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Lexar Professional Series 8 GB 300x UDMA CompactFlash Memory Card CF8GB-300-381 Description:

300X high-speed CompactFlash card * 45MB per second minimum sustained write capability * 8GB card stores up to 2,200 12-megapixel JPEG digital photos depending on your digital camera’s settings *

• Brand: Lexar
• Model: CF8GB-300-381
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: 1.50″ h x 5.00″ w x 6.00″ l, 1.00 pounds

Features

• 300X high-speed CompactFlash card
• 45MB per second minimum sustained write capability
• 8GB card stores up to 2,200 12-megapixel JPEG digital photos depending on your digital camera’s settings

Customer Reviews:

Excellent speed if used with a UDMA-capable card reader
I bought the Lexar 8 GB UDMA card to use in a Canon 5D Mark II, which writes very large (20MB) files when you shoot in RAW mode (which I do). The place where I see an advantage is in downloading these large files to my computer.

Mated to a UDMA card reader, the card transfers about 72 files a minute or a bit better than one per second. My old SanDisk Extreme III card in a non-UDMA-enabled reader takes about 3-4 times longer. And of course if you have a camera that writes large files, 8GB gives you some headroom when you’re out taking large number of photos — it can take about 240 RAW images on my camera.

There’s also an advantage to a high speed card like this if you shoot continuously with this type of camera, since files will be written more quickly with a fast card. If you have a UDMA-enabled camera and shoot often in continuous mode, this may be a worthwhile purchase for you. If you have a need for lots of capacity with any camera and you have or buy a UDMA-enabled card reader, this card will speed up file transfer very significantly. In my experience Lexar makes very reliable cards that do not have compatibility issues with major brands of digital SLRs.

Hardcore Card
Here’s my story —

At the end of a shoot it began to pour down raining, so I ran to my car and drove home. When I got home, I realized I lost my Lexar 8GB card and the only place it could be was somewhere in the park where the shoot was held. The next morning I went to the park to look for it. Fortunately, I was able to find it in the parking lot. It had been raining pretty hard all night and I was afraid that the water had damaged the card and I would have lost over 400 photos. Needless to say that the card was unharmed and I’m still using the Lexar as my primary card today.

From now on, the only cards I buy will be Lexar Professional.

Fast for now
This card is so fast and so well suited to the Sony Alpha 700, that I set the camera to shoot JPEGs at high speed and use it to make movies!
If you buy from Amazon affiliate Adorama (B&H too) in 2008 and by a certain date, there is an $[...] rebate on this card.
Being a “pro” card simply means it is fast and more durable.
If you never ever shoot sports or animals, get the 8GB 133x CF on sale or if they have a rebate on that, and save some money.

WACOM CTE450S Sliver Bamboo Fun Tablet with Pen, Mouse And Graphics Software New!, NOT REFUB Description:

Now there’s a simple, easy, and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas, allowing you to freely express yourself by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos, draw by hand, create artwork and paintings, and even write in your own handwriting. Bamboo Fun includes full editions of valuable creative software to help get your creative juices flowing. Edit photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements, create artwork with Corel Painter Essentials, and apply photo effects with Nik Color Efex Pro. Bamboo Fun works with any software, and is the perfect mate to those software applications with special features and tools that are designed to be used with a pen. Tablet Size - 8.4 W x 7.3 D x 0.3 H , active area is 5.8 W x 3.7 D****************What’s in the Box::Bamboo Fun pen tablet, Bamboo Fun mouse, Bamboo Fun pen , Pen stand ,USB cable, Quick start guide , Installation CD (includes tablet driver and electronic user manual), Software DVD that includes: Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 Win/4.0 Mac, Corel Painter Essentials 4.0, and Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 GE , Package of 3 replacement pen nibs

• Amazon Sales Rank: #274 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Black
• Brand: Wacom
• Model: CTE450S
• Dimensions: 7.60″ h x .50″ w x 8.40″ l, .77 pounds

Features

• Package contains pen tablet and pen, mouse, pen stand, package of 3 replacement pen nibs, USB cable, software DVD, and more
• Great for digital drawing and painting, touching up photos, or writing in your own personal script
• 512 levels of pressure sensitivity to more accurately mimic physical drawing
• Compatible with all major software
• Works with both Windows and Mac operating systems

Customer Reviews:

Great pad, great features, better than the new Bamboo!
I just got my CTE450K today. It’s sold as refurbished but appeared to be brand new to me. It works great! I recently got the latest Bamboo pen tablet and decided to get this one, too, to compare the features and performance (we have more than one computer).

Features this has that the latest Bamboo pen doesn’t:

- The mouse. I’ve read negative comments about the mouse before. I don’t know what they mean. I like the mouse a lot. It’s comfortable, precise, and it lets me share the same space for the tablet and mouse (more convenient than using a separate conventional mouse).

- The eraser end of the pen. This lets you flip the pen over to erase instead of having to choose the eraser tool in your program and then choose your drawing tool again. Nice to have!

- The touch ring: this lets you scroll and zoom with your finger. It works well, but it’s not a huge deal to me.

- The programmable buttons: I really like having buttons to program keystrokes and functions for quick access.

- The included software: this Bamboo Fun includes Photoshop Elements and Painter Essentials (and more). With the latest Bamboo, you get one or the other, depending which model you order.

The tablet works very well, just like the latest Bamboo. The latest Bamboo has a few less features to lower the price (I assume). This previous version has all the features and originally sold at a higher price. But with these refurbished ones, you get the extra features and actually pay less than for the latest Bamboo! I highly recommend these as the way to go compared to the latest Bamboo pen.

(Note: the latest Bamboo comes in versions that support finger touch in addition to the pen functionality. I didn’t get one of those, as it didn’t seem worth the higher price for what I was going to do with it (artwork and photo editing). My recommendation of this version over the latest applies to the pen-only versions of the latest Bamboo. If you want finger touch (including multi-touch), you’ll want to go with the latest (and pay more).)

About the size: I debated quite a bit between pads with 4×6 active area and 6×8. This was before trying a tablet. Now that I’ve used the 4×6 tablets for a while, I’m quite sure it’s the perfect size. The 6×8 would have me moving my hand/arm much more than I’d prefer, and it would take up more desk space. There’s plenty of resolution in the 4×6 area for all the precision I’ll ever need.

