Educational Insights Wireless Eggspert

Educational Insights Wireless Eggspert, 2.4 GHz
  • The wireless game system that turns review lessons into EGG-citing games
  • 2 ways to play - "Quiz Show" and "Wheel of Fortune"
  • Six colorful eggs light up, flash, buzz, beep, and talk!
  • Wireless teacher remote and 6 wireless student response buttons
  • For any grade or subject
  • New and improved best-selling product
  • Includes Wireless Eggspert, six wireless student buttons, wireless teacher remote and guide
  • 2.4 GHz for the fastest, most reliable transmissions

Insight's Wireless Eggspert was to be their next generation in affordable game buzzer line. The concept is solid, as can be see by their Educational Insight Eggspert product, but it falls short on the transmitter to receiver end.

This product's main attraction is the wireless Answer Buttons (buzzers) which is specified to have a 20-30' range. Unfortunately the product was shipped to me with only 3 of the six Answer Buttons working fully and the other three working intermediately. Normally I would say this is just a product defect and requested an exchange, but in this case I also found out that when activated at the same time, only the blue buzzer would ring up. i.e. if more than one buzzer was pushed it didn't matter which on came in first if the blue buzzer was pushed within a couple of seconds of the others the blue buzzer would win out.

I think this product still has great potential but Insight needs to make sure their production line units all meet the same standards as the original wired version of this product. Until this happens I can't give this product any more that one star. Hopefully in a year this will improve and I can take back this review.

Buy Educational Insights Wireless Eggspert Now

I was concerned about purchasing the wireless eggspert for my classroom because of the one bad review it received. I decided to go ahead and try it out and return it if it didn't work (even though I'd have to pay 6.50 for that). It's not the most durable thing so I hope no students toss it across the room or drop it too often. It works better the closer the buzzers are to the tower. However, I put fresh batteries in and tried it out. It seemed to work fine. As far as buzzer systems go, it's cheaper than others. I have no idea how long it will last, but it seems to do the job ok.

Read Best Reviews of Educational Insights Wireless Eggspert Here

My students love the eggspert. I used another teacher's last year that used the wires. I bought the wireless and after putting batteries in everything worked except the yellow button. I tried replacing batteries, pushing softly, then harder, nothing. I am now in the process of sending it back.

Want Educational Insights Wireless Eggspert Discount?

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

A small percentage of our most recent batch of Wireless Eggspert units has a frequency tuning issue that makes transmission difficult or impossible. This issue has been completely resolved in our newest model, Wireless Eggspert 2.4 GHz. If you are experiencing difficulty with an original Wireless Eggspert unit, please contact info@educationalinsights.com for a replacement 2.4GHz unit, which will be shipped to you in March.

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. We apologize for any inconvenience this product may have caused you.

Save 17% off

Mr. Walczak's class. I purchased this item because I found the wired units very enjoyable during review games. I experienced very similar problems as everyone else seems to be having. Some of the buttons just don't seem to work, only my purple button works from more than 5 feet away, but none of the others. The teacher's remote must be within 2 feet just to clear the lights. And none of the buttons work dependably. This was extremely frustrating for my entire class. Also, the lights do not come with an AC adapter, you have to purchase this separately. For this price, they really should include it. Lastly, in total, you will need 16 batteries to run everything at once. Chargable units makes more sense. This company really needs to put more effort into this product. I higly recomend people not purchasing this item.

4) NEW Kenwood KFC-1693PS 6.5" 960 Watt 3-Way Car Audio Speakers KFC1693PS

4) NEW Kenwood KFC-1693PS 6.5' 960 Watt 3-Way Car Audio Speakers KFC1693PS
  • TWO NEW Pairs of Kenwood KFC-1693PS 6.5" 960 Watt 3-Way Car Audio Speakers
  • Polypropylene Cone with Diamond Array Pattern with Urethane Surround
  • Frequency: 80Hz - 22kHz and Sensitivity: 88 dB/W at 1m
  • Mid-range Size: 1-9/16-inch and Tweeter Size: 1/2-inch
  • Impedance: 4-Ohms

sounds great! love the bass and vocals are clear, awesome buy and has worked great so far, worth the money for sure

Buy 4) NEW Kenwood KFC-1693PS 6.5" 960 Watt 3-Way Car Audio Speakers KFC1693PS Now

this was for my middle son, he has yet to install them : ( However he seemed quite satisfied with the gift

Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer

Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer, Dark Grey
  • Fast laser printing prints up to 27ppm and produce a professional-looking output
  • Built-in wireless and Ethernet network interfaces for flexible connectivity
  • Convenient paper handling, flatbed copying and scanning
  • Automatic duplex for producing two-sided output helps reduce paper use
  • Adjustable 250-sheet capacity paper tray, manual feed slot for printing envelopes and letterhead

I bought this printer to replace an inkjet that just went out. For subcontract work I do I need to print manuals ranging from 10-70 pages which this laser printer is great for, I also wanted to have a copier. I cannot comment on the scanner as I rarely use this feature on any of the multi-function units I have owned.

Pros: Decent price on factory toner compared to my other inkjet. I also liked that brother has multiple models all using the same TN-420/TN-450 toners so I don't feel like it be hard to get quality factory toner in a year or two.

Network connectivity, I was able to connect to my wireless network however due to prior issues with my linksys E2000 router, none of the computers could access the printer. I have advanced tech skills and still can not get the settings right for wireless networking Vs my old WRT54G and I don't have time to dumb the router to an access point that would resolve the issue. However, the wired connection works great, all computers on the same network instantly see the printer.

I highly recommend the network printer only/ local attached drivers if you only want to print and copy because it will remove ALOT of bloatware. I also suggest to set a manual IP or static DHCP on your router to avoid any issues with the unit changing IPs.

Cons: Like other reviews I find the fan to be somewhat loud for if you had to sit next to the printer all day and listen to it not a real deal breaker but something to consider. I put the printer on the bottom part of a TV stand where there is enough room for ventilation but the wood absorbs some sound and it is in a room that out of my way.

Like most printers these days, it feels pretty plastic and I wonder about reliability of constantly opening the scanner bed. Although, the printer was on sale which made the 2yr office max warranty $15 for a little piece of mind.

-------------------------------------

I got my unit for $100 during a sale since it is normally $200, for the price I paid it was too good of a deal to pass up I still believe I would have considered the full price after using it. Starter Toner is 700 pages. $45 for 1200 page toner. and I think $70 for 2600 page. If you want a network printer that is easy to setup, prints extremely fast and can live without color (At least 95% of what I print is black text anyways). I highly recommend this unit.

Buy Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer Now

There are two main reasons I chose this Brother printer over the competition. The first is that it was the only wireless laser printer brand I could find that had an LCD display. That was important to me because it allows the printer to be connected directly to a wireless network without having to be temporarily connected to a PC to do the configuration. WIthout a built-in display you would have to connect it via a cable to a computer to do the configuration using the computer's display. I wanted something that was entirely independent of a PC's display, and this one is. Second, Brother seems to be using the old business model that HP and Canon once used, which is to charge more for the printer and supply the toner/ink at a reasonable cost. These days HP and Canon practically give away their printers but their ink and toner is very expensive. I love Canon inkjet printers especially, but their ink cartridges keep getting smaller and higher priced. Next time I buy an inkjet I will definitely check out the Brother models. Laser printers are much cheaper to operate than inkjet of course, and if you compare the price and capacity of the Brother TN450 cartridge that this machine uses to the price and capacity of similar HP and Canon machines you will see that this one has them beat.

Connecting to my wireless network via Windows 7 was a breeze. I used the automatic one-push setup and had the printer online in a couple of minutes. It does make noise, but does not seem any noisier that other laser printers I have used, although I have not tried the duplex feature yet. B&W print and copy quality is excellent. I haven't tried scanning color yet, but I suspect it will be more than adequate for my needs. It has a nice 250 sheet paper drawer, much more convenient than some of the competing machines which have the paper supply sticking out the back like an erect tail. I like that it quickly goes into sleep mode to conserve power and quickly comes back online when I send a print job or press a button.

This machine prints, copies and scans, but if you need a fax machine then check out the Brother MFC7860DW. It has the same specs as this model but has an ADF on top and fax capability. It usually sells for $50-80 more than this model.

This machine is exactly what I was looking for. I just wanted a wireless laser printer that was easy to set-up and economical to use, and this printer meets both of those criteria.

Read Best Reviews of Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer Here

This printer is a new offering from Brother and I have only had it a couple of days, but my initial opinion is that it's a pretty good printer. Set-up was easy, I have it positioned about 40' from my (very old) router on a different level of my house and connectivity so far has been flawless. I have both printed and scanned without any issues. I currently have a desktop and two laptops setup to print to this printer, again, no issues. Print quality looks as you'd expect for a laser printer and scan quality seemed good as well. On duplex printing the page does come out slightly curled, but I think that's to be expected in a printer of this size. This is my first laser printer so I have nothing to compare it to, but the noise level does not seem bad at all, I can hear it from the next room but just barely and it's totally quiet while "sleeping". Print speed is very quick, I thinks it's rated for less than 10 seconds for the first print and that seems about right, it's very quick. As I stated earlier, I have not had this printer long, but so far so good. I got this for significantly under MSRP, don't buy it for list price. I'll try to provide an update after it's been in use for a while.

