CaseCrown is similar to the Bear but a bit lighter and cheaper (see below)

2. The case was sturdy and offered good protection all around. It of course offered more protection than the Yoobao. It also perhaps had a bit more than CaseCrown (because it was a bit thicker, but they were more or less comparable) and a bit less than SwitchEasy. It was light enough to carry into a meeting but sturdy enough to throw in a knapsack an feel it was secure.

3. The magnets work flawlessly, closed with a "snap" and kept it closed until you wanted to open it. Best magnets of the lot.

4. The stand worked very well. The best of the kickstand cases, probably because, again, the leather was thicker than with the other two and so everything just stayed in place a bit more.



Cons: All these "cons" are very much a matter of personal taste

1. It's probably about average weight for these things but just slightly heavier than I'd like. If I had my druthers, the weight and thinness of the CaseCrown would be what I wanted, coupled with the quality and sturdiness of the Bear.

2. It's the least "cool" looking of the 4 cases. It's just a conservative black leather case, with no real "flash". SwitchEasy is by far the coolest looking. The Yoobao might also be viewed by some as cool though I personally didn't like it so much. The CaseCrown and Bear are similar, but CC probably edges out the Bear in that the Bear is a bit thicker and boxier.

3. The leather covers almost all of the black borders of the screen. The other two kickstand cases left a bit more black exposed, which I preferred aesthetically, and the SwitchEasy leaves all of it showing (which, again, looks cool). I couldn't find anything functionally wrong with this. Although one reviewer mentioned that it might get in the way of certain programs where you had to swipe to the edge of the screen, I didn't have that experience.



SWITCHEASY CANVAS - A cool, innovative case but for me, a bit too much bulk.

Pros:

1. Exceptionally well made. The strongest and sturdiest of the bunch, probably offering the most protection.

3. The grooves worked well as a stand, though because I use the iPad a lot in bed and on the couch, I think I may prefer the kickstand system, though it really is a matter of taste.

2. To my eye, a very cool looking case, the coolest of the bunch. The "canvas" isn't canvas but some high tech material. The material and design were top notch. I also loved the way the iPad was held in the plastic shell backing so that - unlike the other three - the whole of the screen was uncovered (black border and all).



Cons:

1. Too heavy. This is of course a matter of taste. I tried it for days and really wanted to prefer it, but in the end the heaviness (and the cover issue discussed below) just started to get to me. As I mentioned above, it's just 100g heavier than the Bear but that was 100g too much. I'm a strong adult male. I carry around a laptop in my briefcase all the time. But I wanted my iPad light, and this just made it a bit too heavy for me.

2. Too bulky. Related to the above and, as above, a matter of taste. To me, just a bit too much thickness when you were actually holding it and, for instance, folding the flap back around behind it to work with the screen.

3. The cover. The cover has magnets, which worked fine, but it also has a curved extension that bends over the side and kind of clicks it closed. This extension bugged me. It didn't easily close. You kind of had to push and force it over the side (if you didn't do this, the magnets wouldn't connect and turn the thing off, and the cover would not be secured. I suspect it may have worn in over time, but I used it on and off for a week and it was always a bit of a chore to actually open and close the thing. This really got to be annoying, particularly compared to the others that so effortlessly opened and closed.

4. Since it uses a "groove" rather than "kickstand" design, you had to kind of pull part of the iPad off of the back base (where it was held by Velcro) to put it in the grooves and stand it up. Not a big deal but, again, just an added bit of work that the other cases didn't have. Over time, this annoyed me a bit.

5. I loved the material, but even with the black version that I had, I felt it might start showing stains, hand sweat, etc. over time in ways the leather and faux leather cases wouldn't. However, I'm not sure of this and so it may be an unfair comment.



SUMMATION:

I ended up taking the BearMotion because of build quality, functionality, hand feel and acceptable weight. I wish it had been slightly lighter and thinner (like the CaseCrown) while keeping its build quality/feel (which was better than the CaseCrown) - and of course if it looked a bit cooler -- but I felt for me it was the best of the lot. The CaseCrown was the runner up but ultimately, the feel and quality of the Bear won me over, beating out the slightly lighter, slightly trimmer, slightly cheaper, CaseCrown. The SwitchEasy is a great case, but just too big and bulky for me, and the cover clip bugged me. I didn't like the Yoobao's because it's overall look didn't work for me and, most importantly, the cover flap came open whenever it was tilted. The lightness was a great asset though and the protection it offered would have been enough for me if other factors had been more appealing.



Hope that helps! Bear Motion (TM) 100% Genuine Leather Case for iPad 2 2nd Generation Folio with 3-in-1 built-in Stand for Apple iPad 2 (Latest Generation) Tablet (Black) - Ipad 2 - Leather Case - Ipad Leather Case - Ipad 2 Leather Case
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Ipad 2 Leather Case - ipad 2, leather case

Audio Interfaces - behringer, usb

Click here for more information This thing is great. I needed to bypass my crappy soundcard on my PC in order to record high quality stereo audio onto my computer for a podcast. I had just shelled out $80 for the Inport Deluxe package from Xitel, which is basically a little analog-audio-to-USB adapter box similar to this, with a long audio cable and some bad software thrown in to justify the steep pricetag. Luckily I saved the receipt on the Inport and was able to take it back after discovering this item, which you can find for about $30 all over the internet.



The UCA202 has a headphone jack with a volume control so you can monitor what's being recorded to your computer, as you record it. Just be aware that you won't be able to listen to the playback from your audio recording software through your computer's monitor speakers unless you unplug this device from your USB port first, and there is no warning about this in the manual, which is why the 4 star review instead of 5. On some review sites there seemed to be confusion about what drivers were required to work with this device, but the first page of the manual states clearly that you don't need any drivers. I am running Windows XP and was able to just plug and play, no drivers needed, audio is loud and clear. By the way this is not a paid endorsement or anything, I just wanted to spare someone else a lot of the research time that I spent by saying, go ahead and get it.



Oh and of course you do need a good audio recording software like ProTools, Sound Forge, or Cubase to do a decent job of recording audio on your computer and letting you edit it and manipulate it with professional sounding results. If you are recording audio from a turntable (digitizing your LP collection) don't forget that you need some sort of preamp or tuner amp between the phonograph and this device. The output straight out of your turntable is too weak a signal to drive this device.



