CHANNEL PLUS 2100A Wall Plate for Bi-Directional IR Review

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(More customer reviews)Makes control over a single coax cable easy. Send Video and I/R signals on one wire without any extra cable.

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Sony BDV-T11 Home Theater System Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted to write a review as I could not find one when evaluating systems on-line. I bought this one blindly and have been extremely pleased with the purchase.
Items to note:
1. Huge sound on BlueRay's and DVD's.
2. Picture quality is top draw on my 1080 screen. The up-converter does an excellent job on DVD's to an almost Blue-Ray quality.
3. The small speakers kick out a lot of sound. The radio portion is still weaker then I would like. But this is a home theater. I have a sound system for my tunes!
4. It was easy to set up. Following the cables colors it was put together in 10-15 minutes.
5. The book is lengthy so do your self a favor and download the PDF. You can search for keywords to your specific question and tackle any question in seconds.
6. The optic cable offers great sound reproduction from my Plasma TV. I thought I wouldn't use it because of the great sound I had from my TV. But now I find I use it all the time.
7. You can't beat the price!
I think that these were promotional items for selling with Big Screens during Christmas with bundled packages. My guess is that it is the exact same electronics portion as the BVD-300 and the T10 as they share the same manual. That is what I used for my initial analysis.

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Nokia 500 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)UPDATES:
I've updated the review dealing with the FM transmitter's signal quality as well as the clock being reset when using the bottom power switch and dialing from the unit when using BT speakerphone.
I recently purchased mine from another online vendor. This will be a long and fairly detailed review and in it I will clarify some issues that some people are having.
Powering up from standby works both under battery power mode or charging mode. All you need to do is hold down the top power button for about 2-3 seconds and let it go. To put it back into standby hold the top power button for the same amount of time. For everyday use, the top power button is very convenient and allows faster boot ups than using the bottom power switch which requires a pointed device to switch it on/off. Make note that if/when you use the BOTTOM power switch make sure you do not power off when the unit is in standby as it will reset the clock. Only power off when the unit is on and out of standby. This is only an issue with the BOTTOM power switch.
BT pairing only works on some phones not all phones...duh. There are different versions of BT as well as different BT profiles support so don't expect every phone to work with this Nokia 500. My LG CU500 pairs fine and the speaker phone works great, loud and clear. My contacts however would not upload since my phone does not support Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) so I have to initiate calls using my handset's phonebook. You could direct dial calls using the touchpad if you already know the phone number. You could also save 9 speedial numbers into the "favorites". When receiving calls I can answer using the Nokia via the touchscreen. The BT speaker phone can use the built-in speaker or your car stereo via the FM transmitter. It works great with my car stereo, reception is loud and clear. There is some static every now and then but that's common with all FM transmitters. The FM transmitter works well while in the cradle or held in your hand using battery power, however, when using the car adapter it is very sensitive to the orientation of the WIRE so you'll have to move the wire around to get the best reception. I suspect this is the reason why some owners have little success with getting good reception since they do not realize this.
The FM transmitter works with music and videos stored on your SD card as well as the navigation voices. I did have a problem with the FM transmitter turning itself off after 1 min of inactivity during voice navigation usage, but I found an easy solution and that is to have an audio track play in the background in repeat mode which keeps the FM transmitter continuously on. If you prefer not to hear music play in the background during voice navigation then just turn down the volume using the front hard volume buttons. You could actually turn down the music volume all the way and the FM transmitter will still stay on. You do not have to go through the trouble of making a silent audio track that I'd suggested prior to finding this out. The voice navigation volume is independent of the music volume so it doesn't get turned down along with the music.