Want Brother Printer Wireless Monochrome Printer Discount?

I have never owned a Brother Printer before. I have always used either HP, Canon, or Epson. To my thinking, printers like those made by Brother and Lexmark have seemed to be less reliable in times past. The past 5 months have proved me wrong. This Brother is an astounding printer at a terrific price.

All features work flawlessly and print quality is outstanding for this price range. Brother have upped their game over the last 4 or 5 years and I was tempted enough (after my HP and Canon both gave up the ghost) to look elsewhere. This Brother Printer (and I still have a Canon Pixma Inkjet for occasional color needs) is just a work horse. Flawless printing in regular and duplex mode. Originally, I just hooked a USB cable to it... but then set it up (pretty easy) to Wireless via it's built in interface. Works great.

Noise: I have seen a few comments about the noise level of this printer. I find it extremely quiet. FIrst of all, it is most usually "sleeping" in what appears to be OFF position...in this mode, the printer is totally quiet. No noise at all. If I send it a print job to it wirelessly, it wakes up pretty quick.. wait... let me time: It woke up and printed a single page in 20 seconds. So, keeping the printer in standby mode is not a problem (unless 20 seconds is too long for you to wait.

The printer returns to a quiet state after another 10 seconds (after printing) and then stays in this "alert" state for about 10 minutes. It is during this time that the printer will make some noise. Quite frankly, I don't usually notice it, it is so quiet. Then the printer returns to SLEEP mode and goes totally silent. So, there really is not a noise issue at all. In fact, my HP printer was much more noisy. The fact that it is most usually in Sleep mode, means that it is almost always completely silent. (If I had read all the reviews that said this printer was too noisy, I likely would not have purchased it. And I would have lost out on a great, quiet printer).

Cost per page: I am averaging just under a penny a page to print with this... that is so much cheaper than my ink jet! I am using the "toner save" mode, however. In fact, the thought of buying another ink jet with their incredible high cost of ink was one of the reasons I bought this Brother printer.

I love that the printer takes an entire ream of paper. I just load it and forget about paper for a long time! And Duplex mode (front and back of page printing, without needing to flip the paper!) has been a great feature that I didn't have before. That too is another savings feature. The copier works fine. I haven't tried scanning with this printer yet. And the cost per page on this printer... well, that is why I purchased it... this is a money saving baby!

Cons? Yes. One. The message about LOW INK comes on too soon. Being cheap, I usually ignore these prompts until the thing truly runs out of ink. With this printer, I can print several weeks before it really runs out of ink. FYI.

Great printer!

--

UPDATE 1-15-2012: Still love this printer! I wanted to update this about the one "con" I listed... Ink. More specifically, the message that you get to change the ink ("toner low message"). My advice is to ignore it. I printed for over two months before it truly ran out of ink. Even then, I never got a single bad printed copy. No "light print jobs," no "missing lines of text." When this printer really runs out of ink (OK, toner), it will simply refuse to print. Then it is time to replace the cartridge. I replaced mine with a Brother branded High Capacity toner cartridge...at least this first time. I would love to hear comments from others who may have used cheaper 3rd party cartridges... do they work well? Or should I stick with a Brother branded cartridge? Enjoy this printer!

--

Update 9-1-2012: Still going strong...just replaced first full toner cartridge. I just ignore the low toner printer warnings (however, you can turn off... I turn off the STOPPING because of low toner, to do this, Go to General Settings, and then number 4. Replace Toner, set to Continue.). Wait until you see the ink not filling the page or getting streaky. Then replace. You will go months past the first low toner warning (depending on volume of printing obviously).

Save 30% off

This is my second Brother printer and I absolutely love both of them. The duplex printing option is especially welcome after having to muck around with manual feeding to do duplex for so long (the other one is an HL-2070N).

But be careful when installing the software, as the default "Install MFL-Pro Suite" option adds a third party program called PaperPort, which started popping up ads for other Nuance software from my system tray. This is completely unacceptable for the installation of a hardware driver, especially hardware that bills itself as a professional office product.

From what I gather, PaperPort is for scanning and organizing documents like receipts and such. So if you need that functionality you might tolerate the ads. But in an office environment it's most likely not worth it.

Car DashBoard Video Camera Vehicle Video Accident Recorder DVR

Car DashBoard Video Camera Vehicle Video Accident Recorder DVR - 1080P Full HD Resolution Video, 2.0' LCD Display
  • 140 Degree Lens. 180 Degree ging for front lens. 270 Degree rotating screen: 1080P Full HD Resolution Video, 1080P: 1440*1080 15@fps, 720P: 1280*720 30@fps, 480P: 720*480 30@fps.
  • Smaller Size. 1/3.2' CMOS,Low Illumination. 2.0" LTPS TFT LCD. Swith between Day and Night working status.
  • Li-ion Battery Built-in. Recording Video while Recharging. Support TF Card from 512M to 32GB.
  • Anti-shaking Function. Cycle-Recording. Auto-recording. HDMI Out. Preview Function.
  • Package Includes: 1 x Car DVR, 1 x Camera Holder, 1 x User Manual, 1 x Car Charger, 1 x HDMI Cable, 1 x USB Cable.

After much research and deliberation, I ended up with this. It was originally in Russian but the manual was great and it took 10 seconds to get it to English.

I use a 8Gb MicroSD card, record in 1080P with 5 minute loops and this gives me about 2-3 hours of recording before it erases the oldest file. Each 5 minute video is approx. ~140-150Mb. Some people might complain that it erasing so fast is bad and what if they need something later; well, if there is an occurrence that you need to keep lock the file and it won't delete it. Otherwise, this is an install & forget device. It's great to have and isn't a nuisance and if an accident or ticket arises, will help you out immensely.

I work in Insurance and this is exactly what people need. The inaccuracies with human witnesses are too unreliable to be helpful during a claim or ticket dispute.

During the day, picture is great, if the sun is directly facing the camera; obviously there is a glare but that's unavoidable.

Can read street names, license plates everything it needs to do.

During nighttime, I personally do not turn on the 2 LED lights in the front, they are bright and don't add much quality.

Nighttime recording is a bit less detailed, given it's nighttime. But at stoplights it will record license plates and street signs depending on the type of sign. It shows the stoplights current color great and reflective lines in the street.

Audio is a bit meh, but what purpose does audio serve? None. Insurance / police don't care to hear you singing the Top 40 on the radio prior to the accident / that stop sign ticket violation, they care about visual proof.

The car cord is like 10 ft long, so when unraveling it, I would recommend not un-bundling all of it, just what you need to adequately have the cable connected and the rest tied up.

Overall, I am completely satisfied with this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a dash cam.

(...) Daytime

(...) Nighttime

Buy Car DashBoard Video Camera Vehicle Video Accident Recorder DVR Now

I bought this for my car after watching to many Russian YouTube videos. I had problems with it at first but I figured out that this camera cannot handle a 32gb sd card like it says even a top of the line one. I purchased a 16gb class 10 top of the line sd card and haven't had any problems now. It's pretty awesome, it shows date time and so on, really good video recorded. Turns on and records automatically when I start the car. So for the price it's worth it just make sure not to get to large of a sd card, if it wasn't for that it would get 5 stars. And I wish that the windshield mount swiveled. But it's a really good suction cup. :)

Read Best Reviews of Car DashBoard Video Camera Vehicle Video Accident Recorder DVR Here

There are rightfully many mixed reviews about this car-cam on here. At first, mine had stopped working too, but it wasn't the camera's fault. In fact, the car-cam works perfectly fine if it's configured correctly. Here's how: 1. Do not buy a Class 10 micro-card. It will stop working soon after. Amazon recommends it by default, but it is wrong 2. Buy a Class 4 micro-card instead. The car-cam works with an older technology, so you must use the Class 4 type of card. I bought and used this one: Kingston 16 GB Class 4 MicroSDHC Flash Card with SD Adapter SDC4/16GB and it works 100%. With the Class 10, mine stopped working after the card filled up, or thereabouts. After I read some detailed websites about car-cams, it's imperative you use the Class 4. I hope this helps both new buyers and older buyers as well, since Amazon is recommending the wrong type of card. Other than that, the camera works perfectly fine for $55. The playback is good enough for road use. The on/off with the car ignition is awesome too. Been working for a few months with no issues.

Want Car DashBoard Video Camera Vehicle Video Accident Recorder DVR Discount?