A grateful shout-out and mad props for this device go the Germans at Behringer, who designed it. Behringer U Control UCA202 USB Audio Interface

I agree with the other reviewers with one exception. I recommend that a buyer download the driver provided at behringer.com. While UCA202 works without the driver, its capabilities are expanded and the user can better manage them with the driver. If you think it is good without the drivers, try it with them. By the way it also works with Vista.

I got this after purchasing a competitor's similar device (iMic) and finding poor reviews from audio purists about that model. This Behringer model had good reviews and was a similar price to I got one to try. It works well and has more rugged construction.



When I first set it up, it did not allow monitoring except through headphones. On my Windows XP system, I went to Control Panel and opened Sounds and Audio Devices. Then clicked the Audio tab and changed the Sound Playback device to the usual system device instead of the USB device that was apparently setup when this was installed. Then the music that was being recorded played through the computer speakers fine and that setting stayed when I closed the program and restarted. This was using Audacity for recording.

This product works precisely as advertised. I use it to record my LPs to MP3 then import into iTunes. I have my old turntable feeding into a pre-amp, then from the pre-amp to this devise, which in turn plugs into one of my computer's USB ports. I use "Spin-it-again" software to capture the music files and save them to MP3 format. This set up was much cheaper than buying one of those USB turntables since I already had my old turntable. Good Luck.

I bought this device to do audio recording and it works super for me for that. I've nothing to add to the other positive reviews in this regard except to emphasize that you need some sort of pre-amp to get the signal to line-level, and that the recording level will be controlled by whatever device you have to do that -- I use a Behringer mixer.



What I do want to add is that I discovered that it is also a superb digital to audio converter. Which is to say that, when listening to mp3s or web radio, or watching videos, the audio output through it is much, much better than that from the output jacks on on-board sound cards. What had sounded harsh and tinny now sounds musical and warm, and I've found this so with both a HP laptop and a Dell desktop, whether using headphones plugged into the UCA202's headphone-jack, or listening to a stereo system plugged into its RCA output jacks. The $30 that it cost would have been well spent for this improvement in audio output alone!

I just want to ditto everything Brother Russell had to say about this device (see above). I too, searched high an low for a simple device to do good quality recording. Noone reccommended this to me, even when I went to the pro guy at the music store and told him that all I needed was something basic. All he had to reccomend to me was about $400 worth of gear...not what I was looking for. I ended up stumbling upon it on the www on my own.



As a side note to the above review, great audio recording/editing software can be had for free at [...]. I've been using it for my basic recording and have found it most competent.

It isn't rich on features, but it gets the job done. If you're looking for a cheap recording device, this is fairly good for being only $30. It's not great as a system sound card, because it's pretty limited to the amount of work it can do, but if you need something to record with and already have a sound card, this should be great for you. If you're running Linux, it's supported in ALSA, but you don't have a lot you can do with it at a time. Overall it's good for what you're paying.

Can't beat the price to skip crappy soundcards and 3.5 mm jacks to squeeze sound out of the computer, with no additional power source or weird cables required.



Instructions attached are useless, so be advised that some experimenting and exploring will be needed. In a Mac, under the "sounds" button of the control panel, you have to choose USB Codec as output.



Ergonomics are odd, but really not an issue since you rarely get to manipulate this gadget. - Usb - Recording - Behringer - Audio
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Audio Interfaces - behringer, usb

Canon Ink - printer ink, ink cartridge

Click here for more information The Canon i9900 employs eight (8) cartridges. For several years I purchased the Canon 8-pack of refills. The eight separate colors seem to run out in even succession--except for the red and green--I have several new cartridges in my drawer. The six-pack does not include the red and green. Perfect! By the way, the Canon i9900 has been flawless for the several years I've owned it. And the photo color and clarity continues to amaze everyone. This may have something to do with the fact that I have never used any ink but the genuine Canon ink. You're money ahead to buy this 6-pack rather than get hit for $12 to $14 each down at your super-office-supplies store. Canon BCI-6 Black/Color Ink Tank 6-Pack Set (4705A018)

I suggest to everyone who owns a printer, to buy genuine brand ink. STAY AWAY from generic inks. I learned the hard way that they are just crap. Since I own a Canon Photo printer, I will ALWAYS buy Canon ink from now on. And Amazon is cheaper than every place else.

Great price, and prompt delivery; this is cheaper than buying individual tanks from the office stores, or just buying a 3 pack from huge warehouse stores. I tried the generic inks once and it smeared on my photographs and almost ruined my printer. This is my second 6-pack and I am happy with the price and convenience.

I received a new Canon EOS Rebel camera for a Christmas gift and after shooting some family shots I printed a few out and the colors were way off. I cleaned the print head and even did a print head alignment to be sure and still the colors were awful. I have a Canon I960 Photo Printer and had never had a problem until now. Then I realized I tried to save a few bucks and purchased "bulk ink" to refill my cartridges. I then ordered the Canon 6-pack set and it arrived today. I then printed a family photo on 4 X 6 Photo paper Plus Glossy with the "bulk ink" first and as expected it was lousy. I then changed out bulk ink with the new Canon cartridges and printed the same photo. Oh man, what a difference. It was back looking like a professional processed photo. I learned my lesson. If printing photos, stay with the Canon inks. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE !!!!!

Save your money and buy Canon ink. Years ago I bought a Canon 6000D printer and after the ink tanks ran dry I refilled them with third party ink. I didn't see any difference at first but slowly the colors changed. I started seeing a slight magenta cast, but continued to refill thinking I was saving money. A few weeks ago I bought a Canon Pro 9000 printer. I was shocked to see the beauty of my first print. It was a photo I printed on my Canon 6000D just days before I got the Pro 9000. What a difference. No magenta cast, bright yellows and greens, and an orange that would bowl you over. I then replaced the ink tanks in my 6000D with genuine Canon ink. After cleaning the heads I printed the photo again. Night and day. The quality of the 6000D print came close to that of the Pro 9000. The magenta cast was gone, all the colors were rich and clean. The tanks with third party ink is now in the garbage where they belong. I am now thinking of the wasted paper I used trying to get one good print using the NON Canon ink. I would have been way ahead, and saved money if I used Canon ink in the first place.

