Camcorder Sale, Reviews: Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder Sale: 60%

Camcorder Sale, Reviews: Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White)

Sale: $90.00 (60%) Simple to use, pocket-sized camcorder with one-touch recording and digital zoom Holds 30 minutes of full VGA-quality video on 1GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required Convenient USB arm plugs directly into your computer for easy viewing and sharing Built-in software lets you easily e-mail videos, upload to YouTube and AOL, and capture still photos from video Watch videos instantly on TV with included cable

REVIEWS:

By d.drueck hammer - The ease of use of this camera is excellent. The quality of the video is approximately equivalent to VHS, and the low light recording and sound are excellent. There is no image stabilization, so zooming/panning should be kept to a minimum for best results. The camera also only has a Digital zoom. I do like the fact that this Camera uses AA batteries so it won't be a paper weight in a couple of years like the Sony NSC-GC1 when its built in battery dies. I wish this camera supported external SD cards like its competitors but unfortunately it doesn't.

One problem I found when operating the camera, was when connected directly to a TV I don't think there is a way to rewind clips. When I held the back/forward buttons on the camera the camera just went to the next clip.

I found the .avi files to be inefficient, as one 30-minute clip I shot was 800Mb in size but once re-encoded to MPEG4 H.264 it was much smaller. Also, for some reason the when I tried to play my clip using my free VLC player Version 0.8.6c the there was no sound. I was able to play the clips fine in Quicktime though...

The software included in the flash memory of the camera seems a bit slow but works for its intended purpose. Unfortunately, for those who want to edit their video, the included editing tools are only good for resizing or merging clips.

I own a Core 2 Duo iMac and wanted to edit my footage using iMovie '08 unfortunately, the current version of the software doesn't support importing .avi files. I searched for a solution and found that the footage can be re-encoded to MPEG4 or changed to a .mov Quicktime wrapper and it will import fine into the new iMovie. What a pain though! Some softwares that are useful for Mac to help re-encode the video are: iSquint (free), Visual Hub (more advanced pay version of iSquint), and Quicktime Pro.

Once I had my footage imported into my computer, I uploaded a few of them into Youtube to share our Christmas with some of our extended family. Unfortunately, I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the footage in Youtube. I tried to research how to encode the footage with different formats/bitrates for maximum quality in Youtube but unfortunately, no matter what I tried (MPEG4 H.264, .flv, etc) the quality was the same. Apparently, Youtube resizes/re-encodes the footage no matter what format it is in so I think the only way to get better quality on Youtube would be to start out with better quality clips.

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By richman - I like it because it's small and easy to carry with me and just take out and capture the moment and upload to computer in a few seconds (longer if the program has to convert avi to wma format for utube or email).

I would be interested in hearing others that have tried the rca model, and the aiptek a-hd model, so we all can get user experiences comparing all 3 video camera's. RCA is 99dollars, aiptek hd is 119 dollars on sale.

At first, I thought something was wrong in uploading clips to computer (converting files to email format) because it stayed at 99 percent done for 8 minutes. And I unplugged camera and got message that is was still in computer mode. If I just upload to computer without converting to email or utube it goes a lot faster because no conversion of formats.

Second time, I opened the folder on computer that file was downloading to, and when software hit 99 percent done , I saw that the program was still completing the download because file sizes were getting bigger, and it finally finished. I write this because others may think the computer is hanging but it isn't, it sometimes takes alot of time to convert regular avi format to wma format for uploading to email. So your camera is not broken, you may have slow computer or BIG file to convert.

As others say zoom is not that good, but for quick shots and face shots it can't be beat, because I have camcorders but never used them because I had to make sure the special battery was charged, and it was a lot bigger, and I couldn't put in pocket, and I had to have special tapes, and special software, and it was a pain to take spur of moment shots.

This camera takes 2 AA batteries that last over an hour, and you have 1 hour record time on camera. My style is take 15 second clips, or 30 second clips of stuff, and then mix them together. TV shows switch camera's every few seconds so it keeps peoples attention, and I try to do the same! So 60 minutes for me gives me 120 (30 second clips) or 240 (15 second clips)! And I'm always around a laptop or computer to upload everything I just shot. :)

p.s. I went to park today and made a 2min film using only ultra flip and software on the ultra flip.