Decent dash cam, you can easily read license #'s when your within 15 feet of the car in front. Does not offer a very wide angle of view, but will cover the nose of your vehicle, so you can show if someone cuts you off then brake checks you. Within 2 weeks my mount melted off my windshield from the sun. So if you live somewhere south of Colorado, you have to remove the mount every time you stop, and replace it every time before you go somewhere. I am currently making a super glue mount to my dash to put it back in working order (I don't care about ruining the dash). The cord will reach from anywhere inside the vehicle. Make sure you order a large SD card, I have a 4 GB in and get about 7, 5 min "1080p" (note: not really 1080p) loops.

: 1:13 Mins

I have gone back and forth, trying to decide which camera to get. I finally got this one. CHECK MY VIDEO and you will see that this was a GREAT investment. The Clarity of this camera is amazing. Dont be fooled by the quality, when uploading videos, the videos lose some clarity. HOWEVER, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO READ THE LICENSE PLATES from the video in its Raw being (but of course you have to be close enough).

There are people that complain about how this camera isnt great quality. Well seriously, for about $50, what did you really expect? If you want TRUE 1080p, then mount a digital camera or a Real camera to get that quality.

For those of you who only need this for insurance purposes or to save your own ass, buy this gadget!

My only complaint is the fact that the mount is a bit flimsy (NOT THE SUCTION--THE SUCTION TO THE WINDSHIELD IS PERFECT). It's the fact that when I lean in to push the Power button, or the Record button, the Camera comes off the mount. I dont know, maybe its just me? Maybe I am not mounting it in correctly...

Sony BDVE280 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System

Sony BDVE280 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System
  • 1000 watt 5.1 channel surround sound (167 Wx5 +165 W)
  • Internet streaming: Netflix, YouTube, Pandora & more
  • 2x HDMI inputs with 3D pass-through support
  • Includes iPod /iPhone dock (video, music and photos)
  • Blu-ray 3D playback capability

I live in a small studio apartment. The living space portion of my apt where I have this set up is about 12x20. Obviously in this small space this system is fantastic. I didn't so much want a surround system for loudness but for the surround sound effects. Everything sounds great and crystal clear once everything is on the proper settings. I only put the volume no more than half way and it's more than enough to fill the room. I worry about complaining neighbors so I set the sub woofer to it's lowest setting, yet it still gives a decent rumble that doesn't bother anyone.

My complaints. Only has one usb slot in the back mainly used to connect ipod dock. Apparently has no internal memory for blu ray data(blu rays work fine so far without it). You would have to connect a usb flash if you want the memory(in the ONE usb slot available). And no built in wifi. You would have to get a separate wifi dongle sold by Sony for like 79.99(and once again attach it to the ONE usb slot available.)

Simple solutions, just use the ethernet cable instead of wireless. And buy a cheap usb splitter so you can add usb flash and ipod dock at the same time.

It may not be a great choice for larger rooms or houses but if you live in a dorm, studio, or bedroom this is a great choice.

Buy Sony BDVE280 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System Now

Bought this item as a black friday deal. We needed a new sound system and like the sony brand. Set up was a breeze. Sound quality is alright. Not as good as our old system, but it will do. Don't like the speaker wiring. You can't lengthen it because wiring is attached to speaker. Also, after a month of use, the blu ray player will not open. You have to unplug the entire system from the wall outlet for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, it opens up fine. I suppose this is just a quirk they have not fixed, but know about since it was in the owners manual under trouble shooting.

Read Best Reviews of Sony BDVE280 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System Here

I have no idea what most of you are reviewing but I bought the Sony Blu Ray 3D DVD player to add on to my new Mitsubishi 65 inch 3D TV and I love it. It took me no time to get the wifi working and downloading movies QUICKLY. Radio stations work great on the Sony. I'm confused about the bad reviews and only wrote this because of what I was reading.

Want Sony BDVE280 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System Discount?

Item was delivered within in several days. The sound system is great. We bought this for our bedroom & it was a good price for a Sony. Would recommend

Recent purchase. Have had a sony home theater before and this system pretty much meets the expectations. Areas of concern are noted below:

Length of speaker cables are less than required (especially for the center and sub woofer). I needed a longer cable since i use a projector and not a TV screen

Yet to find a file format that can be played using the USB connect (does not seem to read any itunes/ mp3 formats)

An additional wifi access point is required to connect to internet. Sony should have included in-built Wifi or a ethernet port

Exponentc High Quality Clear Screen Protector Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S3 S III i9300

Exponentc High Quality Clear Screen Protector Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S3 S III i9300 - 3 PackFor the price, I had prepared myself for these to be a waste of money, but these have exceded my expectations, if fact, they are better quality and more clear than the one I was given at Verizon. Like others have said, these don't come in a fancy box, and will arrive in a plain envelope, but do come with instructions and a cleaning cloth. Some have said they are too small for this phone, but are the exact same size I was given at Verizon and fit perfectly.

Where to begin.

I just got these today and....well lets just say I do not see where the "High Quality" part is supposed to be. Lets begin.

1. These are shipped in an envelope, there is no kind of actual Retail packaging that would suggest these were actually professionally made.

2. When you open the envelope you pull out your three screen protectors and think, alright these look good enough.

3. The screen protectors are like most others, they have two covers on each side, with sticker tabs that tell you which is the front and which is the back. Problem is...

a. The stickers are on wrong, they put the front on the back and the back on the front. (Kinda makes you ruin the protector right away if you dont realize it.)

b. The protector itself is not cut right. It does not fit where the camera and sensors are not covered. In order to get it to work right I had to make the whole thing slightly tilted and to the right. This caused the protector to mess with the center button on the bottom of the screen.

4. After finally getting 1 of the protectors to go on properly I look at the screen and what do I see? A filmy cheap look. Its like these people made these in their garage and then expect to sell them as the real thing.

On top of it all. There are BUBBLES already inside the protectors before you put them on. This either happened when they were making the protectors or when they were putting the two covers on the protectors.

I am glad these were cheap in price, and now I see why they were.

To finish...they are not worth it and I would not recommend buying these. I am not even going to waste my time trying to get a refund.

Worthless.

Buy Exponentc High Quality Clear Screen Protector Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S3 S III i9300 Now

I hate paying Verizon $15-20 for 3 of these screen protectors. For just a couple of bucks I got these from Hong Kong in about a week or 10 days. They are exactly like the one you would get from your carrier. Like all screen protectors, there is an art to putting one on. The screen needs to be absolutely clean. The smallest speck of dust shows up as a bubble. The trick is to gently lift up the corner with a piece of tape and remove the speck with another piece of scotch type tape. Anyway, I am completely satisfied. Also don't bother with the anti-glare product. they work just the same but the image on the screen becomes very grainy.

Read Best Reviews of Exponentc High Quality Clear Screen Protector Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S3 S III i9300 Here

Great fit and adhesion on these screen protectors. The film does have a slight polarized tint to it, likely due to the adhesive. Stillit saves my phone from scratches and wipes.

Want Exponentc High Quality Clear Screen Protector Shield for the Samsung Galaxy S3 S III i9300 Discount?

Just like the first review says: DO NOT BUY

I bought them and out of the three NONE worked!

They don't cover the screen right, they're way smaller,but the worse part is that they didn't stick on the edges! Not a single on, seller you want proof? I have pictures if you want.

I never had screen protectors this bad, not even cheaper ones.

Thanks for making me go the expensive but safe route this time: buying from a brick and mortar store.

Save 88% off

Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter

Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter for Macbook, Chromebook, Windows 8 and Earlier, Surface Pro, Wii, Wii U, Linux, and Specific Android TabletsWhat I look for in most products is reliability. I only want to buy it once! This item works as advertised.

It's compatible with the two systems I tried so far; Windows7 and XP. And it's fast.

If your wondering how long the attached cable will last, it seems sturdy enough to see many years of normal use. This is a quality item. I doubt anyone buying this adapter will be disappointed. Enjoy!

Plug Ethernet into adapter, adapter into Wii, set up a Wired connex in Wii Internet settings. You're done, and never at the mercy of a low bitrate Wireless connex again. Netflix streaming, yes! Plugable 10/100 adapter, I think I *love* you! Thanks for a great, easy product.

Buy Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter Now

I got this Wii LAN Adapter because I have a wireless deadspot where one of the Wiis in the house is located. It was very very very easy to setup. No software drivers were needed. I just powered off the Wii (Red Power Light) connected the USB LAN Adapter to the Wii, configured a Wired connection, and it worked. Now I have the best video quality when I watch Netflix.

Read Best Reviews of Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter Here

Those needing a wired Internet connection (for whatever reason) on a Toshiba Thrive android tablet, look no further.

This works perfect. Plug it in, no drivers needed. Put the tablet in airplane mode and fire up the browser. It's that easy. If you cannot connect, you may need a firmware upgrade on the OS. I did the research and took the chance with this product. So now those searching like I did know it will work.

The product itself is as high of quality as expected from this type of computer accessory. Great buy. And it works.

Want Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100 Fast Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter Discount?

Simply change your Thrive setting to airplane mode.Plug in the adapter then wait for LEDs to light up. You now have internet connection!