The cartridges worked as they should. Delivery was on time as advertised and the price was very good especially with the Free shipping. I've ordered other items from Amazon with free shipping and they usually arrive well before the estimated date. This time it was near the end of the estimated date but still a great deal.

I have two Canon printers, an i960 and an i9900. They both use the BCI-6 ink carts. We've used these printers for the past 4-5 years and have had excellent results. The i960 is a photo printer, but does not include the Red and Green inks that the i9900 uses. We use the i960 for general purpose printing and color snapshots. For my professional work, I use the i9900 only with Canon inks. I had to replace the print head last year, but it only cost me about $85.00. I NEVER had any clogging problems with either printer, even when I don't use them for weeks. The reason why I like these printers so much is that you have some flexibility with re-filling the ink cartridges. I purchased a re-fill kit from Sam's Club a few years ago (I haven't found them there recently). The design of the Canon cartridges allow you to re-fill them with 3rd party inks rather easily, once you get the hang of it. Refilling is sort of a crap-shoot.... you can damage a printhead by using inferior inks, and your color may not be the most accurate. I don't encourage my friends to re-fill, but we have saved lots of money on ink for the i960. The i9900 is another matter. This is a pro-quality printer and I just don't want to mess with it and 3rd party inks. So I stay with Canon inks, and Amazon is generally the only place I buy my cartridges. Buying them in the 6 and 8-pack sets is the most economical method. If you can get them for $9.00 or less, it's a good buy. - Inkjet Printer Ink - Ink Cartridge - Printer Ink - I9100
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Canon Ink - printer ink, ink cartridge

Cannon Powershot Sd1200is - canon digital camera, cannon powershot sd1200is

Click here for more information ...is one you'll have with you. The nice thing about the Canon ELPH series is they easily fit into your pocket, are well built/designed, don't cost a lot, come with a boatload of features, and take great pictures. The SD1300, the latest in the ELPH line continues in that tradition, adding considerable additional sophistication and sacrificing some useful functionality in the interest of cutting cost.



It is a small camera and carries with it the baggage that comes with the convenience of having to carry so little baggage. (sorry, couldn't resist) None of the issues raised, given that they comes as part of the convenience trade-off made me consider anything other than the 5-star rating this camera deserves.



- Many of the functions are only accessible through menus, sometimes several levels deep. The good new is the Automatic and scene modes are pretty good (as long as you spend a few minutes reviewing what they really do). This camera is not intended to be used in aperture or shutter priority, let alone full manual.



- The battery life might be shorter than you expect. That's a trade-off for having a camera that's small and light; you get a battery that is small and light. One thing you can do is get a spare battery. That is good advice for any camera. Another thing that will help is to keep the display off as much as possible. That means using the monitor as little as possible. The "sad" part is that Canon chose to drop the optical viewfinder in this model. That means a camera that is simpler and less expensive to make but will go through batteries quicker because you must use the display when taking picture.



- The camera response is a bit slow for effectively capturing children and pets. The trick for doing that is to either have a great sense of timing and a shutter that reacts instantly or a reasonably fast ( > 4x / sec ) burst mode. This camera has neither.



Some other suggestions that apply:



- Use the lowest ISO available given your requirement for either aperture or shutter speed. To avoid getting technical, higher ISO always introduces higher noise. At issue is when it becomes noticeable. In newer dSLR cameras you can get over 1000, maybe well over depending on the camera, before the noise becomes noticeable. For this camera keeping it at or below 200 is a good idea.



- Don't use in-camera sharpening. Digital pictures will almost always benefit from sharpening but you are better off doing it with a photo editing program. Computer-based algorithms tend to be more sophisticated and you can better judge the results on your monitor as opposed to the camera LCD.



- If you want more vivid colors and have the choice use sRGB instead of Adobe RGB. While you get fewer colors they are distributed over a wider range. They are also render better on computer monitors, many commercial labs, and any other place your pictures are likely to show up.



Finally, I've found the Caselogic QPB-1 Compact Digital Camera Case (Black/Gray) is just the right size for this camera. It's semi-rigid so you get a fair amount of protection but doesn't add a lot of bulk. It's made even better by using one of these, Nite Ize SB1-2PK-01 Size-1 S-Biner, Black, 2-Pack, to secure it to a belt loop.



BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it. Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Green)

I will try to share some things I have discovered about this camera, these are just my thoughts, I hope they might be of help .



Some things I am compairing to a canon SD1200 and the SD940, SD1400.

I do not use the viedo enough to judge that part of the cameras.



** No SD memory card included with this camera **, see below



* Some will miss the eye viewfinder that the SD1200 has.



* Some will miss the HD 720p in the movie mode that the SD940,SD1400 has, The SD1300 has 640x480 at 30fps like the canon SD1200, G11 and S90.



* The SD1300 has ( no optical zoom while recording video ) just digital zoom.



* There is a date feature on the SD1300, see below



* The flat button arangement is the same as the SD1200 all but the (( Power Button )) on top is larger and easier to turn on and off, I like that ( but be careful ) it does not come on in your pocket, purse or in your soft camera case.



* I have not had any trouble using any of the buttons even with my big old hands. The flat buttons on the SD1300 are a ( tad larger than on the SD940 and SD1400 ).



* The menu screens are large and very easy to read and use.*



* You get a 2.7inch very clear LCD screen that has a (very good and wide viewing angle in all directions).



Note > when your LCD screen is set to a lower brightness you can push and hold down the display button for 1 second and it will go to the brightest setting and do that again and it will go back to the lower setting...



A 28mm x 112mm lens, a little better than the 35 x 105 on the SD1200 ( But no view finder on the SD1300 ).



* The SD1300 is very easy to use and small enough to carry every place you go for those spontaneous grand kid pictures like the SD 1200 was .

Just a very good basic camera.



* I like that the mic for the video is in the front of the camera instead of being on the top (where I put my finger) like the canon SD970 and others, it picks up less finger movement noise being in the front.



** Timing and Performance** ( Using program mode )> Very fast start up time of just over 1 sec.

I can not tell any difference in shot to shot or flash shot to shot times between the SD1300 and the SD1200 using them in the program mode, which is ( 2secs with out the flash ), and 3 to 4secs with the flash on, (( up to 6secs for full flash recharge )).