Great product, great price! I love it, and my kids love it!

Pentastic
This is a great product and I’m extremely happy with mine. Just a few points that others haven’t touched on…

The first thing I’d like to address is what “refurbished” means, as there seems to be some confusion, based on the general tone of other reviews, as well as having talked to many people in my four or so years of working in retail electronics. It doesn’t mean that it was an old, used item that was collected out of the trash and dusted off. It just means that someone bought it and returned it, either for a minor defect or simply because they didn’t want it. Then the manufacturer fixed the defect (if any), and then tested the product to make sure it works (because they don’t want to see it again.)

In many ways a refurbished product can be BETTER than “new” because of the amount of care and testing that it goes through where a new product might not. They make sure it works because if it gets returned again as defective that’s a lot of money down the drain. In fact I think the only reason they sell them at a discount is simply because there’s a lot of stigma attached to the word “refurbished”. Their loss, your gain. A generally better than retail product for half the retail price.

So, on to the product…

I chose this model over the newest model because of all the features, like the programmable buttons, the touch wheel, and the mouse. They thought of everything with this model, from the way it can tell when you flip the pen over to use the eraser to the pen stand. Yes, the stand! It has a hole if you want it to hold the pen upright, but it also has a groove across the top if you want to lay the pen down sideways, which is one of those little details that makes Wacom great. I find I store mine upright, but when using the mouse or keyboard I lay it down because it’s quicker and the stand keeps it from rolling away.

Another thing I like is that you can set the pen to track like a tablet, where every point on the pad corresponds to a point on the screen (put the point of the pen in the upper-right corner of the pad and the cursor appears at the upper-right corner of the screen.) OR you can have it track like a mouse, where you drag across the pad, pick the pen up and move it, and then move it along the pad again and the cursor picks up where you left off, just like it would with a mouse or laptop touchpad.

In my preparations to buy one, I’ve seen a lot of reviews for these where people complain that it’s hard to do some everyday tasks, as if they bought it solely to replace their mouse, and I would argue that it’s not really want these are for. If you do use it to replace your mouse, I would change the tracking to “mouse style” and it should make things easier as the cursor will move smoothly rather than jumping around to specific spots on the screen. But keep in mind that generally these are intended for doing digital art and digital handwriting, not so much for moving files around and navigating the internet. Not saying it can’t be done, but don’t buy one and then be frustrated.

I can’t say enough good things about it, and certainly not much more than what others have said. I guarantee that if you’ve been doing digital art with just a mouse, this will instantly double or even triple the range of things you can do. It takes a little practice, but not much. It’s really not a whole lot different than using a pen or marker on a piece of paper, except you have infinite colors, infinite shapes, and infinite redos. =o)

Wacom CTE450K Tablet , a great deal and a great product!!!
My review is on this refurbished model in particular, and I must say its great. Looks new without a mark on it. I was really impressed, was a little concerned about a Factory Refurbished item, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Tablet works just like a very expensive CAD system tablet but at a fraction of the cost. My unit came packaged just like new and worked perfectly first time.

NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System Product: NeatDesk Desktop Scanner and Digital Filing System Discount. List Price: $499.99 Amazon Price: $389.67 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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home or on the go. Key features: scan receipts for expense reports, digitize business cards, prep for taxes (IRS accepted!),

• Color: White
• Brand: NeatDesk
• Model: 00315
• Platforms: Windows Vista, Windows XP
• Format: CD-ROM
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 9.00″ h x 9.00″ w x 13.00″ l, 7.70 pounds

Features

• Desktop ADF scanner with unique paper input tray
• Faster scanning
• Proprietary industrial design

Great Concept But A Few Fatal Flaws
I purchased a NeatDesk scanner awhile ago to answer a growing need at home for more robust scanning. I’m one of those people that needs to have everything neatly filed away even though I will probably never see it again. I also religiously enter all my personal receipts and track my personal finances in detail. This seemed the perfect product to answer both needs.

I was used to the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510 that I have at work, but in addition to an arm they also wanted a leg. The price of the NeatDesk is substantially less (about 40% for what I paid), and the promotional material for the scanning software was really sexy. So I clicked buy.

After a few days, my conclusion is that although it could be an outstanding product with a couple of tweaks, it’s just not ready for primetime. This may be the case of a small company working on tight margins with a product that got too big too fast. It remains to be seen whether or not they can keep up with their new-found popularity.

Here’s the dirt:

Hardware:

Good Stuff
- Attractive design.
- You can click the hardware “Scan” button all day, but you don’t have to file your scans until you want to.

Bad Stuff
- No adjustable paper guide. Unless you hold it as it’s sucked in, every single document is crooked.
- Not enough paper support. Creased documents (like a bill) flop back and aren’t grabbed properly.
- I found the slot for receipts and documents to not match any receipt or document I had… Nice slot for business cards though.
- The output tray is not attached to the scanner body. Huh?
- It came with the grim spectre of having to clean and calibrate your scanner. You don’t have to clean or calibrate the ScanSnap, although the ScanSnap does include “consumables”, so maybe it’s a tie.

Software:

Good Stuff
- Recognizes dates, subtotal, sales tax, and credit card used. This alone almost makes the product an overall winner and definitely put it on top for scanning receipts.
- As mentioned above, you don’t have to file away your scans until you want to.
- Extremely fast search.
- It’s pretty–yeah, that’s important.