Keep in mind the Nokia does have a built-in speaker so the voices can playback through that instead of the car stereo if you don't want to fiddle around with the FM transmitter. Also note that if you have music playing in the background, the music volume automatically gets reduced so you could hear the voice navigation instructions when it kicks in.
The Nokia only comes with a car charger, but it can also be charged while connected to your computer's USB port. That means any USB charger will work. USB standard output voltage is 5V. At home I use an old Motorola USB cellphone charger, it's rated 5V and 550mA. The Nokia car adapter is rated 5V and 1A. It takes longer to charge with my Motorola charger because the current is about half of Nokia's car charger. Slow charging is better anyway since there's little risk of overcharging if you forget to unplug the charger after the battery has been fully charged.
The memory card that came with my unit is an official Nokia brand 2GB SD card NOT microSD or miniSD. The card is made by Sandisk. It comes with folders already created for MP3, VIDEOS, and PICTURES as well as CITIES for the maps. I copied all the files and folders from the 2GB card onto my 16GB card and it works without a problem. Music and videos play as expected, however it seems the videos have to be below a certain resolution and framerate. If the video's resolution is too high the playback will be choppy. I have to play around with encoding different videos to see what the optimum resolution/framerate is, however I did notice the 4 product demo videos that are included on the Nokia SD card are of the following specs.
Audio - AAC, Stereo, 44.1 kHz
Video - MPEG4 480×276 15 FPS
Bitrate - 768 kbps
I will try and see if I can make a video that runs at 25 FPS since 15 FPS is not very good IMO. The unit is capable of playing WMV at 30 FPS but that depends on the resolution. If I can get videos to play at 25 FPS at the screen's native resolution of 480x276 then it would be perfect. This Nokia is running Window CE Core 5.0 OS.
Finally if you want your battery to last longer just turn down the brightness or leave it in energy save mode where the screen dims after 30 secs. Doing that will allow the unit to last a couple of hours without needing to be plugged in.
The windshield mount is very high quality/sturdy and made in Germany. The suction cup is not your standard mill. You have to operate the lever when mounting/dismounting which is a good thing because it creates a very strong and reliable suction.
As far as the navigation is concerned, from my own usage it seems to work well. This is my first PND and I'm very happy with its performance. The Text To Speech voice navigation feature works great announcing street names etc. The user interface might be kinda confusing at first but once you memorize where everything is and have everything setup it does the job pretty effectively. Yes there are probably better user interfaces from other products but when you consider what you're getting overall at this low price, there's not much here to complain about.
For the little money that I paid for my unit, it's a great deal. It does what it's supposed to do with a nice big bright 4.3" widescreen and includes BT speaker phone capability and FM transmitter. The unit also supports many different audio and video formats. It also plays uncompressed lossless WAV files even though it doesn't list that file format in the official specs. The unit is very high quality and feels solid. The built-in nonreplaceable battery isn't a big deal because this will be mainly used in the car not carried around in my pocket. Regardless the battery will likely last a few years when used strictly as a portable which is the same as any iPod or iPhone. In a few years PNDs with the same features as this Nokia will be dirt cheap anyway so when my battery dies I could just buy a newer better unit and still be able to use the old unit in the car plugged into the cigarette lighter socket if I so choose.

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USA SPEC PA11-HON2y - iPod to 2003-2006 Honda Factory Radio Interface w/ Auxiliary Audio input Review

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(More customer reviews)Prior to purchasing this, I had a Dension ice>Link which worked well for a while until I restarted the my car. To restore functionality, I had to pull a fuse out and plug it back in. I did this several times until eventually, it just died on me.
The USA Spec Adapter however gave me no such problems. It's very stable and works exactly as advertised. Installation in my 2005 Accord LX was fairly easy. The toughest part was plugging the socket under the radio without removing the cubby hole -- it's possible but you need small hands.
This is an excellent purchase. I'd recommend this product to anyone.