(Update > Some of review sites(C-NET) are getting around 2.7 to 3 seconds for the SD1300 between shots with out the flash so I grabed the two cameras and tryed the two again(SD1300 SD1200) with and with out the flash on and I had the same results both ways, ((I used program mode)) both times and they would focus and recharge the flash evenly also...)



Shutter lag is good for a canon point and shoot but if you ( pre focus ) that will help even more. To pre focas > > Push shutter button down half way untill camera beeps and green square apears on LCD screen,picture should be clearly in focas at this point, if not let up on the shutter button and repeat the steps again. these steps will also help take a good clear (in focas) picture, just something for you to try if your having trouble getting your picture.





I never tested the continuous shooting( but see my battery test) but canon says it is 0.9 per sec where the sd 1200 is 1.4 shots per sec, if that is important to you. UPDATE > The 1200 does seem to be faster, quicker than the 1300 in continuous mode, how much I dont know but you can tell the difference...



* (Battery) I did test the battery (NB-6L same battery as SD1200) by using continuous shooting mode ( with the flash on ) and got well over 400 pictures and it was taking ( 1 picture every 2 seconds or less in the continuous mode( flash on ) if that helps you out on the continuous shooting part, and when I turned the flash off it seemed to do prety good coming from a newer small canon point and shoot world.



* (Battery life). In real life I get around 300 or more pictures with some of them using the flash, your still need a second battery for a backup.



* The battery has a little larger capacity at 1000mAh in the SD1300, were as the canon SD940 and the SD1400 is a smaller capacity at 760mAh if that matters to you.



** A nice backup battery is a (power2000) for canon NB-6L (1200mAh)$19.00. I have used them for years.

I really like the battery charger that comes with the camera, it is small and charges quickley, about one and a half hours the very first charge and then one hour or less there after...

Some set back the brightness of the LCD a couple of notches to save some battery. I think your new battery will do better after the first couple of charges.



* 10/30/2010 At the Columbus zoo we shot 350 pictures and a lot of them with flash on with one charge...



** Very good image quality keeping the iso at 200 and below.

I am getting about the same image quality as the SD 1200 which is very good for this small size point and shoot camera.



* As point and shoots get better we often try and compare them to digital SLRs ( speed,noise, ISOs, picture quality ) but because of the point and shoots very small sensors and craming all those mega pixels into them it is just asking to much of the little cameras....

Fewer pixels mean there's more room on the sensor and the individual pixels can be made larger to gather more light, making the camera better able to record low-noise images in low-light situations.



This is just me, but I like using the program mode and 100,200iso best and I try not to use the auto mode indoors ((auto works good outdoors in good light though, Lighting is everything. Indoors alot of times auto seems to want to use a (very high iso)(and sometimes no flash) to get low light photos, but this just results in more noise, which makes your pictures look noisy grainy or snowy looking on larger prints,(or the yellow tint that some are talking about).

* I use program mode and set the iso indoors to (( 100iso ))in good light conditions or ( 200 iso ) in poorer light indoors for the best image quality indoors with out all noise in the picture. Again auto does good outdoors in good light but keep your eye on the iso in auto indoors...



* Portrait mode does better indoors than auto in keeping the iso down. It uses 200iso and below. not bad...



*They also have taken away the supper fine quality option for the last couple of years , you just have fine and normal now, I miss the supper fine option...



The more I use this camera the more I find myself useing ( 100iso in program mode ) in good light conditions indoors or outdoors). Again indoors you might have to use 200 to get the picture you like...



** Just a side note, before judgeing the camera and your picture quality on your computer or camera screen get some pictures printed out, why I say this I thought the pictures that I took at the rest home were just ok, but I took them to the store and had 8 by 10s made and they look so so much better, you can see these pictures on this site under (view and share images on the SD1300s home page). I wish you could see the printed ones...



* A lot of the review sites blow there pictures way up and look for defects, your likely to only make 5x7 or 8x10s and not see (what they see).

If you are going to make larger prints or need a better (low light camera) and still stay in a point and shoot you could go with a canon S90, S95 or the bigger G11, G12, but (much more money I know)! Just keep the iso down at 200 and below and you will do fine...)



* The SD1300 seems to have a nice sharp lens even at the telephoto end of the zoom.



Highlights sometimes tend to blow out in very bright sun (direct light source) as with all small cameras(small sensor) this size, you can see this in some of the pictures I posted on this sight for the 1300. ( But to be fair my G11 does this also ).



I do not use I-Contrast in the program mode while shooting, some times in play back I will try it but I am not a big fan of it even then, it will brighten the picture up in dark areas but seems to increase the noise a little, again this is just me alot of people seem to like it and have good luck with it see what you think...

In auto mode you have no controll of I-Contrast and can not turn it off or on...



* I just realy like the colors in the pictures that the canon cameras produce, again thats just me thinking out loud.



Not much problem with red eye in pictures useing the SD1300 unless in a very dim lit room and there are some times when it can not modify or fix it in red-eye correction,

I have many small newer canon cameras and it is no worse or better with red eye than the rest of my newer cameras with red eye correction.



The SD1300 has a touch more style, larger LCD and a little more virsatle lens than the SD1200, but the 1200 is also a very good camera.



The SD1300 does have a weak battery door cover like the SD1200.



*No Memory card * You do not get a (SD Memory Card) with the camera, they just do not include a card anymore, just be aware so you won't be with out one.

A 4gb card ( class 4 or class 6 ) would be a good place to start (if your going to use the movie mode any at all ).

You could get by with a 2gb ( which is good for about 632 pictures ) if not using the video mode much.

A 4gig SD card would be good for 1,231 pictures.



* If your new to this digital camera stuff remember to low level format the SD card first thing.

( Save your pictures first, doing this will also erase all your pictures. )



* I have used the SD1300 for about 12 months now and is holding up very well.



* There is a date feature on the SD1300, it shows up on the right side at the bottom of the picture.

You can see it when reviewing the photo...

Push menu button and scroll down, it is the very last idem there, You have 3 choices,(off), (date), (date and time)...

When you go to take your picture your screen will have the word (DATE) on the screen above the iso reading, right side at bottom so you will know it is on...