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By Lisa M. Hendey (Fresno, CA United States) - I was fortunate enough to receive a complimentary Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder for review from Amazon, who offered the product to frequent reviewers to promote their new Video Review feature. Since receiving the Flip Video a week ago, our family has had a blast playing with this diminutive little camera. Like most other families, we own a regular sized video camera that gets pulled out for the occasional school play, Christmas, or major trip. So I wasn't convinced that we would actually use the Flip Video very much.

Wrong! Since owning the camera, we've shot over thirty video clips in a variety of lighting and sound situations. The biggest fans of the camera, of course, are my teenage sons who are a part of the You Tube generation. They love the immediate gratification of being able to shoot a video, flip the USB arm from the side of the camera, plug it into the computer, and use the camera's on board software to upload directly to You Tube in one step.

Here's the blueprint for the Flip Video: the dimensions are 1.2 x 2.2 x 4.2 inches and the camera weighs 7.2 ounces, less than my cell phone. I have a small camera bag, and this little guy fits neatly into it with my still camera, making it easy and accessible - which means that you will actually carry it along on outings. It would easily fit into a pocket. The camera comes with a hand strap and small drawstring bag (not too useful). With 2 GB of memory, the camera can hold up to sixty minutes of footage. All the software you need is loaded onto the camera, which enables you to do some minor editing, file organization, upload clips to the web, or email, and string clips together to make a longer movie. The Flip Video also comes with a cord to connect to the television and watch videos there, but we have not as yet tested that feature.

On the down side, the Flip Video is not the perfect camera for taking far away videos, since it only has a 2x zoom level. I found that it is great for shooting at close range, but when I tried to shoot video from a great distance (as you might do at a school play or sporting event), the results were not great.

I'm looking forward to using the Flip Video to capture those "spur of the moment" situations with my kids that seem to come up in day to day life. Since the camera is so small and light, it easily fits into my small purse and is ready at a moment's notice. We've had a great time playing with the Flip Video and would highly recommend it for families on the go like ours, looking to capture memories without a lot of hassle. Have fun!

Vacuums Sale Reviews: Hoover F5914-900 SteamVac: Sale 42%

Vacuums sale, reviews: Hoover F5914 -900 SteamVac Clean Surge

Save: $104.99 (42%)

Powerful 12-amp motor; deep cleans with hot tap water and carpet solution Five spinning/scrubbing brushes clean carpets, upholstery, bare floors Clean Surge feature gives extra burst of cleaning solution for spots or stains Two water tanks separate clean from dirty water Brush rotation indicator; 8-foot hose; 1-year warranty

Hoover F5914 REVIEWS:

By B. Ederer (Russellville, AR USA) - The SteamVac by Hoover is a decent quality consumer grade product that does what it says it will do. It sprays liquid into your carpet, swirls it around a bit, and sucks most of it back up, along with the dirt and grime your vac won't pick up. It's shipped with a few parts that are easy to assemble, and a small quantity of shampoo...Enough for a couple of average cleanings. I've owned a Bissell Pro-heat Steam Vac that worked for several years and did an adequate job...but when it quit working, I was told it would be cheaper to buy a new machine than try to fix it. This time I bought Hoover F5914-900. The Hoover is a bit easier to fill, empty, and a little easier to push around. They both seemed to work about the same as far as cleaning the carpet.

What I like about the Hoover: It's cheaper than the Bissell..a little quieter, and it has five brushes that turn laterally unlike the Bissel, which uses a roller brush. The Hoover has you mixing the soap solution into the fresh hot water, whereas the Bissell had a separate chamber to fill with soap. It was possible with the Bissell to run out of soap before you ran out of water, or vice versa...Not an issue with the Hoover. It also seems that the solution goes a little further with the Hoover, making it more economical to use. What I would change: The cord could be a few feet longer. The power switch is a small plastic foot switch on the right side. It's flimsy and too small. It looks identical to the handle release switch on the left side...which is also too small.