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Cy-Fi Wireless Sports Speaker for iPod (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, I'm relatively sure this product is off the line by now. For the most part, it seems like many folks are having problems finding customer support, so I just wanted to share some of the simple fixes that worked for me.
Most problems should be solvable with the info in the woot.com forum archive here: [']
my experience follows
Out of the packaging, I ended up charging the device for some 2-3 hours as depicted in the instructions, but I was not able to get the transmitter and speaker to connect even though both lights were flashing. The instructions are somewhat undetailed, but the device should connect if you try the multiple device connection method in the manual. Hold the multiuse button on the speaker for 10 seconds till flashing quickly, then press the button/light on the transmitter for 5 seconds till it is also flashing quickly. I was quite relieved when I realized the instructions were at fault, not the hardware itself.
tl;dr press all buttons for a long time to make this device work

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Sony BRAVIA KDL60NX810 60-Inch 1080p 240 Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)We have been without HD, as our old Pioneer Elite (purchased about 1995) died some years ago and then we used a hand-me-up Sony from one of our sons until making a deliberate move into current technology. WOW, this TV is unbelievable. The picture is stunning: bright, high contrast, true-to-color. It really stood above all the other TVs at the highish end store. We used the self supporting stand that the set comes with for our installation. This TV comes equipped with internal WiFi so I have it synced with our home WiFi net (AirPort). We can now stream NetFlix and it is flawless. We now know what we have been missing. There was some small issue in "conditioning" our Comcast modem (2 online sessions with the Comcast help line resolved the issues). This Bravia comes with a very useable internal menu that is better than what we have been used to. When I bought the TV, I really thought I'd need to buy surround system eventually, but after using it for the past month, I don't think that will be necessary. Sound is fine: we had the old Pioneer connected to gigantic subwoofer plus 5 external speakers. The internal speakers on the KDL 60 NX810 are fine for our needs (they even convey some 'stereo'). We view the screen from about 9-10 ft. I would not want a smaller set. So far, we have not tried the 3D capabilities, but obviously it's not a high priority. Just cannot say enough -- the picture quality is a crusher!

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Designed to deliver dazzling Full HD 1080p resolution, this 60-inch BRAVIA NX810 Series HDTV (model KDL60NX810) features advanced dynamic LED backlighting technology for incredibly high contrast levels, deep blacks and bright whites. And get ready for a three-dimensional revolution in your living room with the NX810's 3D capabilities. Just add the optional Sony sync transmitter and active glasses to experience movies and video games in 3D like never before Full HD 1080p, or convert 2D to 3D with a push of a button on your remote.

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Chamberlain RWA-300R Wireless Alert System Review

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(More customer reviews)On our 60 acres, thieves had broken into our new home under construction, stealing $19,000 worth of equipment, tools and supplies. After installing the Reporter, a problem arose, every time deer moved about, the alarm would sound and my husband would have to go check it. After many false alarms much to our surprise, one late night, instead of the 4-legged kind of deer, it turned out to be a couple of 2-legged "dears" back again to steal more. We held them at gunpoint until the police arrived and hauled them off to jail for trespassing, burglary and grand theft. We don't care about the times the deer make the alarm go off because we finally caught the thieves. The Reporter lets us know any movement on the driveway coming and going. We are grateful for this little device which has helped us stop the robberies. We're still checking every time the alarm sounds.

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iRiver H10 20 GB MP3 Player/Recorder (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the great things about this player is you do not have to install any special software; just drag a folder of MP3s over to it. The best feature is its future potential; the manufacturer brags 'firmware upgradeable' on the box and an Internet search reveals an active user forum and homebrew software available.
I actually found a use for the text file viewer-- it is a handy way to keep track of a new workout routine. Sound quality is good enough for loud rock music while mowing or working out.
There are some minor annoyances in the software. The equalizer does not have enough frequency ranges and introduces some noise. There is not a clear indication when you disable the EQ and turn on the SRS feature. The picture display is cool, but no zoom and pan - even my cell phone does that. However, these are all minor bugs that could be fixed with new software.
One of the advertised features is line in recording - but you don't get the line input jack unless you buy a cradle. Hmmm, why not just use the line input jack on your computer sound card and save the money. I would rather have had a line input and/or a mic jack on the unit itself than the wired remote control jack - the iriver is about the size of a remote control itself so I am not sure what the logic was here.
Like I mentioned earlier these are minor annoyances and I am generally impressed with the performance and sound on the player.