Bad Stuff
- Always takes the scan from the front but from the sheet in the back, which may be more intuitive for the beginner, but also means that a stack of double-sided sheets will go into the software backwards (page 2, 1, 4, 3, etc.) so you’ll have to sort your document before and after scanning. Maybe I just haven’t figured this one out, but it does seem like they emphasis multiple single-page documents vs. one multiple-page document.
* UPDATE: I figured out that you have to put the document in face up and everything is scanned in from the last page to the front. Your physical document will come out sorted, and the software will reverse the order of the scanned pages for you so the electronic document is correct.
- Does not auto-rotate to fix crooked problem caused by not having adjustable paper guides.
- Does not do auto-color detection–it’s either all black-and-white or all color and you must choose. Those “Scan” and “PDF” buttons on the front are great, but you have to go into the Quick Scan application to set up how everything will be scanned first, defeating the convenience.
- Viewing the documents that are in the library is difficult. Should have a simple hand-tool for dragging and allow multiple documents to be open at one time.
- Moving data around the library is laborious.
- Software installs SQL Server Express, which takes up system resources and at least for me causes the program to not want to start up (try again message a couple of times before starting). Sure the search results come back very quickly, but at what cost? As a developer, I actually already had SQL Server Express installed, but it went ahead and installed another instance… Not very nice.
- Lots of opportunities to categorize data, but searching for the categories is difficult. For example, to see what you marked for follow up click “Advanced Search”, click “Looking at…” and select “Action Type”, click “Selected in the List”, click and check box that says “Follow Up”. It’s more work finding out what’s marked “follow up” than to actually follow up.
- The heavy emphasis is on recording receipts for expenses that will be reimbursed by your employer or be tax deductible. So what happens when I have a pay stub for consulting work? I have to file it as a document where I can’t tag it’s dollar amount, can’t tag it as 1099 income, and it can’t be exported to Quicken. That’s one of the main reasons I got the scanner.
- Categories for receipts are very limited. Need a split? You’ll have to do it yourself when you get to Quicken if you can remember what the receipt was for. Sales tax is always exported as an over-generalized “State Tax”.

How it Could (Easily) be Made Great
- Package in or sell another paper guide that is adjustable. You can use the same snap-in style that is used for the receipt/business card guide.
- Add one inch to the pull-out paper support.
- Update the software to take scans from the face down position first on double-sided scans. Take the scan from the face down position only in single-sided scans.
* UPDATE: Even though this way seems more intuitive to me, the way the software does it is okay (see update above).
- Add in auto-color detection and auto-rotate so that scans always come out right. If Neat Co can do awesome text-detection, they could do this.

Conclusion
Seems to be an innovative company so I’ll keep it in anticipation of at least the software updates.

Amazing Organization Tool
I went to the store looking for the Neat Receipts scanner, and I came across this new product. I could not be more happy for buying it! I had 4 years worth of credit card and bank statements piled up in boxes, and with this scanner system I was able to scan them and organize them on my computer in less than a day (I’m talking hundreds of pages).

I have absolutely no complaints on this (other than the price, which is high, but it is a new product and it will come down).

The scanner can read 2 sided documents and scan both sides, in color! And it does it fast.

It also reads receipts and business cards and extracts the information from them (such as what store the receipt is from, how much total was, how much tax was, date of transaction, etc…) The best part about this feature is that it lets you edit the information (sometimes necessary if the receipt was very worn or wrinkled.

The software is extremely easy to use and very powerful. A great feature about the scanner/software is that you can load a bunch of pages and start scanning them. While they scan you can work on filing other documents. Once the pages are scanned they go into a sort of “inbox” where they wait for you to look at them and decide where to file them.

The two sided, color scanning is great and very fast. Another convenient feature the program has is the ability to combine several pages into one document. All you do is click on the different pages while holding down control and click combine … and you have one file for a multi page document!

All the files you scan into the program are searchable, so you can enter a search term and it will bring up all the documents (or receipts or business cards, depending on which section you are searching in). Very handy to search back on when you bought something…

Another great feature for those that do not receive paper statements is the pdf import feature! If you get your statements from online, you can still import the file into the program (as if you had scanned it in yourself) and have the searchable capabilites of the other files.

Keep in mind, this is probably not a good scanner to scan pictures with, but for a document scanner, it is fast, and very good. I just hope it lasts the wear and tear I’m subjecting it to right now. I am very thankful that this product has helped me get rid of all of my paper clutter!!!

Pretty Good!! Just some little issues and the cost.
I am a stickler for detail and this scanner brought this! Purchased it a couple of days ago and started to the scan in the documents. It was pretty quick on all sizes to include long receipts and long paper documents. You can manually push the button(s) on the scanner (I preferred this) or click on the scan button in the Neatworks or Quickscan software.

Nice color (I wish it was more color variations maybe piano black).

Now the bad (not real bad). The software is pretty robust, however between the scanner and the software, it could not read a color background with (lets say blue) and red letters, it would reject the receipt as a “blank”. Beyond that it scanned everything I through at it.

Neatco has a very detailed demos for most functions on their homesite, so if there was an issue with something I could not follow in the software, I went to the homepage and normally I could figure it out after watching a demo. The only thing I could not find from the demos was the location (I am using Vista) of the data files. I figured out how to do the backups, but I could not find the physical data… Neatco let me know!

Another issue though, it does not work with Microsoft Money. I hope in the near future they make this compatible with this software and that would complete close my filing issues out.

And last issue… The price is “little” high.

I can’t give a five star rating due to software/hardware issues/cost, overall though good fast “filing” of your data.

ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater Product: ASUS RT-N13U Wireless-N Router, Access Point, and Repeater-Retail $59.00! Sale Only $50.85! List Price: $59.00 Amazon Price: $50.85 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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ASUS RT-N13U- Wireless N Router with All-in-One Printer Server; Auto detect your internet connection type and manual free setup; Download Master: 24 hours downloading even PC is shut down; USB port for FTP/All-in-One Printer sharing; Universal repeater mode : extend your wireless signal coverage only by 3 steps

• Brand: Asus
• Model: RT-N13U
• Dimensions: 3.75″ h x 8.88″ w x 10.00″ l, 1.75 pounds

Features

• EZ All-inOne Printer Sharing - USB Port
• EZ Switch - Switch your operation mode only ONE-TOUCH (Router, Repeater, AP)
• Enchanced Download Master - Download your files directly to the USB HDD when the computer is off.
• 802.11b/g/n
• Diagnostic and Bandwidth Management Tools - Dr. Surf, EZQoS

For those looking for a cheap wireless N router + Print & FTP Server
For those looking for a cheap wireless N router + Print & FTP Server, this is an excellent buy!

I bought this router specifically with hope that it ‘might’ be able to do more than what it claims on the box, and it does, to some extent. Read on and you’ll find answers to your questions that any other reviews on the web aren’t able to tell you.