Overall, after using the machine, I can say I am happy with the way it cleans...and the suction is very good, as you seem to recover almost all the water you dispense (making for a quick drying time)...The machine is easy to empty, and with the amount of dirty water clearly evident, it works well. I highly recommend the Hoover SteamVac...for routine home carpet maintenance.

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By JM "reinoco" (Florida, US) - Amazing is the best word to describe how Hoover F5914-900 sucked so much dirt from my carpet. A year ago before I moved here they had just added new carpets and padding so I bought a very good vacuum in order to keep them clean. This seemed to work fine I thought until I used this SteamVac and saw how much dirty water was picked up in the container. Keep in mind that this is not the same as having a professional come and clean your carpets but it's still good enough with constant use to prevent really messed up carpets.

Pros:
1. Sucked a lot of dirt from the carpet
2. The attachment worked great on my car floor mats
3. Great if you have pets
4. Easy to put together and use
5. Even though it's not a real steamer it still works great

Cons:
1. A bit heavy for my wife
2. Constant need to refill with more water
3. Not a real steamer (but it still does a great job)
4. Hard floor attachment is sold separately

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By C. Meek (Hayward, WI United States) - After years of renting Rug Doctors, we decided to buy our own carpet cleaner. We were also motivated by having two dogs who bring too much of the yard with them on our off-white carpets when they come in from playing. Also one of them is a puppy, who thought it convenient to pee on the carpet a few times. After reading other reviews, we selected the Hoover F5914-900.

We wash the living area carpets about once a month and have already spent less on the Hoover then we would have by renting a cleaner. The carpets are as clean as with a bigger Rug Doctor. We have found that going over an area with just hot water after cleaning it with the detergent helps keep the carpet clean for a longer period of time. We are very happy with our Hoover. It is fairly light, easy to fill and empty, and easy to clean both the tanks and the brushes. As other people have commented, the attachment hose tends to fall off, so we just leave it off. Otherwise, it's a heck of a deal!

External Hard Drive Sale: Iomega Prestige 1.5TB Reviews Sale: 25%

External Hard Drive on Sale: Iomega Prestige 1.5 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive 34474

Save: $50.00 (25%)

Easy-to-use - Simple USB 2.0 interface; just plug and play Stylish & Durable - Stylish drive, available in a dark silver brushed finish; sturdy aluminum construction with included stand Secure - EMC Retrospect Express (PC/Mac) software license is included for easy file backup (software via download). Energy Efficient - powered by an Energy Star qualified Energy Star qualified adapter for a better environment Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional; XP Home/XP Professional, Windows Vista, 256mb RAM or higher, Requires Mac OS X 10.3-1.05, 128mb RAM or higher

REVIEWS:

By Fishstick - A few things to consider when buying this drive.

First, unlike many externals on the market, this one does not use the USB port for power. You must plug in a wall wart. That's OK with me, since my house current is more reliable and predictable than USB power, but be advised. The ON/OFF switch is a nice feature. It is quiet.

Second, about the "free" software: It's not free; nothing is. THe cost is built in to the price of the hardware. Whether you elect to use it is your business. The good news is that installing the backup software--in my case, it was Retrospect Express HD v. 2.5 for Windows--is optional. It's not loaded onto the drive itself, so you don't have to install it. The bad news is that you may not like it if you do install it. There have been quite a few problems. The software will install a startup program that runs when you boot up and can't be removed or opted out of. I uninstalled the software itself, but the startup program remains and EMC tech support can't tell me how to get rid of it.

It will also establish an internet connnection to the Mozy Home online backup service. You cannot opt out of this during installation either. And why would you want online backup if you've just bought a new external? If, like me, you don't appreciate software creating unwanted startup programs and net connections on your machine, you may want to avoid Retrospect. I just use MS Backup. It's not the slickest ap but it does the job, it behaves itself, and you probably already have it on your Windows machine.

By Big Sesame Seed - Great 1 TB drive. Extremely cheap, given the capacity, and not at the cost of reliability, it seems.