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The iRiver 20 GB model H10 is the perfect portable digital player/recorder for true music and audio enthusiasts. Hardly bigger than a deck of cards, its 1.8-inch hard drive has space for over 5,000 songs (128 kbps MP3, 4 minutes per song) or more than 330 hours of music. Yet the whole player measures just 2.4 x 4 inches (W x H) and less than an inch deep. Sensibly arranged controls--including an intuitive central touchpad--make it child's play to setup and use, and an internal battery delivers up to 16 hours of non-stop music between charges.But the H10 is about more than just music. It comes complete with a brilliant, full-color 1.8-inch TFT LCD that supports up to 260,000 colors, rendering your favorite JPEG digital photos with breathtaking clarity. (Yep, it does slide shows, too.) What's more, an integrated text viewer lets you lose yourself in paperless novels, news, essays, short stories--you name it.A built-in microphone facilitates use as a voice recorder, with 3 quality settings to choose from. The unit also features a built-in FM tuner with a choice of automatic and manual channel-search functions, including 20 station presets for one-touch tuning to your favorites, especially handy for traffic and news updates when you're out and about. An antenna built into the supplied headset ensures crystal-clear sound quality, and a timer lets you set the H10 to record radio programs with real-time MP3 encoding at specific times of your choosing.The H10 is PlaysForSure compatible and fully integrated with Microsoft Windows Media Player 10, which makes it even easier to enjoy your digital media. In addition to a range of options for managing digital content, you'll enjoy fast access to the H10's "digital media hall," where you can scavenge the virtual shelves of numerous online shops (including Napster To Go) in search of cool songs old and new. With the player/recorder connected to your PC, you'll be able to purchase and download songs straight into the H10. An auto-sync function synchronizes music and image files on the H10 with those stored on your PC, just like a PDA.Icing on the cake, the H10 also a guaranteed head turner with a high-grade aluminum casing whose purist elegance is as pleasing to the eye as the touch.What's in the Box Digital music player/recorder, stereo earphones, a carrying case with belt clip, a USB 2.0 interface cable, an installation CD, an AC adapter, a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Scytek Galaxy 5000RS-2W Two-Way Remote Security and Engine Start System Review

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(More customer reviews)Make sure you use the wiring harness to save time. Also pep boys carries relays, some which are made just for the power windows.
Pros
Functionality was great-always did what I wanted it to
Cool features, like knowing how cold it is in your car from inside
Nice to know if your car is locked by a glance of the remote
Cons
Remotes seem to use up batteries quickly
Remote is made very cheaply
Hard to adjust sensors just right, as to not get false alarms, but make it sensitive enough
I would probably buy this system again. I sold the car it was in, so dunno if it still works.