Save 53% off

TDK Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System

TDK Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System
  • Two powerful 6-inch coaxial drivers deliver full range sound
  • Play your iPod/iPhone music while charging using the USB to 30 pin Apple cable
  • Using the rotary dial and front facing screen, play and control music directly from storage devices including USB flash and external hard drives
  • Shoulder strap and soft-touch handle let you take your music along
  • Input options let you connect most audio devices and mix with an instrument

Upfront if you are not the slightest bit of an audio snob, this thing will probably satisfy you. It's 85% of the way to being a really cool product, however, for me and at $400 I want 99%.

All of the other reviews are relatively on point, it is heavy, it will play loud, it does look sexy as a supermodel.

From an audio snob's point of view here are my complaints:

1. The AC adapter, iPod cable and antennas are all external. Meaning you could have as many as 4 plugs hanging off this thing in a mass of black wire spaghetti. For $400 I want an internal antenna, internal cable routing, all of that. There's no reason a product designed to be this stylish should have a mass of cables hanging off.

The AC adapter, AM and FM antennas all plug via various mini plugs into the back of the unit, meaning they stick out, so you cannot lay it down, which is just stupid. They are all removable, and you KNOW you're gonna lose 1 or all of them.

2. The sound is not worth $400. I know a lot of people have praised it, however my own ears are picky snobs and I didn't enjoy the sound of this at all. It's fatiguing, a little harsh and slightly boomy. The boomy bass distorts the midrange at frequencies near the port resonance as air escapes through the front speakers where the tweeters are mounted.

That said it sure as heck is loud. Sometimes quantity is its OWN quality, I leave it for you to decide. But if you are picky about what you listen to, you will be unsatisfied. It's just loud.

3. The overall quality is an issue as well. Some parts of the construction of this thing are great, the leather strap is like a nice belt. The faceplate is sleek and shiny. But I had the constant feeling that this is a cheaply made product. When you turn it on it takes a while to 'boot up' rather than clicking on. The iPhone dock behaves oddly. The volume control is wobbly and imprecise. The menus have that 'not designed by a native english speaker' feel that cheap electronics have.

So, bottom line?

About 2 weeks into ownership mine failed, it wouldn't tune radio stations nor would it recognize my iPhone. But instead of being sad, I was kinda happy because I had a legitimate excuse to send it back and get a refund.

Buy TDK Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System Now

Many of the Amazon reviews mention the weight of this unit as a negative attribute, even saying that the unit is not truly "portable". I wonder if these people have ever owned true high-powered, quality speakers. This boombox is SO loud and sounds SO good, I'm suprised it doesn't weigh twice as much. If I had wanted a light radio with tinny, empty sound, they could be found for hundreds less in any discount pharmacy store. For those that claim you can't take this thing to the beach, poolside etc., I would recommend vitamin supplements. Not only is it easy to carry, you WILL be the envy of wherever you bring it.

I bought this as a gift for my wife. I considered a BOSE or CAMBRIDGE tabletop unit, but decided I would opt for something she could take poolside or on weekends to our small cabin. This radio looks gorgeous on granite kitchen counters, wooden bookcases, on top of the piano, on a desk, anywhere. Pre 1970, radios were made to look like furniture that would fit virtually any decor. Once things started going solid-state, manufacturers tried to make everything look "futuristic". Most modern radios are loaded with silver plastic, faux chrome, and redundant or decorative knobs, speaker grills and the like. Why on earth would I ever want to have something like that on display? This thing is a throwback (think Tivoli model 1).

Sound is exemplary. SO loud and CLEAN. I've tried it with a thumbdrive, iPod, and FM tuner. All great. No hop from the woofers, no clip from the tweeters. It sounds as good as any BOSE, without needing the counter space for the circuitous porting.

With its leather strap, minimalist style, hidden function indicators, and outrageous sound, I consider this to be the best dollar-for-dollar value in the portable audio market.

I would also second the advice to turn the volume on your iPod to zero, and turn off the iPod EQ.

I couldnt be more pleased.

Read Best Reviews of TDK Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System Here

It's big, think the size of a small tabletop. It's heavy, like 15 pounds. But I guess what's most important, there's a great big sound packed inside that sleek black box. You'll make quite an impression on the beach and people will be able to hear you over on the next island.

As a member of the Geezer crowd, I'm probably not the demographic TDK is really after with it's new "Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System." But, hey, I like to listen to tunes as much as any 18-year-old.

Springsteen sounds great coming out of the two six-inch coaxial drivers. Dylan, too. The TDK picks up every screech and yowl, all the bass and treble. Of all the devices in my house, this one wins the ribbon for best sound reproduction, at the lower decibels, too. I think next Halloween I'm going to hide it in the bushes and plug in a Yoko Ono album. I figure that will raise some fright in the neighborhood.

For versatility, I give the brick a five. You can plug in your iPod or play music from a flash or external drive. Plug in your guitar if that's your instrument. It has radio, both, AM and FM. It is also a charging station for your iPod. I live in an area with a forest of antennas. Radio reception can be a problem. This thing has an FM receiver that beats out the Bose unit on the kitchen counter.

Dormant, it's a black box with a clean, sleek surface. Turn it on and a beautiful, useful display appears with all the function, status bars you could ask for. They're touch-sensitive. Switching functions is as easy as ringing a doorbell.

Okay, but this thing is big, really big. It's luggable but not very portable. I'll bet it is going to gobble batteries. It takes ten of them, D cells. There's an AC adapter for when you're near an outlet.

It's as heavy as a boulder. Think about renting a dolly if you're planning to lug it to the beach. They've tried to make things easier by including a leather shoulder strap. I believe anyone brave and brawny enough to lug this thing around in public is going to look uncool, but that's my opinion.

Overall, the new TDK boombox makes listening to music and radio a pleasure for even aged ears. But I'm having considerable trouble warming up to the size and heft of it. Maybe that's a generational thing.

It will be interesting to keep on eye on sales to see if the new TDK will bring big and retro back to life or end up as dead as the old 60s boombox I have stored in a corner of the attic.

[4.5 stars]

Want TDK Life on Record 77000015402 2-Speaker Boombox Audio System Discount?

When I received the TDK boombox it would not power up. I contacted customer support. They asked me to return the item to them. I did. They returned the same unit back to me at which point it worked fine. They had a quick turn around time and they called me the day they looked at the unit. They said the unit worked fine for them and that there was no malfunction. They apologized for the inconvenience. I run the help desk in the IT department of a manufacturing company and I know a malfunctioning device when I see one so I don't know what to make of the incident but I guess I can conclude that customer support was quick and although I suspect their findings the unit works fine now.

I had the boombox on for 8 hours today and it worked fine. It gets slightly warm but not hot. The boombox charges your ipod. There is no docking port but there is a recess on the top of the unit where you can safely park your ipod as long as you are not moving the boombox.

We have bad radio reception so the boombox only picks up 2 stations. It displays the song title and artist that the radio is playing.

There is no remote control. The unit is HEAVY and big. It looks cool though. My teenager thinks it looks chic. I'm not sure he's ever used that word before so that's telling.

The sound is fabulous. I have tried a variety of smaller speakers for my ipod and the sound of this boombox is in a completely different league. Having said that, if you point the boombox away from the neighbor's house you can get great sound in a particular direction without necessarily disturbing the entire neighborhood. I'd say I had the volume on 4? ish and the sound filled my lawn without being a nuisance. Although if you wanted to disturb the entire neighborhood that would be possible as the volume dial goes to 11.

This is the perfect party tool. I can't imagine anyone carrying the device around but it does come with a shoulder strap if you want to install it.

UPDATE: 3 months later and the device is malfunctioning. I see other people describing trouble with the device. It started as an off and on thing but now it will not see Ipod Touch when connected. The aux connection is also all messed off and only working intermittently.

UPDATE: now 6 months later. After repeated calls to the customer service center I was finally issued a return sticker. I returned the unit again. This time it was replaced with a new unit. I have had this unit for about 6 weeks now and it is working fine.

Save 57% off

As I write this review, I'm enjoying the tunes playing from my new Stereo boombox. I'm pleased with the purchase, but not completely satisfied with the $400 dished out nor did it exceed my expectations. Don't let the 20 watts feature fool you, this stereo can BRING it with clear crisp audio quality. In my opinion it exceeds the sound quality of my Bose Lifestyle, but this unit is also larger than the Bose. So why only 4 out 5 Stars & why am I not blown away?

First the PROS:

* Sleek cool design, makes for great deco for any room in the apt or house.

* Clear Crisp Rich Sound Quality.

* Brings to life any iPod & charges the iPod when playing while many docking stations do not.

(Recommendation: when playing your iPod, turn off the iPod EQ and turn the down the iPod volume completely as i found audio interference from the stereo EQ.)

CONS:

$400 NO remote control!!! OK this might sound minor but when's the last time you purchased an electronic home entertainment unit with no remote? Your fave song comes on, you want to turn up the volume, you have to get up and manually turn it up, you want to surf channels, the phone rings, you gotta get up, and adjust the volume/channels yourself just diminishes the user experience...