1. Can a USB hub be used to connect multiple peripherals to the router?
A. Yes, but with certain limitations. I have successfully connected a printer and a hard drive to the router via a usb hub, and both work flawlessly! Here’s what you do: plug in the usb hub to the router, then connect the hdd to the usb hub, set up your ftp server on the hdd, then connect the printer to the usb hub, and set up your printer. You will only see the printer show up in the router’s main page, but the ftp serve works fine. However, hooking up 2 printers will not work because the print command is directed ip-to-ip (your pc to the router) and pass on to the usb port. When you have a usb hub with multiple printers connected the print command will be pass on to every port on the hub. Sometimes printing will come out from the right printer that you want it to, but sometimes the command will get send to the other printer which may cause your printer to malfunction. I have two printers: a HP inkjet and a Samsung laser. It happened to me when I want to print from the Samsung but the command got sent to the HP, and HP will keep feeding paper and print out an error message on the corner until I force power-down the printer; same for the Samsung when a HP print command was sent to the Samsung it just kept printing errors until the machine overhead and power-off itself.

2. When connected to a HDD, it can only be set up as a FTP server, not a network drive.
What the differences you ask? On a network drive you can stream files directly from it, while an FTP you can only upload/download files but no running directly on the server. But simutenous access from multiple users are possible. That’s an advantage over the so called “netowrk shared usb” where only a single user are allowed to use the peripheral at a time.

3. This router has a hardware repeater mode switch, which I consider a big plus. It’s the transparent repeater mode, meaning it will receive and broadcast the same SSID of the network you’re repeating; as oppose to ’stealth’ repeater mode where you can set your own SSID and security for broadcast. Note that the network printer won’t work in the repeater mode ’cause the print command will be pass on to the someone else’s router (one that you’re repeating). The Asus router still maintain its own ip and subset which the network printer belongs to, but it’s hidden in the repeater mode. You can manually configure your pc to connect to it and you’ll be able to print, but you lose internet. Not sure about FTP serve in repeater mode. Haven’t try yet. The router has good range. I can receive Safeway’s wifi which is like 300m from my place.

4. The router itself looks good IMO. I like the hidden antenna design.

What else? Msg me if you still have a question regarding the router.

Fast reliable WIFI print Server with expansion options
I had no issues adding it to my home WLAN. Once configured, it has worked flawlessly. The instructions were easy to follow. I have 4 computers (all different brands, three XP and one Vista) on the network sharing this printer. Range has been excellant - the access point is located on the second floor and this print server is stored in the basement. Compatiblity has been excellant with the other manufacturers equipment (D-link and Netgear) in my network - no problems. True Asus is not as well known for WIFI equipment but does have an excellant track record in motherboards and netbooks. The product allows me to add a future remote NAS - in the basement.

OK as a Router, Otherwise Crap
I had very little trouble setting this device up as a router; it does a reasonable job in that regard. However, as a file or print server, it’s a piece of junk.

First I tried to set it up as a file server. It simply would not recognize my WD external drive that works perfectly in every other context. After several frustrating emails and calls to Asus tech support, they finally told me that only EXT2 and FAT16 devices are supported. If you assume that everyone lives in a Linux world, this might be a reasonable choice. But in the real world, a lot of people are going to want to use FAT32 or NTFS. So, as a file server, relatively useless.

Then I tried to set it up as a print server. My Brother MFC-420CN printer was recognized and the correct drivers were installed, no sweat. However it wouldn’t print and wouldn’t give up any useful error messages. I worked with 5-6 Asus tech support people on this issue and only one of them seemed to have the vaguest idea of how this router worked. After upgrading the firmware and downloading new drivers, one of the drivers (vuhub.sys) suddenly started crashing my system. It took a couple days to identify the source of the problem and figure out how to remove it. Again, I live in the real world; my system needs to be available all the time. Random BSODs are not acceptable. So, as a print server, useless.

Lastly, the knowledge level, availability, attitude, and follow-through of the Asus tech support people I dealt with was astonishingly poor.

If you want to buy this router for its router capabilities alone, go ahead. If you want it for the features supposedly offered by its USB port, look elsewhere.

Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder Product: Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder Sale-$80.25! List Price: $169.98 Amazon Price: $80.25 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

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Fellowes DS-2 Shredder, Durable and reliable, shreds up to 8 sheets at a time, staples, envelopes and credit cards. Features Safe Sense Technology with Smart Sensor Protection that stops shredding when hands are too close to the paper entry. Maximum security confetti cut shredder turns documents into unreadable particles for added peace of mind. Shredder features an easy to empty handle and bin full flap for hassle-free waste disposal without the mess. It has a contemporary design that compliments your home decor and fits seamlessly into your office. Shredder features a 5 year Cutter Warranty.

• Brand: Fellowes
• Model: DS-2
• Released on: 2006-09-01
• Dimensions: 17.08 pounds

Features

• Basket Capacity, 4.8 gallon
• 8 sheet capacity confetti cut.
• Speed (Feet per Minute) 18
• Warranty 2 year / 5 year
• Shreds Paper, Staples, Credit Cards, Small Paper Clips

Definitely better than my last shredder…
I went from a super cheap shredder, to cheap, to this one…so far so good. Certainly worth the extra few dollars for the extra page capacity and power. Also, I like the safety feature. My biggest disappointment is in the actual cut…to me, confetti cut should look like tiny pieces and not long strips of paper.

I like the design…can see how full bin is…has a nice handle…easy to empty. A tad bit disappointed in the run time…seems like it’s better for people who shred as they go as opposed to our family who does massive piles of stuff at once. We’re hoping that makes us convert to a shred-as-you-go habit…hmmm…perhaps a New Years’ resolution in the making

Good value and solid performer in the home
I bought this to replace an aging Fellowes entry level shredder. I wasn’t a fan of the old shredder as it would only shred one page at a time and didn’t make very fine pieces. It also jammed frequently, was noisy and recently burned out permanently after being fed a couple of dozen pages in a single session.