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Sangean ATS-404 AM/FM Digital Shortwave World Band Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Being an electronic product designer myself, I usually end up wishing I could offer some design change orders to the manufacturers of the gizmos I buy. However, after a month of use, I haven't come up with much that I want to change here. I did find it rather awkward to set some of the time keeping functions such as zeroing the clock to get it sync'ed with WWV, but managed to get it done. The little bells and whistles such as station memory, auto scan, dual time zones, sleep and alarm functions are the sort of thing we nerdy types appreciate. However, if you don't like programming your VCR, this radio is probably not for you. The manual is written in a far eastern interpretation of British english, and consequently, for Americans, adds something to the challenge of understanding how to work all the features. Also, the radio's designers had an odd understanding of common english parlance in referencing shortwave bands to wavelengths in meters, and carried that quirky english through the radio display design, as well as the manual. However, only HAMs and avid Shortwave listeners will likely notice that.
Reception: FM sensitivity is excellent, seemingly the equal of my home stereo receiver, with excellent stereo and fidelity when listening through the included "earbuds." Those earbuds are the better quality type, too. Medium wave (AM) broadcast reception is OK. Shortwave is good. I listen routinely to BBC, Deutche Welle, Radio Switzerland and Austria, Taiwan and others, all with only the built in telescoping antenna. SW Band coverage is complete, so you can chase the BBC World Service up and down their various operating frequencies as propagation conditions vary through the day.
The only significant technical weakness of the radio, and the primary reason I didn't give it 5 stars, is battery life. I use Rayovac rechargeable alkalines and get about 20 hours per charge, which is OK, but not great. If one were buying non-rechargeable AA alkalines, the battery drain would add up to about $.25 per hour, which is a bit much, I think. A simpler radio, perhaps analog rather than digital, could be expected to go quite a bit longer on a set of batteries. I think Sangean should consider including an AC adapter with the radio, given the battery life. There's a jack to plug one in, but Sangean leaves it to the customer to find an adapter elsewhere.
Overall, after a month of daily use, I'm happy with the purchase. The radio met my expectations.

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The Sangean ATS-404 digital AM/FM stereo receiver is a portableshortwave radio with a built-in digital clock. This radio can receive anexpanded number of radio frequencies, which makes it an ideal radio for eitherurban or rural use.
The illuminated time display, which also includes seconds,can be set to show the time of day in either 12-hour (AM/PM) or 24-hour timeintervals. The alarm for this receiver has a repeating beep tone which increasesin volume once every 15 seconds, for up to 1 minute. The radio has an adjustablesleep timer and snooze control.
The radio frequencies can be tuned in eitherautomatically or manually. The auto memory scan will run through and play eachpreset station for seven seconds. The auto preset system will hold up to 45frequencies in memory.
The radio includes a carrying case and stereo earbuds,along with a manufacturer's warranty for one year on parts and labor.

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Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB Digital Audio Player Silver Review

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(More customer reviews)I first saw the Gigabeat at CES this year and I've been waiting for it since then. I finally got my hands on the F40 a couple a weeks ago and I wasn't disappointed. By the time it shipped here in the US Toshiba applied firmware 2.02 which lets you view slide shows of your favorite photos while playing music.
The good:
- The screen is no doubt the best in its class.
- The touch sensitive cross is very intuitive, much more so than the wheel on the iPod. The Gigabeat can be operated in horizontal mode, my favorite, and the cross is designed perfectly for this. Due to its design switching from vertical to horizontal mode requires no change in how you navigate.
- Setting the EQ to flat will give you crystal clear and a very detailed sound experience, and the volume has more power than I can handle.
- You can preset volume and EQ settings per song in the Gigabeat Room program
- You can browse music by Artist/Album/Genre, but also by folders like Explorer.
- No need for the cradle if you transfer music via Gigabeat Room, or without Room if you use the Gigabeat as external HD using drag and drop.
- Rip Tech button on the cradle will rip an entire CD and transfer it to your Gigabeat in 5 minutes.
- Works with all Play For Sure online music services.
The bad:
- SAT encryption on anything you transfer via Gigabeat Room or Windows Media Player. You can get around it by using drag and drop while connected in Windows Media Mode and using the cradle. Instead of using WMP you just drag and drop your music onto the Gigabeat. Gigabeat will recognize ID3 information and catalog your music when you drag and drop this way.
- USB 1.1 speed when using any other way then Gigabeat Room to transfer music to the Gigabeat.
- EQ quality is not as good as it could be. However with the EQ set to flat everything I have tried sounds great!
- No video... yet.
I REALY like the Gigabeat. I have recommended it to all my friends and I got a second one for my wife. "The bad" can all be fixed with a firmware upgrade, and I'm hoping that Toshiba is listening to all Gigabeat enthusiasts. I belive that hardware wise the Gigabeat is perfect. All that now is needed is some fine tuning on the EQ and to get rid of the SAT encryption.
Lots of information about the Gigabeat can be found over at www.mygigabeat.com. The forum is an excellent way to get most of your questions answered.