* I carry my camera in a little phone case that has a belt clip not a loop for fast & easy on and off the belt.

* OK, your right I could lose it that way...

I definitely recommend picking up a small camera case for protection, watch out for cases using velco,the velco likes to grab ahold of you camera strap and not let go.



I also like theLowepro Apex 20 AW (Black) CASE it has room for spare battery, sd card cable, cleaning cloth). It has a little rain coat also. Good for hikers and backpackers.



The Lowepro Napoli 20 case is very nice but no room for spare battery on this one and could let dust in case, not fully inclosed.



** Casecrown ( SD1300IS 12 MP Digital Camera Carrying CaseCrown Black ) < I like these alot > Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12 MP Digital Camera Carrying CaseCrown Compact Travel Case (Black)

Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12 MP Digital Camera Carrying CaseCrown Compact Travel Case (Crimson) < < See my reviews on these if you have the time > >CaseCrown Protective Compact Travel Camera Case (Grey) for Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12 MP Digital Camera



Be carefull of some of the canon cases, the metal magnet catch on the flap might or could scratch the cameras LCD screen takeing it out or puting it in the case (just my thoughts).. I am sure alot people like them and have good luck with them, this is just my opinion, The canon case I have (Canon PSC-55 Deluxe Leather Compact Case) has no room for a spare sd card or spare battery if that would help you any.



These are very nice and roomy cases, with alot of storage > Case Logic DCB-302 Compact Camera Case (Black)

Case Logic DCB-302 Compact Camera Case (Gray)



One more case to look at Case Logic QPB-201 EVA Molded Compact Camera Case (Black) Only one zipper on this one and xtra battery seems to slide out of case a tad to freely .



* In the menu mode I set the I S mode to continous.

The display overlay to grid lines(the grid lines help me take straighter pictures, you may use it for the 1/3 rule also).

I set review to 2seconds,

AF-assist beam to on,

Review info to off,

Lens retract to 0 seconds.

White ballance to auto, if this would be of any help to you.

I like using continuous shooting mode alot also.



I like to set the AF (auto focas) frame

to center (some times) instead of face AiAF and just shoot (focas) on what ever that I am shooting , this is found in the main menu setting, Again this is just me dont take this advice to the bank but check it out if you want or have the time...



I posted some pictures on this site ( see > View and share related images on main page ) for the SD1300, to give you some idea about how your pictures would look (color - sharpness - moving shots - iso noise in pictures - zooms - modes - cropped pictures), if that would help.



* Please look at everybodys pictures to see what you think before you buy the SD1300.



(( Please if mine pictures are not helpful vote them down and I will delete those, I need to delete a lot of them, please help me out here, Thanks...)



If you have any questions I will try to answer them the best I can, no camera is perfect...well not many.



My favorite SD point & shoot was a canon SD550, SD850, SD880, I thought the SD1100 and SD870 were very good looking cameras but never had a chance to use one of them, what was your fav canon SD...



I mostly take pictures of bear in the Smokey Mountians (CADES COVE) and love chaseing the grand kids around taking their pictures. ( And this year the Outter Banks NC ).



Update 2/3/2011 > The new replacement camera for the SD1300 is being called a Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 4X Optical Zoom (Grey)

Comes in 5 colors (Blue, Silver, Grey, Pink and Orange)

Note one of many changes is that they did change the battery used to a NB-4L 760mAh from the NB-6L 1000mAh battery if that would be any of help.

Many other interesting changes also,some are good and some not so good , Alot of bells and whistles on this one, check it out... - Canon Digital Camera - Cannon Powershot Sd1200is - Compact - Image Stabilization
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Cannon Powershot Sd1200is - canon digital camera, cannon powershot sd1200is

Cell Phone Cover - cell phone cover, lg rumor 2

Click here for more information I like the color, feel, and the protection this product provides. However, it breaks too easily. Two of the plastic tabs that hold the top part on are already broken, and I have only had this case for a little less than two months. The case still stays on, but I'm thinking it may only be a couple more months before the other clips fall off and the upper part of the case no longer stays on. It seems that most cases for the Rumor/Cosmos are going to be this way, as the small gap between the two halves of the phone don't allow for thick fasteners on a case. Dark Blue Rubber Feel Snap-On Cover Hard Case Cell Phone Protector for LG Rumor2 LX265 / Cosmos VN250 [Beyond Cell Packaging]

I probably shouldn't write this until I've dropped my phone, but so far I absolutely love the cover. The color is a really nice royal blue and fits the phone like a glove. It's made from very durable material and I think it will be able to withstand a few drops. I would definitely suggest buying this over a 99 cent one. I bought one of those and not only was it made of cheap material it was way too small for my phone. An extra 7 bucks (which is still a steal), is definitely worth it.

True to its color on screen. Looks good. The only thing you need to know is it is painted and I assume they ran out of paint to do the inside of the case. The inside of the case basically is white with shadows of blue from the outside being spray painted.

When I first put it on my keyboard wouldn't slide out all the way because of the case so one of the plastic tabs had to not be attached to the phone for me to be able to use my phone. Now after owning this case about a week it won't even stay on anymore.



Pros



I dropped my phone with the case on once and the case didn't break.



Looks pretty nice



Cons



Horrible quality



Blue color comes off and leaves white behind.

No complaints against the seller. Product was delivered quickly and efficiently. The phone cover was total Shite! It lasted two days before it broke, but what can you expect when you pay less than a dollar for the item. The shipping cost more than the product. Bottom line, you get what you pay for. I wouldn't buy again, the plastic pieces that clip into your phone break off very easily.

This is a nice case with a nice feel. However, you get what you pay for. The first time I held my phone for more then 3 minutes my hand turned blue. The color continued to bleed onto my hand for over 2 weeks after that. Very disappointing.

It's a great deep blue and it fit my phone well (even though I mysteriously lost the original back of it...) but for several days it actually turned my ears blue! My friends thought I was sick with some sort of disease that causes blue ears, but later I realized it was just rubbing off my phone. I think it may have stopped after using it for awhile, but it was so cheap it's not worth sending it back.