Channels are changed by the knob or the touch screen which will leave smudges & finger prints.

No built in FM/AM antenna. You need to hook up the antenna's to pickup some of your favorite stations, & even with the antenna, you still have to fiddle with the antenna's positioning to pickup weaker station signals.

So bottom line you would think for $400 TDK could've "easily" addressed the 3 CON's above to make this a 5 Star Stereo purchase during their R&D. If you can live with the above Go for it, splurge on this purchase & enjoy.

6Ft USB Sync Data Charging Charger Cable Cord for Apple iPhone

6Ft USB Sync Data Charging Charger Cable Cord for Apple iPhone 4 4S 4G 4th 3 3G 3GS Gen iPod Touch NanoI bought this for the length (6 ft). I assumed for the price I paid ($9.99 at the time I purchased it) that it would be a quality item. I used it perhaps 10 or 12 times to charge my iphone and then it suddenly just stopped working. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered it was defective, the time for return had expired. The return policy does not provide adequate time for an item such as this that one only uses ocassionally. So, I basically wasted ten dollars on what appeared to be a "throw-away" item. I am very, very disappointed in both the maunfacturer and Amazon for not standing behind the product. I tried to insert the link for the product but it says not found so perhaps they have now removed this defective product?

Piece of junk. worked about three times and then quit. I had to click on 1 star in order to review this. It really doesn't deserve any.

Buy 6Ft USB Sync Data Charging Charger Cable Cord for Apple iPhone Now

This cord only lasted a week or two. Not even worth the price for the headache. I then left feedback and they attempted to bribe me to take off my feedback. Disappointed.

Read Best Reviews of 6Ft USB Sync Data Charging Charger Cable Cord for Apple iPhone Here

On day 1 it seemed fine. However it soon stopped charging and then wouldn't connect my iphone or ipad at all.

Want 6Ft USB Sync Data Charging Charger Cable Cord for Apple iPhone Discount?

I liked it, it's very convenient but it broke in a few weeks and this was the second one I had and the same thing happend the quality sucks

Save 63% off

Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon

Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon. GN58.
  • This feature can give you warning before it's too late, and not only after the power is out, it's also YONGNUO first full-manual flash with this function.
  • The flat, one-piece plastic screen has been replaced.
  • The Same Features as the 1st. generation YN-560
  • 2.36 x 7.48 x 3.07
  • Black

A problem that I didn't experience at first while the LCD screen is bright and easy to read in most situations (looking straight at it), I found out that it's not so easy to read from other angles. For example, if you put it on an umbrella swivel (for an umbrella, beauty dish, softbox, etc..) and have it angled it can be impossible to read. If tilted 90 degrees forward, it appears as if everything lights up on it (the LCD screen uses something similar to a digital alarm clock so it looks like "1/188" which allows the "88" to light up certain parts to form different numbers. So it could be 1/1, 1/2.. 1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128) Again, the problem is that at odd angles (like 90 degrees forward) it appears as "1/188" instead of what the actual power is. On the other hand, tilting it 90 degrees backwards it will look blank.. so the viewing angle isn't great and creates some readability issues. Another example is if it's sitting lower to the ground and you're looking at it from a standing height it will appear blank. You need to bend down and look at a better angle to see the actual power. This could be considered a big downfall for some and does show that there is an advantage to the original YN560's LED system.

For comparison, the Canon 580EXII does have a similar issue but not nearly as bad. Tilting it 90 degrees forward it is still easily readable.

Over the last couple years, YONGNUO has made a name for themselves in the photography world. They've released some very nice, high quality alternatives to the "name brand" products out there as VERY nice prices. One of their better lines of items are their Speedlites (portable flashes).

I own and use many of their Speedlites the YN460, YN460-II, YN465, YN560 and now the YN560II. I've used them for years and they all still work perfectly (the only issue was with a YN560 (original) that arrived with a broken zoom). For the prices they sell for, I find them to be very reliable. I have dropped them onto concrete from small heights (2-3 feet) and they continued to work fine.

Owning several of these, I'd like to compare them for anyone who was in the same situation as I was when looking for a flash. For the record, these units were purchased for:

YN560 70 bucks

YN560II 100 bucks (NOTE: That was the price from a US Seller. From China they can be found for about 70 bucks, the same as the YN560)

580EXII 500 bucks

Design:

Right off the bat, all 3 pretty much look the exact same. YONGNUO basically made a copy of the 580EXII mold (right down to including fake buttons on the sides which are REAL buttons on the 580EXII). The nice thing about this is that it means all accessories designed to fit the Canon 580EXII will work just fine with the Yongnuo YN560 (and 560II).

The obvious difference is the back of the flash. The original YN560 uses a LED system to indicate the power and zoom range this means if 1 LED is lit, it's 1/128 power.. if 2 are lit, it's 1/64.. 1/32.. 1/16.. 1/8.. 1/4.. 1/2.. 1/1. This makes it easy to glance at from a distance and see "All the lights are lit, it's full power" opposed to an LCD screen which can be tough to read in the dark or from a distance.

LCD/Back display:

The YN560II and 580EXII use an LCD screen which tells you the actual power: 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, etc..

The better option for back display (LCD vs. LED Lights) comes down to preference I have no issues with either. Both LCD screens (YN560II and 580EXII) have a backlight option the Canon 580EXII has a specific "light" button which will turn the backlight (green) on for a few seconds. The YN560II will automatically turn the backlight (red/orange) on whenever any button is pressed. I like the YN560II's method as you can easily see the information no matter wherever you are when adjusting power lit or dark areas (with the 580EXII you need to press the light button to see the light so if you're in a dark area and changing power, you need to press the LIGHT then change the power (or vice versa) to see what level it's at the YN560II will light up as soon as you start adjusting the power). The YN560II does not, however, have a dedicated LIGHT button but you can press any button (even the "enter" button which won't have any effect on the settings) to turn on the light for a few seconds.

The LCD screen on the YN560II is much more basic. You get the MODE you're in (M/S1/S2/MULTI (more on these later), the power (1/1, 1/2, 1/4...), the zoom level (24mm, 28mm, 35mm, etc..), the AUDIO indicator (more on this later..) and some others which will come on from time to time. One of the most helpful is the LOW BATTERY icon unfortunately it doesn't give a constant indicator of battery life, only when it's "low". The 580EXII, on the other hand, has the same information but it's laid out in a much nicer presentation.

I will say that I prefer the YN560II LCD somewhat as everything is VERY BIG ON THE SCREEN. The power level is about 3 times as big as that on the 580EXII (so you can easily see the power level from a distance).. same for the zoom level. Doesn't look as fancy, but the information is easier to read on the YN560II. Again, the YN560 does not use an LCD, only light up LED lights you can even say that the YN560 is easiest to get an idea of the power level from a distance since you can see how many LED's are lit from almost any angle.

Modes:

The CANON 580EXII includes: MANUAL, ETTL (automatic flash exposure), MULTI (a strobelight-like effect where you can control how many times it flashes and how frequently), a MASTER mode (to control other CANON flashes) and a SLAVE mode (to be controlled by a camera like the 7D, a transmitter like the ST-E2 or another 580EXII flash).

The YN560 and YN560-II include: MANUAL, SLAVE1, SLAVE2 (and the YN560II includes MULTI). SLAVE1 and SLAVE2 on the Yongnuo are nice as they let you trigger these flashes using any other flash (SLAVE1 is for other manual flashes (or flashes without an ETTL metering), SLAVE2 is for cameras that use ETTL metering). These are great modes to have and are not on the CANON 580EXII. On the same hand, the 580EXII includes the ETTL ("automatic") and High-Speed sync mode for the flash while the YONGNUO models are all automatic and do not include high-speed sync (YONGNUO makes the YN565 flash which does include ETTL, but not high-speed sync)

Power:

All 3 have roughly the same amount of power output. They can be adjusted anywhere from 1/1 (full power) down to 1/128. I believe some of the earlier Yongnuo flashes only went down to 1/64 power. You can also fine-tune the power, so if you want something between 1/2 and 1/1 power, you can set it to 1/2 and then add +0.3, +0.5 or +0.7 compensation this is done with the up/down buttons on the YN560 and YN560II. It is MUCH easier to read on the YN560II since it will say: "1/2 +0.3" while the YN560 only has 1 set of LED lights (which display flash power output, zoom level and flash exposure compensation, depending which one you're looking at. The YN560II will display all at once).

FUNCTIONS:

All 3 flashes have a zoom function on the flash the YONGNUO are the easiest to operate as they have dedicated +/buttons (canon requires you to press a button first and then change the zoom).

The YONGNUO flashes also allow easier control of the power (also a +/button while the 580EXII requires you to press the SET button and then turn a wheel). This is a toss-up on who wins the YONGNUO ones are easier to adjust, but that also makes them easier to hit by accident and change the power levels when you didn't want to.