What a nice difference in the DS-2. It consistently shreds into very fine strips that would be impossible to piece together. It can handle a maximum of 6 sheets at time but won’t handle the advertised 8 sheets. I also feed it unopened junk mail and the resulting shreds are indistinguishable from any other shredded paper. It does bog down (motor slows significantly) when more than 4 sheets are fed at a time but even when it has bogged down the resulting shreds are consistent with the results from a single page.

The DS-2 is much quieter than my older shredder and I would rate the noise level as low (good). I did test a couple of machines in the store that were quieter but they were also much more expensive.

I like the look of the shredder overall. The can that comes with it has a good capacity. The shredder portion lifts off the can very nicely with the attached handle that gracefully tucks away when the can is in use. I can find no major flaws in the design.

There are some nice safety features that temporarily shut off the shredding if your hand comes near the paper throat. This would be ideal for anyone with young kids. It also has a safety switch that temporarily turns the shredder off if the shredder is lifted off the basket. While this is a nice safety feature it means the shredder can only be used on the included can. I have also found the switch to occasionally be temperamental. I can see this as a potential cause of problems with some units. In fact I returned a unit to the store for exchange as I couldn’t get it to work. I suspect this may have been the culprit.

I would definitely buy this unit again at the $60 price I paid. It offers good value for the money and appears to be a solid performer. Time will tell.

Perfect for My Home Business!
This is our 3rd shredder purchased over the past few years & it is the best one to date! The convenience of the front window to know how full it is really helps. I am also tired of struggling to pull out a ‘drawer’ that is overfilled and making a huge mess every time you empty it. Being able to LIFT the blade up instead is terrific! A great value for the money!

Biologic Bike Mount for Iphone Description:

The BioLogic Bike Mount for iPhone lets you attach your iPhone to your bikes handlebars so you can track your GPS position, your speed, or distance travelled, while you ride. The Bike Mount is a weatherproof case with a welded touch sensitive membrane so your iPhone is completely protected from the weather but fully functional. fits well with dahon bikes and most brand bicycles.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #282 in Sports & Outdoors
• Brand: Dahon
• Model: 21101

Features

• iphone bike mount. fits well with dahon bikes and most brand bicycles.
• weatherrooof, touch screen operable
• universal bracket, for most bikes.
• for iphone owners, who loves riding bike.
• does not come with iphone.

Customer Reviews:

Most expensive piece of plastic I ever bought - but nice
The Biologic bike mount for iPhone 3GS is very sleek and attractive. It’s well designed, engineered, and manufactured. The phone fits well in the case and the home button and the touch screen actually work through it. The volume buttons and sound switches are not accessible, but that’s a small price to pay if it indeed is waterproof. I have not tested that yet. They even left a port for the camera lens, so if you have a time lapse video app on your iPhone, you can chronicle your ride. My only beef is that the entire thing is just a few chips of plastic and rubber. When you get it in your hands, the price of $55 feels way too high for what you are holding. The price needs to come down to the same as other iPhone cases (around $30) before I can recommend it. Also bear in mind that you have to take your iPhone out of its usual case to put it in the Biologic case. There is no extra room. That’s a bit of a pain. Lastly, the bike mount bracket is entirely plastic and although well designed and simple, it looks like it won’t stand up to repeated removal and reattachment. Hopefully Dahon will provide a replacement path for just that part. That would also help out if you have more than one bike, as I do, so I could get a extra mount bracket for each and move the case from bike to bike.

Biologic Iphone mount/case, works well!
This was the best option I could find for mounting my Iphone to my motorcycle handlebars. I wanted something that would offer some water resistance and complete coverage for the phone, while allowing me to see and access the screen for navigation apps, ect. I would rate it five stars, if not for the cons listed below.

Pros:
-case is well designed and is easy to mount, provides decent protection
-holds steady at 70+mph on a naked motorcycle
-looks good and provides full 360 degrees of orientation
-can be adjusted easily while on the go

Cons:
-expensive for a plastic and rubber mount/case
-home button is held on with adhesive and could peel off

Overall, I am happy with this purchase. Amazon seller, safetycycle provided good service and fast, free shipping via USPS. USPS did crush the packaging, but the product inside was undamaged.

Finally a great design
I was searching around for a good mount for my mtn bike and kept coming across items that didn’t protect the screen and held the phone in a way it was exposed. Although paying $50 for a mount seems pretty expensive, this is the only one I found which I felt comfortable using. I took my iPhone out on a pretty aggressive ride and I was pleased in the way the case not only stayed closed but in place on my handle bars. Once I get the mount positioned perfect I will be grabbing some sweet videos!

Garmin Forerunner 405 Wireless GPS-Enabled Sports Watch with Heart Rate Monitor Description:

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1018 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: 000
• Color: Black
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: Forerunner 405 ANT S
• Dimensions: 2.78″ h x 1.88″ w x .60″ l, .13 pounds
• Native resolution: 124 x 95
• Display size: 1.06

Features

• Round 4-Level Gray Fstn, 124 X 95 Pixel Display
• Accurately Tracks Distance, Pace & Calories, & Displays On Easy-To-Read Screen
• Ant+Sport(Tm) Wireless Technology Automatically Transfers Workout Data To & From
• Computer When Device Is Within Range
• Heart Rate Monitor

Customer Reviews:

A Terrible Disappointment - Stick with the 305
As a long-time user and fan of the Garmin 305, the Garmin 405 was a product I was looking forward to for months as I was excited to see the next generation of the 305 I have enjoyed so much.

I could not be more disappointed with the result.

The Garmin 405 is a classic example of a good product concept and clever design gone horribly wrong as the Garmin team focused on form (looks) clearly beat out the folks worried about function. The watch looks fine (great for a HRM/GPS watch, so so for an everyday watch) but in terms of actual purpose-built functionality, it is terrible. There are multiple reasons for this which I will outline below.

(1) Useless when wet (yes, that includes sweat). The fact that you cannot toggle between screens or do anything with the bezel while the device is wet should have caused the designers to toss out this novel touch sensitive concept and stick with what works. Instead, they decided to go with a neat design concept that works great when the salesperson is showing it to you at the store, but will provide endless hours of frustration when you are out running and just want to see your heart rate. This is my first bullet point because it is the best example of the type of design failures that make this a terrible device.