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Images and music combine in this easy-to-use portable digital audio player. Toshiba's snazzy, silver Gigabeat MEG-F40S packs a 1.8-inch Toshiba hard drive capable of holding an incredible 40 GB of digital media: MP3 and WMA compressed audio and even uncompressed, full-resolution WAV files. That's about 10,000 songs (more than 600 complete albums) at 128 kbps MP3, a crazy 20,000 songs at 64 kbps WMA, and a still-impressive 1,100 songs or 75 hours of CD-resolution WAV files.A major feature of the player is its bright, crystal-clear, 2.2-inch LCD with 240 x 320 resolution and the ability to render over 65,000 colors. It's there so you can experience the visual as well as the aural component of your entertainment. The Gigabeat lets you download and view album covers, search for your favorite tracks by scrolling through those album covers, or even set a favorite album cover as your background image. You can download any digital still picture from your PC and create custom slideshows, too--and set them to music.Gigabeat may be versatile, but it's also easy to operate. Its PlusTouch sensor control lets you scroll through its intuitive menus using only a soft touch or pass of your fingertip.The PC-only Gigabeat is "Plays for Sure"-certified by Microsoft, which means that it will operate with any "Plays for Sure" download site or management software when connected to your PC. Gigabeat is automatically recognized by Windows Media Player 10, so there's no need to install new drivers of any kind. Toshiba has also partnered with Napster to provide Napster's "Napster To Go" software, giving you the option of using Napster To Go, Windows Media Player, and/or the supplied Gigabeat Room management software (Gigabeat Room is required for transfer of photo images).So what about your CD collection? After all, you'll likely be able to stash the entire thing in here, one way or another. Thanks to a unique feature called CD RipRec, all you have to do is place a CD in your PC and press the CD RipRec button while the Gigabeat is docked in its cradle. CD RipRec will launch the software and transfer compressed audio to your Gigabeat quickly and with no further effort on your part. Using a USB 2.0 connection (cable supplied), CD RipRec can transfer the contents of an entire CD to the Gigabeat in as little as 5 minutes.If Gigabeat's battery life (up to 16 hours) isn't enough to satisfy your entertainment needs, fret not. Rather than carrying your AC adapter everywhere, simply connect the Gigabeat to any PC with a USB cable and the battery will charge itself again.Other features include headphones with an integrated wired remote control, a choice of 10- or 60-second intro scan to help you find a desired song, multilingual support (Japanese, English, French, Chinese, Spanish, and German), and 28 user selectable equalizer settings, and SRS WOW, which simulates surround sound from any two speakers (including headphones).What's in the Box Digital music player, an AC power adapter, a power-supply, a docking cradle, a USB cable, headphones with integrated remote control, a software CD-ROM (Gigabeat Room management software, CD RipRec, Napster To Go), a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Dual-channel Uhf Wireless Lavalier Microphone System Review