BUTTONS:

The YN560II and YN560 have similar looking buttons (rubber-like), but the YN560 buttons are somewhat mushy/soft while the YN560II has firm buttons which feel a bit nicer. Both are usable.

The YN560II uses similar buttons to the 580EXII, except the 580EXII uses a wheel instead of the left/right/up/down/SET button on the YN560II. I actually prefer the buttons on the YN560II as they're easier to pick up and use, but all 3 work fine.

CONNECTIONS:

The YN560 and YN560II have a metal hotshoe (the YN560 originally released with a plastic hotshoe, but was quickly replaced). They also use the turn-to-lock clamp for the hotshoe while the Canon 580EXII uses a rubber gasket with a switch you flip to lock it down (this also keeps it somewhat water-sealed on the hotshoe). I prefer the 580EXII style lock for sure, but the others do work fine.

All 3 have a PC-Sync input and a high-voltage battery socket to connect an external battery pack to (such as the CP-E4). I use the Pixel TD-381 battery Power Pack for for Canon Speedlites 580EX II, EX580, EX550, MR-14EX,MT-24EX, extremely stable fast recycle time 1.24S and highly recommend it! These greatly speed up recycle times and give you a longer battery life.

RECYCLE TIMES:

I loaded fresh rechargable batteries (same brand, all bought at the same time and freshly charged) into all 3 flashes, connected them to a radio trigger to set all 3 off at the same time. The YN560 recycled the faster (barely beating out the YN560II), and the 580EXII slightly slower than all 3. The difference was about 1/2 to 3/4 seconds difference between all 3. With the external battery pack (above) connected, all were fully recycled and ready for the next shot within about 1-2 seconds from full power (and all ready about the same time).

OTHER:

The YN560 and 580EXII both go from lowest power (all the way left) to highest power (all the way right) and stop at each. If you go to full power (1/1) and press right, nothing happens. If you go to lowest power (1/128) and press left, nothing happens. The YN560II changes this if you go to full power and press Right, it goes back to 1/128 (and if on 1/128 and pressing left, it goes to 1/1). I'm not sure how much I like this, since you can easily change the flash power greatly without noticing it if you press a button.

All 3 flashes have a Pilot light which indicates Charging (green) and Ready (red). When ready, you can press the light in to trigger the flash -this is very easy to do on the 580EXII and YN560II, but with the older button types on the YN560, it's a bit tougher.

EXTRAS:

The YN560 and YN560II have an optional sound function this means you hear a "beep beep" when the flash fires and a long "BEEEEEEEP" when it's ready again. This is helpful to know if a flash fired (sometimes looking through the viewfinder you can't tell) and to tell when it's ready to go again (so you don't take a shot before it's charged). The 580EXII does not have this feature.

The YN560II seems noticeably louder than the YN560, making it somewhat hard to hear the YN560 (if using one of each flash) it can also be quite loud if used in quieter areas (to the point you wish it had a volume control -I never had this issue with the YN560).

The YN560II and Canon 580EXII include a nice nylon carrying pouch to hold the flash and the coldshoe (more on that later..), the YN560 just comes in a thin carrying bag.

All 3 include a coldshoe (so you can set the flash on the ground, standing up). The YN560 included a nice one with metal around certain areas (like the tripod threading) while the 580EXII and even the YN560II included an all-plastic cold-shoe.

All 3 include a wide-angle diffuser panel and a popout bounce card.

The 580EXII can swivel 360 degrees (180 degrees left, 180 degrees right), the YN560 and YN560 are limited to 180 degrees left or 90 degrees right.

So overall, what do I recommend?

The 580EXII is obviously in a different class (and a much different price range!). I didn't want to compare it against the Yn560II directly to determine which is better, but I owned it and wanted to throw in some comparisons I'm not expecting the YN560 and YN560II to be the 580EXII, but they both held up very well against it (and even exceeded in some areas)!

Some of the features in the YN560 and YN560II are great, and not even part of the much more expensive 580EXII (such as the sound indicator, low battery indicator and slave-modes).

With both YN560 and YN560II being very close in price, it's up to you whether you find the few new features on the YN560II (the LCD screen and MULTI option) to be worth the extra money. I own 2 YN560's, a handful of YN460's, YN460II's and YN465's and am considering getting another YN560II due to the low price and great features. Highly recommended either the Yn560 or YN560II.

EDIT: Just bought another YN560II. Love this thing!

Buy Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon Now

Short and sweet.

Low price (Canon can kiss my butt)

It came

It works

It's durable

Simple to use

Work with my Canon 5d Mark iii

Works with my cheapo cowboy studios remote triggers

Nice case

Great recycle time

Works with rechargeable batteries

It's 8x cheaper than Canon...enough said!!

Read Best Reviews of Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon Here

I've only tested the flash after receiving it to gauge its flash consistency, its recycle times and its control interface. So far it has been extraordinary. It may be a fluke but it's recycle times even exceeded that of my 580exII with fresh batteries in both and both connected to peripheral battery packs.

To give you some indication of how fast the YN-560 II recycles; I placed my camera on hi-speed continuous shooting. I put the YN-560 II on a backup 8 unit AA battery pack inclusive of its native 4 unit AA on board. Even in hi-speed continuous mode the flash fired every single time. Even after several minutes of shooting it never misfired. This would not be a typical circumstance as it would eventually lead to overheating. However, it clearly demonstrates the YN-560 II reliability. The Canon 580exII misfired several times, overexposed on several and didn't expose at all on others. Clearly the Canon 580exII is a more advanced and more complicated flash. This however, could attribute to its sluggishness. In short, the 580exII has much more to process potentially leading to several fails.

So far exposures on the YN-560 II are consistent from shot to shot. If you don't require the need to use the primary flash as a master, nor use ttl nor hss, this is the flash for you. I can't speak for its longevity as of yet. However, it's build quality is nearly indistinguishable from the Canon flashes I currently own. If it were not for my anticipated use of ttl or hss I'd sell my Canons and buy all YN-560 II and I still might.

Great Buy!

Want Yongnuo YN-560 II Speedlight Flash for Canon and Nikon Discount?

I bought one unit to try it out, and it worked great. So I bought two more. They all work great, well built, reliable. If you configure it correctly per the manual it does not time out. Very happy with the units except last night I discovered an odd color when I was using two Yongnuos with my Elinchrom studio flash in a three flash setup. I lit a model with the key light being a Yongnuo through a softbox, the Elinchrom providing fill, and another snooted Yongnuo lighting the background.

The Elinchrom fill provided nice, vibrant color in the model's blonde hair. The Yongnuo key light created an odd, muted cast in her hair that was very muddy and unattractive. One half of her face looked great and the other half looked terrible. This is the first time I noticed it so I decided to do a color comparison between my six flashes (Two Canons, three Yongnuo's and a studio unit). I shot an Xrite colorchecker chart with each flash using the same exposure (measured by the histogram as the each unit's power output is slightly different). I then loaded the photograph in Photoshop and used the eyedropper tool to extract the RGB values of the white square for a very accurate, numerical comparison.

Interestingly enough, one of the Yongnuos provided a color balance that almost exactly matched my studio flash. The other two were SIGNIFICANTLY bluer which explains the muddy look in the model's hair on the Yongnuo side. The two Canon flashes (a 580 EX II and 430 EX II) were almost exactly the same with each other, and very slightly cooler than the Elinchrom. I attached a 1/4 CTO gel to the two very blue Yongnuos and remeasured. One of the two now almost exactly matches my two Canon's and the other is slightly warmer. I am much happier now as all my flashes are now close enough in color balance to each other to not be noticeable if I combine them in a shot but I have to keep the gels on them permanently. Adjusting the power will probably change the color balance (more light through a gel reduces the color it gives the light), so I will need to remember which flashes I use for what purpose in a shoot, and try not to mix them where it will be noticeable.

Bottom line: What you pay for in the more expensive Canon's are matched and uniform color balance. Although the Yongnuo's are reliable, the money savings show in the unmatched and very different color balance between units. If you only use a single flash the impact will not be noticeable as there will not be a color mismatch. Fixing a color mismatch in post is difficult and time consuming at best.

For those that are interested, here are the results of the tests:

Elinchrom:

R:187

G:187

B:185 (Note how balanced the color is the values are almost exactly the same)

Canon 580 EX II

R:190

G:195

B:198 (Note that is a touch cooler than the Elinchrom, but not by a whole lot. Probably hard to notice in a photograph. Also not as beautifully balanced as the Elinchrom)

Canon 430 EX II

R:190

G:195

B:197 (Notice how amazingly close the two Canons are to each other)

Yongnuo 1

R: 187

G: 188

B: 184 (Surprisingly well balanced. Better than both the Canons in fact. Also very close to the Elinchrom this is VERY good and it needs no gelling. Will always use it with the Elinchrom)

Yongnuo 2

R: 178

G: 186

B: 200 (Terrible balance the spread between the numbers R,G,B. MUCH cooler than anything else. This creates the muddy color). Can't use it in combination with other flashes in the same shot

Yongnuo 3

R: 194

G: 201

B: 215 (Terrible balance. significantly cooler than anything else) Can't use it in combination with other flashes in the same shot

After adding the 1/4 CTO gels to units #2 and #3, here are the results

Yongnuo 2 + 1/4 CTO

R: 189

G: 192

B: 182 (Much closer to the other flashes now, but slightly warmer)

Yongnuo 3 + 1/4 CTO

R: 190

G: 194

B: 192 (Very close to the Canons now, I can combine it with the two Canons if I need three strobes for a shot without getting a noticeable color mismatch)

Save 51% off

A number of other reviewers who are clearly more qualified than I am have given long and detailed reviews so I will not try to compete with those reviews.