My wife an I both got identical phones last week. In order to differentiate mine form hers, and to prevent us from grabbing the wrong phone, I decided to buy a cover. At such a low price point, my expectations were very low for this product. I would have been satidfied if it merely fit "ok". Well upon receipt of the item (which arrived quickly I should add), I was surprised to find that it fit 100% perfectly. Looks like a factory accessory. No features of the phone were hindered.My expectations were exceeded. - Cell Phone Cover - Lg Rumor 2 - Cosmos - Lg
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Cell Phone Cover - cell phone cover, lg rumor 2

Rechargeable Batteries - battery charger, kodak

Click here for more information I purchased a Kodak Z812IS which came with 2 Kodak AA batterys. I took maybe 20 photos before the batterys died a death. I then tried rechargeable 2450mAh batterys, which the advertising told me would take up to 600 photos, I got 30. So with much trepidation I purchased Li-Ion charger and battery. On the first charge I took over 300 photos with the LCD screen on, and the occasional flash. The low battery indicator light did not even come on. What a pity Kodak don't include the pack with the camera. Excellent value for money. Kodak Digital Camera Battery Charger K8500-C

I admit it... I'm cheap. I tried to buy a generic battery/charger for my Kodak camera. The thing crapped out in less than 2 months.



So I sucked it up and bought the Kodak battery/charger. Worth every penny. And still it was a much better deal than buying it at the store.

We purchased this battery and charger because nothing else was holding a charge very long so we decided to spend a few extra dollars and get a Kodak battery and charger. So far the battery has been excellent. The charger also charges quickly. We haven't had it long enough to say how it is in the long run, but so far so good. The only thing is that it is hard to get the battery out, nothing major. Enjoy.

I was just about to give up on my camera because it would go through batteries after just a few pictures and then would shut off with the lens open. I thought my camera was defective! I was online and looking for a solution or I was going to buy a new camera. I saw that I was not the only one having this problem and I should get a rechargable battery with the charger. The camera takes such good pictures but needs more juice than normal camera's is what I gather. Anyway after getting this battery and charger I have not had to recharge yet and it's taking great pictures. I have had it for a few weeks now and it's just wonderful to be able to pick up my camera and take pictures whenever I want! If your camera is drinking batteries get this product, it's wonderful.

We were going through sooo many batteries with this camera. We were convinced that the camera itself was broken. A little netvestigating later and we discovered that our high performance camera requires high performance gasoline. Enter the Kodak K8500.



Now we're back to being able to use our camera like normal people again!



We frequently do day-long photo shoots and this battery/charger combination keeps us going the whole time. If you've been having trouble with your camera sucking up batteries like Pacman on a rampage, look into this Kodak combo.

Definatley recommend this battery and charger make it so I can actually use my Kodak Easyshare Z1485-IS, 14.1 Megapixel Camera. With other batteries you can take about 20-30 Pictures and it's over, but with this battery hundreds. What a difference, worth the price and a lot less hassle than going through AA's like crazy.

I sent for this because I needed the charger. It came with the battery that should have fit my camera, however it did not. It seemed just a tiny bit too long. I did not really need the battery, but it should have fit.

Quality of the charger is very good, shipping was free and VERY fast))) It goes with different adaptors that is very important for me as traveler, charging process usually takes 3 hours and I can make 300 photos on my Kodak IS 1485))

I have never been fond of rechargeable batteries for my digital cameras because they tend to take too long to charge and then only last for a few pictures. I've spent years using the CRV3 or simply AA batteries. I recently bought a Kodak EasyShare Z1485 14MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5 inch LCD (Black), and had to reconsider my stance on rechargeable batteries for the camera.



This combination of charger and battery was more expensive than the generic "replacement" chargers/batteries listed on Amazon. I was wary of using them, though, based in part on some of the negative ratings, and the fact that I didn't want to be disappointed in the middle of my vacation.



The charger works very quickly, and the battery easily lasts for 100+ pictures, including flash and LCD screen. Very impressed. Money well spent. - Kodak - Battery Chargers - Battery Charger - Camera Battery
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Rechargeable Batteries - battery charger, kodak

Samsung - 3d, blu-ray disc players

Click here for more information Good:

Quick Boot

Plays the content it advertises

Looks sleek and has the newest collection of Samsung Apps



Bad:

Not sure if it's because this is new but the Hulu Plus & Netflix apps stutter uncontrollably. I brought this player to replace an excellent earlier Samsung model which never had this problem. It is so bad that a video could go 10-15 minutes without audio or out of sync. Sometimes the video will play in slow motion with no audio. I thought it was the apps' fault so I pulled up Netflix on my earlier Samsung blu-ray player and had no issues. Also pulled up Hulu Plus on a Sony blu-ray player and did not have the same issue. I have a 17 Mbps connection (actual speed not advertised) and the part that drives me up the wall is that Hulu Plus ads work perfectly on this player. Again, this must be the player because my other blu-ray players do not have this issue and the website does not either.



I have AV receivers and a nice home theater setup so since most blu-ray players play content very well and just bitstream audio to my receiver, the main difference will always be apps and this player was a dissapointment. Samsung BD-D5500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

Owned it for about a week so far. I read the other reviews and have not seen or experienced any of the same issues they have had with regards to apps and disc playability. There were however two firmware updates that I downloaded automatically after bootup and installed - these probably fixed the issues that others have seen. So far it has been a great player with fast loading and nice apps. It interfaces well with my Samsung HDTV and have only experienced good things with it. I tried many different Bluray discs including Avatar and have had no problems. I would recommend.

I set the internet functionality up before trying to play a Blu Ray, and it worked nicely.

Then I tried to play Blu Ray edition of Kick Ass, and the player went into a coma. After 5 minutes I powered it down

and then upon startup ejected the disc that has always played flawlessly on my PS3.

Thinking this might be a bad disc I tried Avatar.. this required me to go and find a thumb drive as the

movie needs 2 mb of storage to play and the player has no on board memory.. so I did so and after messing

about for a while with no results gave up. The third disc I had just rented from Netflix and it did play after a comparatively

long load time compared to the 3 year old PS3 I ended up watching it on.



Pros : It started up quickly, internet was easy to set up, Netflix looked OK, but it's still better via PC.



Cons : unit was very hot after only an hour, no cooling fan. 2 of 3 randomly chosen discs would not play, slow to play time

on the one that did. How about putting a few Meg of memory on the board.. it'd cost next to nothing and no one would need to hunt down a thumb drive to see Avatar..