It's a bit slower than I thought it would be, probably because I expected it to be somewhat closer to the "max speed" of a USB 2.0 device (an unrealistic expectation in retrospect). Oh well. I usually get speeds anywhere from 1 MB/s to 13 MB/s when transferring to my high end PC (8 MB/s seems the average speed). The cache size of the hard drive is also not too big, around 8 MB.

Still, it's not really a big deal though unless you plan on transferring large files very often. I personally use the external hard drive for archival-- putting things away that need to be safe but are otherwise rarely accessed. It serves this purpose well.

The drive is very stylish. The aluminum frame looks very nice and appropriate next to your next gen aluminum macbook and is good at dissipating heat. You'll be surprised how cold the drive feels when you first remove it from the box.

The hard drive is essentially silent aside from the startup, when it gives a "whirrr click!" When transfer begins, you'll sometimes hear some "thwacks" but they stop quickly. Basically, it shouldn't bother most people.

Oh, by the way, the free backup software that comes with the disk is terrible, don't use it.

This is a good drive overall, especially when you compare the price to the capacity. If you are not in need of a high performance external hard drive (at the time of this writing, such a drive would include a 32 MB cache and Firewire), but a dirt cheap, big, reliable solution, then this could be it. Just don't buy too many. USB 3.0 is coming out in a year or so.

By S. Roper "rope" (Logan, Utah United States) - I have used this 1 TB hard drive for about 3 weeks with no major complaint. It was a simple plug and play device that immediately showed up on my device manager and began accepting data. I have had good luck with Iomega portable drives and decided to give this drive a try, and I am glad I did.

The bonus was that the cost is similar to drives that only have half the amount of storage. I use this primarily to store music and dvd back ups. Transfer is nice and the addition of the manual on/off switch was great for me as I don't need it to be on every time my computer is on. My only complaint is that the provided usb cable and power cord were far too short and both required extensions to reach the outlet and computer.

Iron Sale Reviews: Black & Decker D2030 Iron Auto-Off Digital Advantage

Iron on Sale Reviews: Black & Decker D2030 Iron Auto-Off Digital Advantage

Save: $32.20 (50%) 1500-watt iron with digital-display temperature and fabric settings Easy-to-read mini LCD monitor; stainless-steel soleplate; soft grip Variable-steam control; vertical steaming; burst of steam; auto cleaning Temperature ready tones; motion-sensitive auto off with audible alerts Measures approximately 5 by 11-1/2 by 6 inches; 1-year warranty

REVIEWS:

By Dharma (CT) - The only reason I have given it 4 stars is due to the following:

1. Its a little heavy as compared with other similar irons - but on the flip side I have noticed that the weight has helped iron the clothes better
2. You could control the flow of steam but on the lower settings also, the water is used up pretty fast.
3. After each ironing session they suggest to turn the steam off before powering the iron off and turn steam on only after powering the iron on for the new session. I am not sure what it does to the iron if this is not done in this fashion but it is kind of cumbersome to do it every single time and would tend to forget this standard operating procedure :-)

Apart from that the iron works pretty good and I am happy and would recoomend you to buy it.

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By Mark (East Coast) - The Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron has a lot of nice design elements and good performance. Most of all, this unit is priced very well for the included features. Of course along with that come a few things that could have been improved. Some may opt for a higher end model, but for most people this unit's flaws should be overshadowed by the positives.

I have used more irons that would be considered *budget models* than those that could be considered *premium models*. I am aware that some brands, like Rowenta, seem to have a very loyal following. However, being very value focused I have yet to take the plunge with any of those much more expensive models. So my comments come from a user who wants the best value for the money. I am willing to accept this iron's flaws because it performs so well given the price.