I only want to say that this flash works great with my T2i. I also got some RF transmitters to use it off camera and it has given my photography a new look and me new abilities in my photography skills. For the price it cant be beat.

APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2

APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2
  • Device Encryption: Securely connect via HTTPS/SSL, SSH (up to 2048-bit encryption), SNMPv3
  • Command line interface: Offers Telnet or SSH for remote management access
  • Scheduling: Customize shut down and reboot of connected equipment and UPSs
  • Remote UPS management: Enable management of your UPS by connecting it directly to the network
  • Password Security: User-selectable password protection prevents unauthorized access

Pros: Works with IP networks and multiple servers.

Cons: If your router and/or DHCP server is powered by the battery you're trying to control, installation will be a bit "tricky". Since the instructions say to turn off and unplug the battery before installing this card, your DHCP server will be down as well. When you turn everything back on, the card will attempted to gain an IP address but the router or DHCP server will still be booting and won't issue one. Later, when you go to configure the card, it won't have a findable IP address. So, you'll need to connect the included serial cable and telnet to setup a static IP address within your network's IP range.

If your DHCP is powered on before you fire up the battery, you should be ok. But, read and follow the manufacturer's instructions fully before staring.

Kind of "tricky", so good luck, and don't get too stressed, it should work eventually.

Buy APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2 Now

The APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2 is great. I would strongly recommend this product for anyone who has Smart UPS. It is design to shutdown your servers before the UPS runs out of battery in case of power outage. I also would add that the APC Customer Support is very good as well, so if you have need for one this is the way to go.

Read Best Reviews of APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2 Here

Received the card quickly and installed it in a UPS that did not have any devices connected to it yet. Easy to install, easy to configure. How you use it and with what software is up to you and that's where the level of difficulty comes in. I used APC PowerChute Network Shutdown on a Windows Server 2008R2 machine. We had a power outage yesterday. The server monitoring the UPS through this card shutdown gracefully as it was supposed to. I have no complaints about this card.

Want APC AP9630 UPS Network Management Card 2 Discount?

Adding this to your APC unit allows you to better manage the devices on your network. I was going to not use this but my IT guy told me to get it... so he could manage the entire rack from his home city (two hours away). So it helps us keep him plugged in while away.

Save 8% off

No issues receiving this product and came new in box. Installation was fine and item is working as expected. I did have to console into it to set a static IP so I could remotely manage it.

Brother Printer MFCJ825DW Wireless Color Photo Printer

Brother Printer MFCJ825DW Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner, Copier and Fax
  • Easy to setup wireless (802.11b/g/n) or wired Ethernet networking
  • 3.3" Touchscreen color LCD display for interactive and easy to use menu navigation
  • Create two-sided documents and save paper with duplex printing
  • Printer Scanner Type: Color Flatbed with ADF,Unattended fax, copy or scan using up to 20-page ADF
  • Web Connect Touchscreen - access your Facebook, Picassa photo organizing software, Flickr, Google Docs and Evernote accounts via the Web Connect Touchscreen Interface±

I've worked in technology for over 36 years. I'm picky as hell. I've been looking for a new all-in-one (AIO) printer for a while. I've tried Epson, Canon, Lexmark. I never tried Brother. I saw this printer in OfficeMax where it was on sale before Amazon for $99 and picked it up. The quality and the price of the inks looked great, the features were killer, and I needed the scanner because I often scan documents and photos, as well as use DocsVault to have a paperless office. I figured I would return it if I didn't like it. No harm, no foul.

Man, was I surprised. The quality of the construction is terrific. It has a small footprint and low noise. The paper tray combines holding the paper and providing the output tray. It also will store a stack of 4x6 photo paper ready to go. All you have to do is push a lever to move the photo paper into position. The tray will extend as well for legal size paper. The paper stops on the output tray and the fax tray are a little flimsy, but I can live with it.

The document feeder is smooth as silk. The touch screen removes the need for endless buttons by transforming itself based on the selected functions. The driver and software is excellent.

The printer functions both wired and wireless and has the usual fax functions.

Now for the gravy! There is an iPad and iPhone app that allows you to scan DIRECTLY TO YOUR iOS DEVICE! It works flawlessly. The quality of the scans are beautiful. In addition, there will be a FIRMWARE UPDATE in JANUARY 2012 that will enable the printer for AIRPRINT! SCORE!

All of that in a brand new released model for $99! What is Brother thinking? I don't care. I love this device and I highly recommend it. The output is excellent. It prints very quickly in draft mode and does a great job of saving me paper with duplex. It is serving all of our devices in the house. Best I've seen yet!

What have you got to lose? Try it! If you hate it, return it. No harm, no foul. :D

Buy Brother Printer MFCJ825DW Wireless Color Photo Printer Now

Generally speaking, this printer so far is VERY GOOD for the price. It does what it says, and it is very USER-FRIENDLY.

My two complaints are the following:

(1) My previous printer (a 2005 HP) printed with the same resolution in "normal" and "fast print/draft", the only difference being the quality of the ink's hue or depth (and, of course, the speed). That is, the 2005 HP Printer printed a lighter-colored draft document, but very quickly. THIS PRINTER in fast/draft mode also prints quickly in a lighter shade (which is fine). HOWEVER, in doing so, the resolution/form of the characters is compromised. Remember the old printers from the 90's where a curved letter visibly showed the small blocks that formed it? How they looked like letters shaped out of Lego(TM) blocks? Well, unfortunately, in 2012, that's what Brother delivers in its fast/draft mode. The only way to save ink is to use the "ink save" function within a particular mode, in which case it prints just as slow as that mode normally would. So, you can save ink, but you can't save time, unless you are ok with "block" character forms.

(2) Scanning a 8.5 x 11 piece of paper cannot happen in its entirety. The instruction booklet tells you this .12 inches are subtracted vertically and horizontally from the page (see Basic User's Guide, p. 25). Maybe this is normal for all scanners, I do not know. But, you should know that if you wish to scan a page in its entirety, a certain dimension will be subtracted from it. Since there is no zoom out function, you cannot correct this by zooming out.

The two complaints/warnings listed above may not bother you. If they don't, this is a fine printer for the price.

Read Best Reviews of Brother Printer MFCJ825DW Wireless Color Photo Printer Here

I did some research for a couple days and ended up purchasing this printer. I've never owned a Brother printer since i guess the name is kinda silly. Don't let the name fool you this is an excellent printer. For $100 you simply cannot beat it. The setup is easy and the unit seems to be well built. It has scan, copy, fax, dial pad, etc. as rubber buttons on the front face. All the menu options are on a touchscreen LCD. The touchscreen can be touchy during the initial setup phase but you get used to it. It even has a feature which allows you to copy and reprint CD artwork onto burnable CDs...now thats cool!

The unit prints fast and has good picture quality. The scanner was way beyond my expectations and reproduces photos extremely well. Its almost like you took the picture directly off your camera. It also is able to print duplex prints and does so very fast. If you need anything more out of a printer then this then you'd be running a large business of some sort. It would even be well suited for a small business or office.

If i could recommend anything is use the quick setup guide and use the CD to install all the software and drivers. It took me a minute to get the wireless working since you have to setup your printer on your computer as a "wireless printer" and set it up as a shared printer on your network. If your having problems there is an excellent source of troubleshooting information on the Brother website. Once everything is installed i HIGHLY recommend going onto the Brother website and updating the firmware for the printer. The firmware tells the printer how to operate its various functions. My printer out of the box needed a firmware update. If your running into issues with your printer it may be because your firmware is out of date so do this first because it may make things much easier for you.

Other then that setup was pretty straight forward. I was able to instantly connect the printer to my wireless internet and set everything up with no real hassle. The printer wakes quickly with little delay when sending documents wirelessly.

All i can say is i am thoroughly impressed with this product. I dont think i'll ever buy another printer without the Brother brand name. For home use you dont need anything more elaborate then this it has everything you need in a printer and then some. You can get a 12 pack of ink for $20 so ink is not expensive at all (which was also one of my purchasing points).

I got the printer, 3 reams of paper and the ink all for $130 shipped...what a deal! Gotta love Amazon.