I got this player from Costco on the way home this evening and it's going back tomorrow. At 159$ you do seem to get what you pay for.

The old PS3 has outshined this machine.



Did not get as far as testing the 3D, as the TV arrives tomorrow and I'll do a little more research into a better player.

I just received this player from Amazon three days ago. There are certain features of this product that exceed my expectation.

1.The Blu-ray disk reading is very fast. This is compared to the Panasonic DMP-DB60 Blu-ray that I had previously. This one is almost 10 times faster than the Panasonic DMP-DB60. I am very pleased by its fast reading capability.

2.You can connect a mass storage device to this machine to the USB port. I initially thought the USB ports were for small storage devices such a flash drive or thumb drive, like many earlier version Blu-ray/DVD players. But after I tried to plug a 500GB external hard drive into it, all the multi-media files on the drive were quickly recognized by the player. The reading was fast. I was pleasantly surprised by that.

3.Besides its high quality video output, the audio output is also very powerful. I connect this player to my "Logitech Z-5500 THX-Certified 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Speaker System", which is the best PC audio system that I have had so far (perhaps the best in the market). The sound is much more powerful than if the PC output is used. I had to tune the volume down by 1/3 of the normal level so that it won't shake the wall too much.

4.It plays many video formats and supports many codecs. It's the first Blu-Ray/DVD player that plays mkv video file that I've seen in the US market.

Please note that in order to have the subtitle of a video file to be read by the machine, you have to make sure the file name of the subtitle (with the extension of .sub or .srt) must be the same as the video file name. I didn't do that earlier. After I tried to play several video files, I figured it out myself, which made me more pleased with this product. I changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars.

I bought this player along with "Samsung UN55D7000 LED TV", which has several USB ports by itself. After a few days of use, I realized that the USB capabilities of this Blu-player and the TV are overlapped. But I was still impressed by the new technology. - 3d - Blu-ray Disc Players - Blu-ray Player - Samsung
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Smartphone Case

Click here for more information I waited anxiously for Otterbox to release this case and ordered mine within minutes of receiving the "Defender Released" e-mail. I received the case on Friday and I must admit, it did not disappoint.



First impressions: The case is of great quality and a lot of detail went into making it compatible with all the OEM "accessories". The holster is among the best I've seen for a phone of this size and works perfectly with the case.



After carrying it for two days (and this is already my 3rd iPhone 4 case - I am rough on my phones): The case is without a doubt the most durable I've seen for the iPhone 4 and lives up to the reputation that Otterbox has built over the years.



Cons: The case does add considerable bulk to the phone and may not be perfect for pocket carriers. It does include a holster which works great and can rotate for vertical or parallel carrying of the phone.





Miscellaneous: I have no complaints really, but I am left to wonder if the silicone "flaps" that cover the earphone and USB plug-ins could have been a little more user-friendly. Sometimes they are frustrating to get back into their proper "closed" position.



Edited one month after using: I am still extremely happy with the case. I have dropped my phones a few times already and though the case is starting to show signs the abuse I have provided it the phone still looks pristine! I opened up the case this morning to clean the phone etc and to my surprise there wasn't much to clean. With cases I've owned in the past I would have a forest of lint, dust etc. that would trap itself between the case and the phone. The Otterbox has minimized that debris!





I am uploading several photos showing the difference between a "bare" iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4 in the Defender case so everyone can get an idea of how much "protection" and in turn "bulk" this case adds to the phone.



Edited to add: Amazon removed my pictures when the placed the phone back in a "pre-order" status, I will re-upload them again once they allow. I'm not sure why they state "pre-order" when it should state "Back-ordered, will deliver in xx to xx weeks", but I digress. OtterBox Defender Case iPhone 4 (Blue/Black, Fits AT&T iPhone 4)

Otterbox defender for my iPhone 3Gs was the best thing I ever did for that phone! It fell into and was completely submerged in a 5 gallon pot of BBQ sauce - and rinsed off with the sprayer in the sink. Phone continued to operate flawlessly!



As soon as I bought iPhone 4 - I immediately ordered an otterbox case for it. It took over a month to arrive and when it finally did - I could immediately tell it did not offer the same amount of protection as the Otterbox for the 3Gs.



I'm constantly fighting the rubber covering -- if I pull it out of my pocket I have to push it back into place all the way around the phone.



The screen protector is better -- the bubbles are gone from the previous version. I like that.



The flaps that cover the charger port and headphone jack suck! They never stay in place and to get them to lock down is a pain. Debris can easily infiltrate into the case through these openings. I find that I have to take the phone completely out of the case and clean the phone and the case more often than I ever did with the other phone/otterbox.



Maybe they were just in a hurry to get a case that would fit the quick arrival of iPhone4. I hope the case is revamped and the thought is completed. I really need and want the kind of protection and rugged durability that the other case provided for 3Gs.



Regardless of what I hate about this case, it's still the BEST case that you can put on the new iPhone 4 if you're hard on your phone. Just wish it was better...

**** 02/12 update: I bought an AT&T case to get one fast at a discount and it works fine until the price drops on the universal case. The Verizon silent mode button is partially covered so if you use silent mode a lot and have big fingers, you might want to wait or buy from the manufacturer. The headphone jack doesn't align quite right with my Verizon phone, but just open the silicone port. And now this is a genuine five star review. I really like this case. It is sturdy and protective, looks stylish, feels comfortably grippy and it was easy to install the phone. Box directions are minimal but Otterbox has a simple video that takes you through it. *****



I just called Otterbox and a very nice lady in Customer Service says they have a universal design ready to fit both AT&T and Verizon phones, to be released 02/10/11. I suppose Amazon will have these as well. Hope they do all the same colors.



Important to know because the Verizon iPhone has some ports and controls in a slightly different place than its AT&T sister and this case would not fit both phones.