(2) Use of built in functions/screens - The makers carried over the capabilites of the Garmin 305 and added a virtual training partner functionality, but the display can only show three fields at once and the fields themselves are too small for good viewing while in motion (ie running). Cycling between the displays is easy to do while sitting on a couch, even fun when you run your finger along the bezel, but when you are out running you quickly realize that it is very difficult to accomplish anything with the device. With the 305, if you wanted to change fields on the fly, you could manage to do it while keeping a reasonable pace. With the 405, you need to press buttons and run your finger along the bezel to switch fields - again, great on a couch, nearly impossible on a run.

(3) GPS Accuracy. I have traded messages with people who disagree, and I will say that I sometimes have great accuracy, but have also had multiple experiences where the accuracy of this device is off by so much as to make the pace and distance benefits of a GPS useless. The best example is running a measured mile with typical neighborhood street tree coverage and having the device show I went a total of 0.70 miles (the 305 on the same stretch showed 1.01). I have had this happen multiple times in various locations and therefore have stopped using the watch in races when I want to know my true pace and distance (I am using the 305 again).

(4) Silly things that might (or might not) drive you crazy - There are two buttons on the Garmin 405 - both on the right side of the face as you look at it. These buttons perform some useful functions, including locking the bezel so that you can wear the device in a non-GPS mode and avoid running down the battery needlessly while still using the device as a watch. The problem is that if, like me, you actually own a daily wear watch and when you travel you prefer to put the 405 in your bag or suitcase, having the two buttons on the same side means that if they press against anything they will unlock the bezel and the GPS will start running (or try to). The result will be a dead battery when you pull it out of your bag. It may seem minor, but pulling the 405 out of your bag after you arrive and want to go for a run, only to see it is dead, again and again, is annoying. The positive offset is that the watch actually charges at a pretty decent speed. Oh yes, and when the battery does, in fact, die, you will need to go through all of the intro screens again to get it going which will sometimes freeze on you (check message boards for solution to this as some people have posted them).

Overall, this is a terrible product and if you really want to get a GPS enabled running device, I would highly recommend you buy the Garmin 305. It is much cheaper and while it does not look as good, the size will not bother you after a couple of wears and it will work flawlessy for you. I suspect they will eventually correct the failings of the Garmin 405 but until they do it is not a good use of your money.

Great watch to replace your coach
I’ve been training with the Garmin 405 for a year now and love it. Given the mixed reviews here, I was apprehensive about getting it, but it really is a great training device.

Out of the box, it’s quite good. After configuring it and just getting used to the way it works, it’s much better. For example, mine is set to auto lap every kilometer and I mostly use a custom view with lap pace, heart rate and total distance. Interval Workouts are also very handy and easy to set up. The possibilities are endless.

The bezel takes some getting used to, but once you have configured the views, you simply leave it alone while running or tap with the middle of your finger (works better than the fingertip for whatever reason) to change views. You can lock the view by pushing both side buttons at the same time. This keeps it from switching views and beeping madly when wet or from bumping your shirt sleeve.

As I’ve progressed as a runner - first marathon in 2008, 3:52 at 41 years old - I’ve tried a variety of watches. First, a Timex Ironman, which I loved, but no Heart Monitor. Then a Timex Heart Monitor which I used with the Ironman (for the 100 lap memory). The Timex watches were stolen so next, a Nike Heart Monitor with the Nike+ Sports Band and Foot Pod, which looks cool but is not very accurate, even calibrated. Changes in speed, hills, etc. will affect the accuracy of any foot pod system. Once calibrated, it tended to be about 3-5% off.

Now, the Garmin 405. Likes:

1. Normal size - Unlike the 305, which I would not wear, the 405 is a regular watch. I wear it all the time.

2. Everything in one device - HR, pace, distance, elevation, laps.

3. Pace - I thought the whole GPS thing might be a bit too high-tech for a guy who loves the simplicity of running, but it is very, very nice to know your pace as you run. I use Hal Higdon’s training plans, which call for all kinds of runs, with warm-ups, intervals, tempo intervals, pace segments, etc. The pace feature makes doing these workouts possible without having a coach at your side.

4. GPS frees you from mapping out your route. You just run until it shows your distance is done. The Garmin Connect site then shows your map. This doesn’t sound so amazing, but it is very liberating. You just run wherever you want, explore your neighborhood, whatever. It transforms city running.

5. Auto laps. Great feature. Records all your details (time, HR, pace) for each lap automatically. You can review on the watch or on Garmin Connect.

6. The Garmin Connect website is very good and continually improving, with new features every couple of months.

7. The data seems pretty accurate, based on a track workout. In a recent 10K race, it recorded 10.2K, but some of that variation is certainly due to my weaving among the crowd. All GPS devices have a margin of error.

Dislikes:

1. Battery life - with GPS enabled, it needs a charge every couple of days to avoid the dreaded “low battery” warning in the middle of a workout.

2. The USB stick for wireless transfer. It works, but Nike does it better. The Nike+ pop-out USB stick is a much simpler way to transfer data to the computer and a much better way to keep from losing the USB part.

3. It can take a couple of minutes to find satellites and loses accuracy in bad weather. This is probably true of any GPS device.

4. You need the foot pod to record distance indoors. One more piece of gear (and not cheap). I didn’t buy it. It would be great to be able to manually add the distance to a workout on Garmin Connect.

All in all, the Garmin 405 is an incredible training device. It is the best choice in the market. Nothing comes close to it. 5 stars.

I hope you find this helpful.

Fantastic watch despite bad reviews
I had been looking to buy the Forerunner 405 for some time, but was reluctant because of all the bad reviews on here. I had the Nike+, which was terribly inaccurate and quit working after a couple of month. I went ahead and purchased the watch, ignoring the bad reviews.