Update as of 5/6/12:

Well we've been using the printer for quite sometime now and its been flawless. We recently got a home phone line and hooked up the fax machine. There are multiple faxing options but you have to choose the "External TAD" if you have an external answering machine. If you dont the printer will actually record voicemails and record received calls and such...actually pretty neat but not needed. Overall its a great printer i'm very happy with this purchase.

Want Brother Printer MFCJ825DW Wireless Color Photo Printer Discount?

A little more than a year ago my Epson died. I was using compatible cartridges with my Epson so my ink cost was very reasonable. Then, I bought a Lexmark Pro205. I assumed I could find similar compatible ink cartridges. No success. I searched Amazon for compatible cartridges for my Lexmark but all the reviews complained of issues. "Won't recognize the cartridge", "Leaked", etc. Basically without compatible cartridge options, I had to buy genuine Lexmark Ink. Good ink but expensive at about $20 for an XL cartridge. After watching my bank account drain away to pay for ink over the course of one year for my Lexmark Pro205, I thought there has to be a better way. So, I went on a mad hunt for a new printer that would accept compatible cartridges.

I scoured the compatible cartridges for some that had good ratings. I finally found the Brother compatible cartridges on Amazon and they had decent ratings. It looked like it might work out. Rather than paying $20 for a genuine Lexmark cartridge, I found I could pay less than $4 for a compatible cartridge.

I wanted a Brother printer that had a document feeder, could duplex, could do both wireless and wired printing, could scan and could use the compatible cartridges. So, I opted for this Brother. My family has been using it almost everyday for about 3 months and it has been awesome. The only issue I had was when I unpacked and set it up the first time, I tried to install the compatible cartridges right off the bat. However, Brother wanted me to install the starter cartridges first. So I did and then when they ran out I switched to the compatibles. I've got all 4 inks running on compatible ink cartridges from Sophia Global.

My 12 yr. old daughter just created a family calendar for me for Christmas pasting pictures in it for every month. She printed it on 110 lb card stock, and it came out beautifully.

Thank you Brother for giving me this printer with all the options I wanted including being able to use genuine ink or compatible ink.

A note to those setting up the first time, it will consume about half of the ink in the smaller starter cartridges as it primes itself. At the conclusion of the priming, the printer said the black cartridge was out or may result in degraded print quality. I took it out and put it back in. The printer asks you if you replaced it or not. I said I did (even though I didn't replace it with a new one) and it continued printing a long time afterward. You can replace the cartridges when you want and when you see that your print fades. With my Lexmark, when it said the cartridge was out, that's the end of it. It could have had more ink, but it would not in any way let you put it back in to try to get more ink out. It remembered which cartridges were installed and could tell when you tried to put them back.

Save 11% off

I was searching for a replacement of my HP C309g-n which was a worthless printer if you want to print wirelessly (don't buy the HP C309g-n!)

Oh! About the Brother... I just purchased it today and had it installed and working without a glitch.

The HP (did I mention it consider it worthless for wireless printing!) would take 10 minutes to print a single page, but this printer handled it with ease! What a relief!

I tested duplex (two-sided) printing and it worked flawlessly. That piece of crap HP would pause for 30 seconds to "dry" the ink before printing on the back of the printed front. The Brother doesn't skip a beat. BAM! Both sides printed!

This printer has the equipment to print on CD/DVDs (that accept inkjet!) So I'll have to give that a try. I don't have any reservations about that functionality considering how well it worked on the others.

About build quality, it's a $90 dollar All-In-One... it's made of plastic! What do you expect! Get a grip and buy this printer, you will be suprised about the total package!

Word of advice... please, please, please, don't buy the HP C309g-n to use as a wireless printer, I'd rather you send me the money... I'll put it to better use!

So far... So Good! No buyer's remorse.

UPDATE: 2012-11-20 Still loving this printer! It's the best "inexpensive" printer I've ever purchased! It hasn't failed me yet! Ink is easy to find in multiple "office" stores and relatively-moderately expensive, but it doesn't go through it quickly... that's a plus!

I did try the CD printer function and as I expected... it worked flawlessly!

Would I purchase another one... in a heartbeat!

Oh! And my grey hairs from dealing the the HP C309g-n... they've all grown back to normal thanks to the Brother!

Panasonic TY-WL20U Wireless Adapter for Panasonic 2012 Internet Ready TVs

Panasonic TY-WL20U Wireless Adapter for Panasonic 2012 Internet Ready TVs
  • USB Base Station to Ensure Best Radio Coverage
  • High Seed Dual Band Wireless
  • Wi-Fi Adapter for 2012 Wi-Fi Ready Viera TV's

I could not find it locally in any store. Found it through Amazon at a very good price. Plugged it into my new TV and established a wireless connection. Its original placement at the back of the set and within a wooden cabinet did not allow for signal reception. Used the dock that came with the product and placed it unobtrusively in front of cabinet and TV and had instant reception.

Buy Panasonic TY-WL20U Wireless Adapter for Panasonic 2012 Internet Ready TVs Now

I got this to go along with my TCL42E50. It would have been nice if it had been built in, but if one wants it is available in a higher priced TV. This review will not rate it on that basis.

I installed directly into the USB port, did not use the stand. In my configuration that works best, though I noted that it partially blocks the other USB port and can also interfere with the SD card slot. Signal strength is 4 bars.

In order to get it to recognize and connect to the wireless network, I had to permanently disable two security settings...

Originally they were:

1.) SSID broadcast DISabled.

2.) MAC filtering ENabled.

Now,

1.) SSID broadcast is ENabled.

2.) MAC filtering is DISabled.

This is unfortunate as I prefer the added security of the previous settings.

My other gadgets worked fine without SSID broadcast and with MAC filtering, but not this.

Installing the WiFi adapter allowed me to use the IOS 'VIERA remote' app (kinda cool), do a software update, and run some of the included apps. No issues with any of them.

Performance is adequate within the limits of my Internet connection speed.

If you elect to not purchase this but do have an Internet connection available, I suggest connecting via the Ethernet port and doing a software update. My set was mfg in Feb, 2012 with software rev 1.06. By the time I purchased in early May, 2012, the software revision was 1.17.

The need to reduce the security of my network is enough for me to knock it down a bit. 3 stars.

[begin update 6/17/2012]

There was another software update (1.19), again tried to disable SSID broadcast and enable MAC filtering again, still no luck getting a connection with those settings. Note that one person has reported success with SSID broadcast disabled; maybe it doesn't like my router (2Wire wireless DSL modem/gateway from AT&T)?

FWIW, I do think this is pricey, though the price of the TV has dropped over $100 since I bought it, so it's a wash for anyone buying it now.

[end update]

[begin update 1/6/2013]

A few months ago there was another update... Version 1.23. As of this date it is still current. Still unable to configure WiFi as I would prefer.

[end update 1/6/2013]

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic TY-WL20U Wireless Adapter for Panasonic 2012 Internet Ready TVs Here

I bought the Panasonic VIERA TC-L47E50 47" LED HDTV and after using it for about a week I decided to pickup this wireless network adapter. I had been a wired ethernet connection to the TV using ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) via my PC Desktop. While that method worked well, it was limited in that I had to have my PC on in order to use ICS.

This wireless USB network adapter was easy to setup, just plug it into one of the spare USB ports on the TV, go into the Network Settings option in the Menu of the TV, search for your wireless network and then use the TV's remote to enter in your network's password.

I have the TV maybe 50 feet away from my router down a hallway and through two doors and I get a FULL 5 bars on the connection. It was easy to setup and the TV access the Internet fast and easy.

While the price is more than generic network adapters, I had $24 in store credit to offset the higher cost. You also have to factor in the cost of the tv and I bought the tv when it was on sale for $749, plus I'm getting at least $22 from my Amazon CC on that purchase alone. I don't even know if you can even use any other kind of network adapter with these tv's, probably not.

The device includes a wired USB extension cable with a base so that you can put the adapter in a better position if you are having network issues with reception, depending on your tv and router placement. I didn't bother with this as I am getting a FULL 5 bars when plugged directly into the TV.

Highly recommended.

Want Panasonic TY-WL20U Wireless Adapter for Panasonic 2012 Internet Ready TVs Discount?

This adapter works fine with the TC-L42E50. For me, it was a matter of plugging it into the USB slot and entering the key for my router. Check the other reviews, though, for a list of challenges that other users have had. The streaming quality from Netflix, Pandora, etc. has been great.

This adapter is overpriced, at least at the time I write this. If you want wifi functionality on a TC-L##E50 series TV (possibly other 2012 models, I don't know since I haven't tried them), search for Panasonic part number N5HBZ0000055. It is identical in every way to this adapter (except the part number ends in "5" instead of "6"), but it was bundled with some of the 2011 models rather than sold as a stand-alone product. I was able to get one for about $20 (for my TC-L42E50) but you may be able to do even better than that. This part works perfectly, as you would expect since it is identical to the TY-WL20U sold here.

I still wish they would have just built wifi into the TV.

Save 11% off

Item arrived today. Plugged in and it worked right "out of the box" Thank you for a fine product. It's something that Panasonic should include with the TV.