Just thought you should know. Glad I did some research before I bought this one. Yes, I know this isn't a real review but not everyone reads comments. At least I'm not one of those tiresome people who posts a one star review because something went wrong with the shipping.
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Emergency Tv - emergency tv, portable digital lcd tv

Click here for more information I purchased this little TV as a gift for my wife. It was easy to set up. Directions were good. Exercise a little caution when extending and retracting the antenna. It's a little tricky and you could easily break it if you force it the wrong way. I live outside of Philadelhia, PA so there are a several local stations which the TV setup program found. The picture clarity is excelent, and especially so on HD channels. The sound is like listening to an old fashiond cheap ear bud. If you can live with the sound it seems to be a great little TV. It has been plugged in since a few days after Christmas and my wife is happy with it except for the sound. VIZIO VMB070 7 - Inch Edge Lit Razor LED LCD Portable TV

This Vizio 7" TV has a fabulous picture, is easy to set up, is big enough for the big game, but small enough for sneaking it into work without attracting too much attention. It comes with an adapter cable for hooking it to cable TV or an outside antenna, AC adapter, slip case, full feature remote, and a cable to allow hook up to an external video source like a DVD player. Two faults, however. One - forget about watching broadcast TV while in a moving vehicle (that one is the fault of the new Digital TV broadcasting standards, not the fault of the Vizio). Two, the audio leaves room for improvement. No doubt, compromises must be made to shove so much TV into such a small package, and connecting a cheap pair of multimedia speakers will make the audio A-1. Also, I wish the slip case had pouches for the remote control and the power adapter, but the positives of this unit make my complaints seem petty. In a word, you'll love this little set!

My first thought after opening the box was WOW. Excellent design, the unit looks impressive, sleek design and definitely nicer than any other 7 inch TV on the market.

Then I turned the TV on ....

The picture looks GREAT ... BUT it has red pixels on the screen that won't change colors. Though the red pixels get lost sometimes if the program is colorful, they are still there. I looked on the quick start guide only to find the following disclaimer:

" Your TV is precision -manufactured .... However, sometimes individual pixels may not display. This is common in this type of product and DOES NOT mean your TV is defective" I am a Manufacturing Engineer for a touch sensor company... this product would never have shipped !

The other drawback are the tinny sounding speakers.... they sound like the designer forgot to incorporate any of the bass frequencies...

The unit looks great ... picture is awesome, but quality issues and sound quality need to be addressed !!!

The only other two models that should even be considered purchasing [AS OF 02/2011] are the Eviant brand or the Haire brand. After looking CLOSELY at the Eviant and Haire brand 7 inch lcd models. I decided upon this Vizio model and I'm thrilled with it's quality. This is the only model on the market that is LED back lit which makes the picture very bright with a rich black level and amazing color.. Unlike alot of reviews about other models only receiving 1-2 channels with the units built in antenna.. I was able to pick up at least 12 channels right out of the box with the built in antenna while at my residence which is 30 miles south of a major city where "cable" is still not available.. [Have Dish Network}. The unit has a sleek look to it and feels durable. The remote control is slim and loaded with features of a full size piece. The sound could be a little better,but it does NOT detract in any way from your ability to enjoy watching a program. There is a flip out kick-stand on back of unit that works terrific at positioning the tv at an appropriate viewing angle.A soft neoprene slip cover is included which works nicely to store the tv and should reasonably protect the item. The set up is quick and easy and the instruction book is very user friendly for those of you afraid of electronics.It has most of the conventional connectors[SORRY,NO HDMI INPUT]to hook up dvd,video game systems and a USB input so you can use it as a digital photo frame as well. Resolution is 800x480 which is much better than other portables of this size.. This Vizio model may be a few dollars more than some other brands out there,but you get what you pay for.. Mine was only $98.00 at time of purchase. First saw this unit at Sam's Club for $129.00 and decided to wait and saved some money. Overall.. Try to imagine a full size lcd/led television.. shrunk down to fit in the palm of your hand. Thank you to Vizio for doing it right.I do wish that Vizio would have included a car charger.. Now I hope SONY will get into the compact/portable line[crosses fingers]..If you are looking for a portable 7 inch lcd.. your search is over.

I gave this as a gift to someone this Christmas, and have to say I was very impressed with this product. It truly is only about 1" thick, it is perfectly sized for a miniature television, and user friendly right out of the box, in my opinion. I was blown away by the picture quality, and its ability to pick up HD channels. This mini tv blows all the other mini tvs out of the water, and no doubt represents the style and compactness of future products - vizio is simply 8 steps ahead of everyone else. I personally don't think the sound is all that bad. To me, the vizio's sound is far better than laptop speakers (as long as you're not talking about a special entertainment laptop etc), but of course not as great as you'd get on a 'real' tv. But I find no problem with that, and neither did the person receiving this gift. The tv comes with a user-friendly user guide, as well as a neat kind of 'wetsuit' type of cover for it, that zips closed around the entire unit. It also comes with the standard cables/plugs etc. Its remote is nice and easy to use, and overall the entire tv just has a very high quality feel to it.

A few tips... Definitely don't skip reading the directions in the startup guide on this one. They are very short, but very particular. From what I understand (based on watching the person who received my gift start it up) in order to turn on the tv for the first time, you first must locate the 'official' on-off switch which is located BENEATH the antenna paddle located on the side of the unit. You have to swing out the antenna paddle (which is easy to do), as if you're accessing the antenna, and then under that is a switch that has to be put to On. Then, you have to press the secondary power button located at the top of the unit. Then, you have to power on the television *using the remote*. Odd startup, but that's what seemed to be required for first time use. After that, all you need is to press the 'secondary' power button or power it on with the remote. But during first use, all three power buttons have to be activated.

The person I gave this to hasn't stopped raving about the TV, and it's been several weeks. They love being able to watch tv on their lunchbreak, etc., or at the airport, what have you. It's light but not cheap-feeling, and has a very sleek looking exterior.

A note to Toy Fuzz, whom I bought the product from via Amazon, although I got the item quickly and appreciated the fast shipping time, they need to pack the item better. The item was sent in a box bigger than the Vizio box, which would have been ok if there had been some packaging filler used, to secure the item in the box - but there was not. As shipped, the item rattled around in the bigger shipping box its entire trip - not a great way to send out electronics in my humble opinion. Some shredded paper, plastic bags of air, anything could do the trick. - Portable Digital Lcd Tv - Emergency Tv - Portable Tv - Portable Digital Tv
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Emergency Tv - emergency tv, portable digital lcd tv