First, I read reviews that said the bezel is hard to use. No, it’s not. You have to sit there and play with it to learn how to use it. When it goes into sleep mode, it’s not responsive, so you have to hit one of the side buttons a couple times to wake it up. Not a big deal. Personally, I sweat a lot, and have not had any problems with the bezel not responding when I run. It has never locked up on me either. You can adjust the sensitivity of the bezel. It’s preprogrammed on medium and I haven’t had any problems with this setting. People complain that the bezel is easy to hit accidentally, thus leaving it on and draining the battery, or whatever they complain about. You can lock the bezel so that this doesn’t happen. If you lock the bezel and this still happens, then don’t throw it in a gym bag or somewhere it can get knocked around. Personally, I wouldn’t be throwing my $300 GPS-enabled sports watch around anyways.

For the people who say that it’s not accurate, I have had no issues with it’s accuracy. Actually, I think it’s very accurate. I was worried about it picking up satellites because when I had satellite radio in my car, it would frequently lose signal on a road that I run on. The Garmin has never lost signal during my run, and I live in WV and my route is right near mountains and trees. For those who complain about the way it displays information during your run, you can program it to show you what you want, and you can turn off autoscroll so that it stays on the one display. If you want to see the next page, just tap the bezel. It’s really easy. I found that having 3 items on the page was too crammed and small to read, so I changed it to only show 2 items. I have it set to show my pace and distance.

For those people who complained about how long it takes to pick up a satellite signal, yes it may take a couple of minutes. Do some light stretching while it acquires the signal. For those complaining about the battery life, I ran 14 miles with it over the course of a week and it got down to 38%, so I threw it back on the charge just in case. It’s simple to check the battery life, so check it now and then, and if it gets low, charge it. Just like you charge your cell phone every night or every other night. Just be sure to turn the GPS off after every use to save the battery.

Somebody complained that it doesn’t read a steady speed/pace the whole time. No, it’s not going to read that you are running a 10:30 pace exactly the whole 5 miles you run. Naturally, you are going to speed up or slow down and not realize it, and lets face it, it’s a tiny electronic GPS device and may not be 100% in tune with every step. Mine will generally bounce around 15-20 seconds above or below my goal pace. What matters to me is that I know within 15-20 seconds what my pace is exactly when I’m running, and at the end it gives me very accurate pace averages for each mile. I have had no issues with transferring my data to the computer. The ANT stick quickly links to the watch, and it may take a minute or so to download. The software does what you need it to do. If you need something fancier, there’s more software out there. Lastly, this watch is large. For the men that may not be a problem. I am female and I found this watch to be rather large, and I am not a tiny person. This isn’t a watch that a female can just wear fashionably. If you think this is a small sports watch, it’s not. But, the strap has plenty of notches to adjust to just about any size wrist.

I’m sorry to complain about other people’s experiences with the watch, but I just don’t understand how they are having these issues and I am not. The issues that some complain about seem to be easily resolved by simply becoming more familiar with the watch or thinking ahead a little. This isn’t a watch you can just throw on and run with right out of the box and it be perfect. It is highly customizable, and everybody is different. Once you customize it how you like it, it is a very accurate, useful tool to aid in your training. I am saddened that the negative reviews almost prevented me from purchasing this item, when it has been the best purchase I have made in a long time. I love this watch and highly recommend it. If you are not good with electronics, then maybe this watch isn’t for you.

Amazon.com Product Description
With the Forerunner 405, Garmin has finally put thepower of GPS location-based date into a sleek sport watch that can be worn all day. Runners no longer have to choose between function and fashion. Garmin’s ANT + Sport wireless platform that wirelessly sends your data to your computer and a touch bezel that lets you change screens with a simple tap (no more fumbling for buttons) run make this not just a leap forward in GPS-enabled fitness devices, but in training devices period. Forerunner 405 comes in two color options — black or green.

The Power Of Location-Based Data
Anyone who has used Garmin’s Forerunner 205 or 305 already understands the power that attaching location data to traditional measurements like distance, speed, time, calories burned, and heart rate can provide. Knowing exactly where you worked hardest, ran fastest (or most slowly), and lets you tailor your workouts to improve for specific distances, conditions, and types of terrain. It gives a complete picture of how you interact with every portion of your run.

Forerunner 405 comes in two color options — black or green

Train with a virtual partner

Watch Results
Loaded with serious training features, Forerunner 405 continuously monitors your time, distance, pace, calories and heart rate (when paired with heart rate monitor). Each run is stored in memory so you can review and analyze the data to see how you’ve improved.

The high-sensitivity GPS receiver sustains satellite reception, whether you’re tackling a trail or jogging through the urban canyons of skyscrapers. The Forerunner 405 is water-resistant (IPX7) and can be used outdoors or indoors (with an optional foot pod), making it the ultimate year-round, all-weather training tool.

Forerunner 405 is available with or without a heart rate monitor (see the versions tab) to help you make the most out of your training. Versions with a digital heart rate monitor continuously track heart beats per minute. Train in a certain heart rate zone to improve your fitness level or compare your pace and heart rate to past performance on the same run.

The revolutionary patent-pending touch bezel on the face of the watch makes navigating the options easier than ever. Simply by tapping, holding or running a finger along the bezel, runners can begin a new workout, access their training history or challenge a Virtual Partner. The Forerunner 405 makes training with a Virtual Partner easy and efficient. Runners can adjust the Virtual Partner’s pace without stopping in the middle of a workout, and the Virtual Partner is always on and ready for a challenge.

Run, Sync, Store and Share
One of Garmin’s most ambitious decisions has been to approach fitness devices as a total platform with their “ANT + Sport” connectivity system. All of Garmin’s new fitness devices, including the Forerunner 405, Edge 605 and 705 bike computers, and Forerunner 50 heart rate monitor watches, will interface wirelessly with any devices that are compatible wiht the “ANT + Sport” protocol, including devices from other manufacturers.

Once you’ve logged the miles, the ANT+Sport wireless technology automatically transfers data to your computer when the Forerunner is in range. No cables, no hookups. The data’s just there, ready for you to analyze, categorize and share through Garmin’s online community, Garmin Connect or optional Garmin Training Center software. You can wirelessly send workouts from your computer to Forerunner, too.