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(More customer reviews)The 320 (and the 100) series Azden radios were really good radios until the FCC allocated the 700 Mhz band to the public safety service in the USA. Outside of the usa these are still popular frequencies for wireless mics, however Azden was forced to reintroduce the popular 320 with the 325 which is less expensive, has more frequencies, and is compatible with the new digital television space.
Your odds of getting a good channel with the 325 series are good while your odds of getting a cop with the 320 series are small but the consequences are high. The 796-804 Mhz space lands on top of the new public safety band. Also Azden bumped up the power on the 325 series extending an already sufficient range even further.
If you have a 320 system just check with your local law enforcement to see what their plans are to utilize the 700 Mhz band for public safety in your area before you continue to use it. Less crowded areas are not likely to pay the big bucks to move to 700 Mhz, while New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco will be moving there very soon. The problem lies in the fact that even a 15 mW transmitter can be heard by the tall public safety radio towers in your town which are designed to hear weak signals from 30+ miles away.
Azden's updated 325 series radios are in abandoned 600 mhz frequencies and do not have this issue, while offering many new features. I am surprised the 320 systems are still being sold but azden may want to support foreign customers with their remaining stock.
Other than the frequency choice, the 320 is a great radio system offering the editor dual channel audio tracks from two lav systems. Even the semi-pro would appreciate radio stereo mics or one for each of two people in the new 16:9 widescreen format. Very few dual mic systems exist and the 320/325 system from azden is one of the most affordable to date with excellent sound quality and a decent range (100-150 feet in dense areas). A good frequency to pick is 800.000 Mhz as this is unassigned by the FCC as part of the "guard band" between systems.

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LG KM900 Arena Touchscreen Titan Unlocked Phone--International Version with No Warranty (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been using this phone for the past 3 weeks. I originally bought it locked to T-mobile UK paid for it to be unlocked, and De-branded the phone myself to get it to the generic version without the lame t-mobile junk all in it. That being said I really like this phone.
Pros:
-5 mega-pixel Camrea
-DVD quality video
-You tube application (unfortunately streaming is played over the DIVX player and not flash)
-Google maps
-8g of internal memory
- Expansion slot up to 32g micro
-Email (pop3 and Microsoft exchange)
- FM transmitter
- Fm radio
- High resolution screen
- Intuitive user interface
- Java
-WIFI
-Blue tooth with stereo support
Cons:
-No way to turn off popup events notice annoying ass hell
- The GPS takes forever to find my location, most of the time it cant
- Very small onscreen keys for texting make it a challenge
- Sometimes the phone gets confused about what position its in and wont rotate successfully when typing.
- no USA 3G
Supposedly according to the help section in the software suite this phone can be used as a blue tooth web cam.. I have no idea how to though.
Overall:
The call quality of this phone is good, there have been a lot of complaints about battery life but for me this hasn't been a problem. Seems to last the whole day just fine with moderate use. I had a G1 before this phone and its battery life was a lot worse. I used the fm transmitter in my car for the first time today it seemed to work okay considering it's a phone, downer is bass didn't seem to make it.
This phone is very sleek and sexy and functional I love how thin it is and how well the camera works. The wifi and bluetoth work very well. And the screen is very clear. Even with the GPS acting lame I love this phone and would 5-star it if I could turn off stupid events notifications!!!!