PROS:
+ The iron heats up quickly and alerts you with a *beep* when it's hot
+ The weight of the iron seems evenly distributed and easily glides over clothes
+ The cord has a rotating base that allows it stay out of the way as you iron
+ A nice screen clearly displays the fabric number you select with the simple controls
+ The water reservoir seems to hold more than some of the other units I tried
+ Produces nice steam, though adjustable wheel gives less than ideal volume control
+ Also squirts water with the push of a button
+ A convenient red LED on the handle lets you know that the iron is plugged in
+ The unit gives a warning beep and automatically shuts off when not in use
+ Included 1 yr warrantee gives some peace of mind
+ The price seems very reasonable compared to a few other irons I tried and returned before settling on this one

CONS:
- Refill water with caution because the cover does seem poorly made
- There might be a shorter life with the electronic controls than plain old knobs
- Changing settings goes in order, so to change from 6 to 5, you have to go through 1-4
- May feel a little heavy to some people
- The unit beeps every time you change a setting, which can get annoying
- The steam adjustment wheel seems to go from "off" to "on" with only a little variation

Like all irons I have used, it may feel heavy for some people. I like the overall feel, and think that the weight helps with thicker fabrics. I know there are steamers that are much lighter, and some people may prefer that.

Considering the digital controls, nice steam and quick heat up time, this is a great value. I do worry about how long some of those electronics may last. On my old iron, I never had to worry about those types of parts failing. But hopefully with careful handling and storage this unit should last a long time.

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By PFC - I found this to be a great product overall however, I rated it as a four star for ergonomics. The button I use the most is the steam surge button. As a right-handed person it would be perfect if this button were located on the left side of the handle so that I could easily access it with the thumb of my right hand.

Unfortunately the spray mist button is on the left - the steam surge is on the right which is a little cumbersome. I would have liked to see the designers simply reverse the position of these buttons. Other than that I highly recommend this product.

Iron Sale Reviews: Black & Decker D2030 Iron Sale: 50%

Iron on Sale Reviews: Black & Decker D2030 Iron Auto-Off Digital Advantage

Save: $32.20 (50%) 1500-watt iron with digital-display temperature and fabric settings Easy-to-read mini LCD monitor; stainless-steel soleplate; soft grip Variable-steam control; vertical steaming; burst of steam; auto cleaning Temperature ready tones; motion-sensitive auto off with audible alerts Measures approximately 5 by 11-1/2 by 6 inches; 1-year warranty

REVIEWS:

By Dharma (CT) - The only reason I have given it 4 stars is due to the following:

1. Its a little heavy as compared with other similar irons - but on the flip side I have noticed that the weight has helped iron the clothes better
2. You could control the flow of steam but on the lower settings also, the water is used up pretty fast.
3. After each ironing session they suggest to turn the steam off before powering the iron off and turn steam on only after powering the iron on for the new session. I am not sure what it does to the iron if this is not done in this fashion but it is kind of cumbersome to do it every single time and would tend to forget this standard operating procedure :-)

Apart from that the iron works pretty good and I am happy and would recoomend you to buy it.

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

By Mark (East Coast) - The Black & Decker D2030 Auto-Off Digital Advantage Iron has a lot of nice design elements and good performance. Most of all, this unit is priced very well for the included features. Of course along with that come a few things that could have been improved. Some may opt for a higher end model, but for most people this unit's flaws should be overshadowed by the positives.

I have used more irons that would be considered *budget models* than those that could be considered *premium models*. I am aware that some brands, like Rowenta, seem to have a very loyal following. However, being very value focused I have yet to take the plunge with any of those much more expensive models. So my comments come from a user who wants the best value for the money. I am willing to accept this iron's flaws because it performs so well given the price.

PROS:
+ The iron heats up quickly and alerts you with a *beep* when it's hot
+ The weight of the iron seems evenly distributed and easily glides over clothes
+ The cord has a rotating base that allows it stay out of the way as you iron
+ A nice screen clearly displays the fabric number you select with the simple controls
+ The water reservoir seems to hold more than some of the other units I tried
+ Produces nice steam, though adjustable wheel gives less than ideal volume control
+ Also squirts water with the push of a button
+ A convenient red LED on the handle lets you know that the iron is plugged in
+ The unit gives a warning beep and automatically shuts off when not in use
+ Included 1 yr warrantee gives some peace of mind
+ The price seems very reasonable compared to a few other irons I tried and returned before settling on this one

CONS:
- Refill water with caution because the cover does seem poorly made
- There might be a shorter life with the electronic controls than plain old knobs
- Changing settings goes in order, so to change from 6 to 5, you have to go through 1-4
- May feel a little heavy to some people
- The unit beeps every time you change a setting, which can get annoying
- The steam adjustment wheel seems to go from "off" to "on" with only a little variation

Like all irons I have used, it may feel heavy for some people. I like the overall feel, and think that the weight helps with thicker fabrics. I know there are steamers that are much lighter, and some people may prefer that.