TDK - 50 x DVD+R DL - 8.5 GB 8x - spindle - storage media Description:

Write-once recordable DVDFor data storage and video recording

• Brand: TDK
• Dimensions: 1.75″ h x 2.50″ w x 3.25″ l, 2.00 pounds

Features

• Pack of 50

Customer Reviews:

TDK DVD+R DL recordable blank media - 8.5 GB - 50 count spindle
Always bought a competitor’s blank media, but took a chance on this product and it’s a WINNER. Excellent product at an economical price. Dual (or double) layer DVD recordable media is getting harder to find in the stores - at least a good brand is anyway. Picture and audio clarity are excellent and is just as good, if not, better than the more expensive Dual Layer recordables. Don’t waste money on other name brands that give you less quantity for the same price or more. This product was purchased from an outside vendor thru Amazon. Shipping was clean and prompt. Would definitely buy again !

Best DVDs for the Price on the Internet
These TDKs are solid media for recording all of your games, movies and data. I have yet to have a coaster and have been using these for some time. highly recommended.

Brother Toner Cartridge TN570 Product: Brother Toner Cartridge TN570 Sale-$64.24! List Price: $102.43 Amazon Price: $64.24 Click Here To See Amazon Sale Price Add to cart to see low price@ Availability: In Stock Usually ships in 24 Hours Free Shipping Available

Compare Prices on Brother Toner Cartridge TN570

Brother Toner Cartridge (TN570) is a Monochrome black laser toner cartridge. It is compatible with Brother MFC8220, MFC8440, MFC8840D, and MFC8840DN multifunctions. It Yields up to 6,700 pages (at 5% coverage).

• Brand: Brother
• Model: TN570
• Format: CD
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 4.88″ h x 5.88″ w x 14.00″ l, 2.20 pounds

Features

• Monochrome black laser toner cartridge
• Compatible with Brother MFC8220, MFC8440, MFC8840D, and MFC8840DN multifunctions
• Also works with HL5140, HL5150D, HL5150DLT, HL5170DN printers
• Yields up to 6,700 pages (at 5% coverage)
• Genuine Brother replacement product; 1 cartridge per package

Laser toner cartridge
The high capacity Brother toner cartridge TN570 is a good value and gives very dependable service. In the past, I tried other brand replacements but was very disappointed with the results. From now on, I will stay with the name brands.

Better value compared to lower yield option
I use this in a small business office using a Brother 8460usb, we use a reem of paper every three days and the toner lasts a month and a half to 2 months which is way better than the HP laserjet I used. And for the few extra dollars its a way better value than its smaller yield counterpart.
I just wish it didnt stop the printer from printing as soon as it was “empty”. Other laser jets let you shake the cartridge abit so u have time to run out and buy a new one. Always have a spare on hand if you print alot or order a new one as soon as you see the replace toner warning cause it will run out in a day or two.

works like a charm
as replacement cartridge in my Brother HL-5140 printer which I’ve had for years! I always get the same cartridge model - the TN570. It lasts for 6-9 months before it’s empty.

iHome LED Color-Changing Speaker System with Built-In Subwoofer for iPod Description:

• Brand: iHome
• Model: IH15W
• Dimensions: 6.29″ h x 6.29″ w x 6.29″ l, 2.85 pounds

Features

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G
• Translucent cabinet changes color at the touch of a button; four color change settings
• Charges your iPod while docked
• Reson8 stereo speakers with passive subwoofer for full sound
• Auxiliary input for external audio devices

Customer Reviews:

THIS LITTLE THING IS GREAT
I too had read a million reviews for a million products. I decided to risk it with this since most of the reviews were good. I have A 4TH GENERATION NANO- and yes there is an adapter for it. We listen to it everyday. IT CHARGES YOUR IPOD WHILE DOCKED. The sound is great. The color change is cool. I wanted something small that sounded great. I use it in every room of the house, especially the kitchen while I am preparing meals. The sound is great for such a small cube. I would recommend this to anyone of any age. In a day where most things don’t do what they say in the advertisement, finally something that exceeds those promises. You won’t go wrong with this one.

Pretty good, looks great, sounds decent
Overall, 4-stars, pretty good.

The sound is pretty decent. Forget deep, rich bass that others describe. Sounds better than most “mini-speakers” systems, though. Sounds like a small boom-box. At least the sounds are well balanced and articulated, not muddy or distorted.

It can also get pretty loud. Surprisingly, the bass response seems better at high volume levels.

The look of the cool, color changing cube is awesome. It has three modes:

> solid color of your choice;
> revolving colors, changing every few seconds;
> constantly oozing through the whole spectrum.

It’s the third mode that’s the coolest. It’s dim enough to make a nice night-light without lighting up the whole room. And the light stuff works whether the sound is on or off, and it’s easy to turn the light off when the sound is off as well.

CON - It has no clock, and no “auto on” feature. I had expected to leave it on and use my iPod’s alarm to turn on, thus playing music to wake me up. However, it does not appear to work. When docked, the iPod’s alarm does not go off. Maybe I should try it again with the iPod on, but not playing a song.

So overall, it’s very nice.

Awesome!
This product is awesome. I love the sound and my 4 yr old loves the changing colors. I do sometimes wish that it had a remote but that’s the lazy person in me. The price was very reasonable. I would also recommend it to others.

Amazon.com Product Description
A colorful way to enjoy your favorite tunes, the iHome iH15W is a compact, illuminated cube and iPod speaker dock. Set it to one color to match your mood, or cycle through the colors for a little fun.

Give your favorite music a little color. Click to enlarge.

Pick a single color to suit your mood. Click to enlarge

Convenient carrying handles. Click to enlarge

Illuminate Your Mood
The iH15W is a small, 5-1/2-inch cube with handy carrying handles and internal adjustable lighting. Change the translucent cabinet to match your mood or the current song. Feeling blue? Go with blue. Not easy being green? Try green. A cowardly yellow? Well, you get the idea.

The cube also features four color change settings for cycling through the colors, which is great for parties and other fun occasions.

Enjoy Your Music
The iH15W charges docked iPods, so when you hit the road, your iPod will be ready to go. Two Reson8 speakers provide great sound, and a passive subwoofer covers the low end, so you can count on rich sound from a tiny device.

Auxiliary Input
Use the iH15W’s auxiliary input to listen to external devices, like MP3 or CD players.

What’s in the Box
iHome iH15W, AC power adapter, iPod dock adapters, manual