Considering the digital controls, nice steam and quick heat up time, this is a great value. I do worry about how long some of those electronics may last. On my old iron, I never had to worry about those types of parts failing. But hopefully with careful handling and storage this unit should last a long time.

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

By PFC - I found this to be a great product overall however, I rated it as a four star for ergonomics. The button I use the most is the steam surge button. As a right-handed person it would be perfect if this button were located on the left side of the handle so that I could easily access it with the thumb of my right hand.

Unfortunately the spray mist button is on the left - the steam surge is on the right which is a little cumbersome. I would have liked to see the designers simply reverse the position of these buttons. Other than that I highly recommend this product.

Wireless Laser Mouse, Notebook Optical Mouse: Microsoft, Logitech, 25-40% OFF

Wireless Mouse, Notebook Optical Mouse: Microsoft, Logitech, 25-40% OFF

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 - Slate Save: $8.86 (30%) Review: CCUser "RootRootRoot" (Southern California, USA) Having purchased a laptop, I immediately wanted a mouse that could easily travel with me and not be connected by a wire. So, I purchased the MS Wireless 3000. With XP Media edition installed, the mouse was easily recognized by the system once I plugged in the included USB transmitter/connector. Terrific! Adjusting the settings was easy using the control panel too, no different than any other mouse. The signal from mouse to transmitter, or visa versa, is magnificent. Not that I would use the wireless mouse anywhere further than a few inches from the laptop, I took the mouse across the room and scrolled it across the textured walls of the hotel I was staying. The signal was still strong and I was able to navigate the entire screen from nearly 15 feet away from the laptop. Not practical, of course, but a nice example showing that if you have a lot of items stacked around the laptop, you'll be sure to have a strong signal to to maintain uninterrupted mouse functions (my only question would be if each unit on the market has a unique signal -- I wonder if someone else owned the same mouse while we were, say, in a coffee shop somewhere, if there would transmitter conflicts). The cons I could come up with were two, and these are purely subjective. First, if you accidentally knock the USB tranmitter connector, you might lose signal temporarily causing the mouse performance to stagger a bit until the system recognizes the mouse again. The second is the middle wheel button on the mouse. Works great, and rolls well, but when rolling, the graduated clicks of each turn are a little less fluid than, say, the full size Microsoft wireless mouse I also own. Again, purely a subjective comment -- the wheel and the mouse work perfectly.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Mouse 3000 - Winter Blue Save: $10.96 (37%) Review: Amanda Vessey (Terre Haute, IN) I bought this item to use at school with my laptop. Pros: ~ Size - it will fit in your backpack or pocket without a problem. ~ Easy to use - no downloading/installing necessary, just plug it in! ~ Receiver - snaps right into the bottom of the mouse so you'll never lose it! Also you can rotate a piece on the receiver to align it with the level of the mouse. ~ Battery life - I've had it for over a year and have only changed the battery once. ~ Cordless - I've used it many times when making powerpoint presentations, it's very handy to walk around with and just click and move on! ~ Durable - someone else mentioned that they wish it had a carrying case, I definitely disagree. This mouse doesn't need one! I've dropped it several times--once so hard that the top panel and the battery popped out--but it worked fine when I put everything back in its place. Cons: ~ Connection - it's not a very strong connection between the mouse and receiver, I've found that if the mouse doesn't have a direct line of sight to the receiver, it sometimes doesn't work. ~ Random behavior - a few times when I plugged the receiver in the mouse didn't connect. All I did was unplug and replug it and it worked fine though. ~ Size - some people with larger hands may find that's it's too tiny and uncomfortable to use. I suggest going to Best Buy or somewhere else to feel the different mice before purchasing them. - The USB receiver is a bit flimsy. It was designed to pivot in case you need better reception, but I always thought it looked like a weak point. After 1 year, I have found that to be true. The receiver now has a weak connection due to the swivel point and if I bump it, the light flickers due to the bad connection and the mouse stops responding. I have to unplug it and put it back in to fix it.

Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black) Save: $15.97 (23%) Review: Bobby1st (DE USA) The nano is cute for medium to short fingers and it works well. If you can hold a basketball with palms facing down, this would be a stretch to work with those fingers. That's why it's a nano, dah! The transmitter as advertised is small, insert and forget, that's the beauty of having this. It comes with a nice pouch for transporting but can easily misplaced when not in use. The transmitter can be park within the mice and easily fit in your pocket to make a point on its size. It also comes with a usb extension. I use it on another laptop where the usb is located at the back and I am right handed. For some reason the back and left usb location does not work perfectly all the time on my vx610 but now with the extension, perfect. I gave it a four stars for these reasons. The buttons location for the back and forward can't be inter-change, it's fixed. Since we often use the back button on web page, it is awkward to use. You have to release your grip on the mice to conveniently enable to press. The nano is comparable with the vx610 in price so I compared the two. The vx610 is medium size and have many functions with the ability to customize most primary buttons and fit the hand well. Don't get me wrong, I like it, I'm use to it and because I have another choice. Except for the nano's small transmitter, I believe the mice is pretty basic and comparable to many medium price wireless mice. After all I have said, it's for keep. It comes down to preference.

BlackBerry Curve 8330 Phone Reviews: Save 75 %

BlackBerry Curve 8330 Phone Reviews: Save 75 %

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Smallest, lightest BlackBerry with full QWERTY keyboard features GPS turn-by-turn directions via Sprint Navigation

Sprint Mobile Broadband Network via EV-DO connectivity; Sprint TV and Sprint Music Store enabled; access personal and corporate email

2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming; MicroSD expansion up to 8 GB

Includes: handset, rechargeable battery, charger, USB cable, 3.5mm headphones with microphone, 1 GB MicroSD card, quick start guide.

BlackBerry Curve 8330 Phone Reviews: By Natalie V. Galasso(Newark, New JERSEY) I am a very high tech digital girl, I go through about two to three cell phones a year due to the fact that I bore of them after constant daily use of them. Prior to the blackberry curve I owned a Palm Centro, in pink.. Wonderful phone by the way.. loved the touch screen. ANYWAY* Sprint offers this amazing unlimited everything plan for 99$ ( awesome deal! ) I upgraded to the Blackberry curve recently.. I will list the pros and cons.

Pros:
Beautiful, bright, large wide and clear screen

QWERTY Keyboard ( gosh I love texting, I cant use a normal cell to text on anymore after being spoiled with the qwerty keyboard)

Comes with leather case

Email Enabled

Has Pocket Express

Cheap Simply everything plan for 99.99 with sprint

Can Download AIm, MSN, flicker and a few other programs from blackberry.com

Cons:
1. no place to hang a cell phone charm from
( I felt a strange, slight withdrawal from the lack of a cellular charm. made me feel a little mental hahaha IT REALLY BOTHERED ME FOR ABOUT A WEEK, I had to find what to do with my old charms, I then just attached them to my key chain... )

2.Every time I restart my phone, my theme defaults back to the original.

================

2 STARS

By D. Montgomery (Portland, OR)
This is my first Blackberry. I got it for free for work, even though I don't really need to be in contact that often.

This phone is like a swiss army knife with 50 tools. Technically, it can do many things, but it does none of them well. The menus are a jumbled mess of indistinct icons, and the drop down menus contain endless items to scroll through to get to the one or two you actually use. There are lots of options screens with lots of choices, but they are so disparate and poorly laid out you will always have to hunt around to find the setting you are looking for. Overall, the device's software seems like a project where several different teams worked separately, never talking to each other until the day before it shipped, when they hurriedly pasted it all together.

Navigation with the little thumb stick is ok, often not very precise, and frequently frustrating. The small keyboard is actually not bad, and I have big hands, though I hear others at work who have the same model complain about it. Battery life is also just ok. I don't make many calls and I have to recharge every couple days. Call quality with Sprint is good and I haven't had any problems with reception. The web speed is also ok. Email sync methods leave a lot to be desired, but I wouldn't blame RIM for that.

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ5: REVIEWS, Sale: -30%

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A 9.1MP Digital Camera REVIEWS. Save 30% Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A 9.1MP Digital Camera

• 9-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-sized prints
• 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens; Face Detection
• New Panasonic Venus Engine IV improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects
• 3.0-inch LCD; Mega O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO

REVIEWS:
5 Stars
By J. James - I did research for about two months before deciding to purchase this camera. I was originally going to buy the TZ3 for $249.99 and the day I was going to buy it I read an article that Panasonic was going to come out with the TZ5.

I decided to wait a few weeks and read what I could regarding the quality of the new TZ5. It took a few weeks but reviews started popping up online and I was able to see the features of the new camera verses the TZ3. I decided to go ahead and spend the extra $50 dollars and purchase this camera.

Pros.
+ Small compact point and shoot with large 10x zoom
+ HD video resolution (720p capture with component cable playback)
+ Zoom while capturing video (option was not available in TZ3)
+ Ai setting makes the camera easy for beginners, just turn it on and shoot.
+ Large 3.0" LCD display screen makes reviewing pictures easy (the TZ5 also has a higher resolution screen then the TZ3)
+ 9.1 megapixel
+ Able to take pictures in different aspect ratio's 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9

Cons.
- Picture review button has changed from the TZ3 model. Now instead of easily hitting down on the 4 way directional pad you have to push a switch down to go into "review mode" to see the last picture you just took. I found this a little slower than the TZ3 and one more moving part that can break. For reference see the back of the TZ5 and notice the toggle switch from "capture to review" in the upper right hand corner.
- If the camera is not set to Ai then taking a good picture straight out of the box might not be perfect. You will want to spend a little time reading the manual and adjusting some settings to get a great photo.
- Will only us SDHC memory cards. Since I did not have a memory card this was not a problem for me, but if you are upgrading from an older camera you cannot use the old standard memory card. The new SDHC cards are faster and it is suggested that you get a high speed card (transfer rate) in order to capture HD video.
- ISO Images above 800 do have artifacts (static) in the image. This does not make the photo horrible or bad looking just noticeable if you blow up the image to a large size such as an 8x10. I knew this going in and most digital cameras have this problem, some worse.

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3 Stars
By T. Tom (SF Bay Area, CA United States) This camera has a lot of features that on paper seem quite good such had a wide range zoom lens, HD video and multiple aspect ratio picture modes. However, it's just okay, not great in it's performance. So, while it seems jam packed in features, some of these features are acceptable while others are marginal at best.

Images above ISO 200 look quite grainy and dull compared to other comparably priced point and shoot cameras I've tried such as the Canon SD870IS. Also, the audio for videos is terrible, there's no other word for it. In a silent room you can hear a hissing sound and any voices sound muddy and unclear. This is a shame because it makes the HD video (or any resolution videos) out of this camera barely usable unless you want to shoot a silent video.

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By William Garrett (Sunnyvale, CA United States)
I bought the TZ5 because I was in the market for a camera with wideangle zoom (28mm equiv or wider), good telephoto zoom, good overall photo quality, modern features, manual controls, compact size, at a competitive good price. The TZ5 excels at these criteria making me happy I bought it. My wife loves it, too. It's my 5th digital camera but only the first she's been enthusiastic about using.

The one downside is the camera's weak ergonomics. Perhaps because of the small overall size and the huge LCD on the back, there's basically no right way to hold it with just one hand. Up front, the flash is positioned very close to the grip. It's too easy to cover up accidentally with my fingers. Around back, my thumb rubs against the menu button frequently, which forces the camera out of picture-taking mode until I exit the menu. My hands are relatively small; I imagine it'd be worse for most adults. The only solution is to hold the camera gingerly, with both hands. It's a nuisance that detracts from an otherwise excellent camera. With slightly better ergonomics I'd give it an enthusiastic five stars.