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Griffin Technology 4020-TALK iTalk Voice Recorder for iPod Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the iTalk to take memos when I'm out in the field. Camera in one had, iPod in the other. I read the reviews first so knew it would be risky but it sounded ok for my uses and I got it cheap.
* Files are about 1 minute per Mb, stored as wav.
* Sound quality is understandable but not as good as AM radio.
* For a fully charged iPod, I got about 90 mins recording before the battery showed empty.
Pros
* Recording works fine, and I can dictate captions for photos as I think of them on site. Typically these are 1-2 minutes at most. I have also made an hour-long recording as a test without problems. I tried recording conversation in a cafe but it picks up too much background to be understandable.
* The best feature for photo memos is that files are time stamped, so I copy each memo to the same folder as my photos (which are also time stamped) making them easy to match up.
* iTalk can take an external mike which cuts out background white noise.
* Files are automatically sync'd to iTunes Voice Memo list and stored in the iTunes unknown artist folder. (If you have this feature set in iTunes)
Cons
* Software glitches randomly lock up the iPod under almost every condition except for the initial condition (more about this below).
* The iTalk covers the iPod lock. This is a serious design flaw given how quickly the battery drains. It means that you can't carry the iTalk connected to the iPod and easily lock the keys.
* The line that takes a mic also doubles as a line out. If headphones are connected and you try to record, the recording light shows but nothing is recorded. It creates a file but it's empty.
Hints
Prevent freezing: If the iTalk is in place when the iPod is turned on, it will often freeze. To prevent freezing, remove the iTalk before turning on the iPod every time. Under these conditions I've never had it freeze. If the iPod does sleep, to prevent freezing, remove the iTalk then insert it again (i'm not sure how often this is necessary, but I haven't had to reset the iPod since the first day).
Reset: To reset the iPod, remove the iTalk and hold down the iPod's MENU and PLAY '>||' buttons for 10 sec. I used this 5x the first day with the iTalk but haven't needed it since.
Locking: Slide a laminated card (my credit card is too thick) between the iPod and iTalk to lock, or carry the iTalk separately (annoying, but not as annoying as rebooting every time).
Saving: It's not enough to pause a recording, you need to remember to stop and save it before removing the iTalk. The MENU button will also save files.
Finding the files on PC: I have iTunes set to automatically sync files. To find the files in iTunes, look under the Voice Memos list. It's a trifle disconcerting when they disappear from one list and appear elsewhere unless you're prepared for it. On my PC, they can also be copied from
iTunes music/unknown artist/unknown album
Battery: I tried letting the battery run out while recording. It ran for ~50 minutes while the battery was showing empty then shut down with no warning. The file appears to have been saved ok.
Battery life: Check out the apple web page for battery tips (...) (I know this comment is outside the scope of iTalk, but if you use a voice recorder with the iPod, you're going to be dealing with battery issues.)
Summary
Despite the glitches, I like having a handy memo system and will keep it til something better turns up. Doesn't sound like Belkin is any better in terms of software glitches or battery life, but it looks like it would be possible to lock the iPod with the Belkin in place which would be a plus. The minus is that Belkin doesn't take an external mic.

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GRIFFIN iTalk -- Finally, an iPod Voice Recorder done the right way, with integrated mic and loudspeaker and styling that makes your iPod look even more heavenly!Plays back recordings through amazingly loud and clear integrated speaker, or optional headphonesPass-through headphone jack allows you to monitor voice recording, or listen to music without having to remove iTalkDownload recordings to your computer for archiving or playbackWith iTalk - your iPod will listen to you!Supported iPod Models -3rd-Generation (4 Horizontal Buttons) / 4th-Generation (Click Wheel) / iPod color / iPod photo

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READY REMOTE 24921 Automobile Auto Start System Review

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(More customer reviews)This starter is probably one of the easiest to use and install on the market. The on the phone help is pretty great and the wire diagrams you get on design tech's site with the crash code make it easier to install and save time and DVD explains alot. All parts come complete and these new starters are much smaller & compact that previous ones that I got in 03'. Many people complain that the install is difficult but that's because they don't have extra tools like relays and socket wrenches which some cars need and install experience ( you need a good background in electronics). They only thing is that you need the time (like a day off) to install it. Also Beware many cars have immobilizers that contain a starter kill. Look up you car on their web site and see if it has one. If it doesn't, installation should be a breeze, but if not it will take you about 30 mins more. My only complaint, it has a 6 inch antenna, which is powerful, but range gets to be 150 ft, so mount it 8 inches away from the firewall. ( if you get one that can open doors model 24923, take more time.)

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Sekonic L-758Cine Light Meter (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)pricey for what it is and does, but you'll never have to buy a new one

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The Sekonic L-758Cine DIGITALMASTER is the ultimate light-measuring tool for cinematographers, videographers as well as digital still shooters. Offering the most extensive range of fps (frames-per-second), cine shutter speeds, and shutter angle settings, it meets and excedes the demands of Professional Cinematographers as well as Professional Still Photographers. It is the first to offer a 1 parallax-free spot viewfinder with a digital display. A built-in retractable incident Lumisphere for standard or cosine corrected light readings, provides both hemispherical and narrow angle readings. The L-758Cine DUALMASTER will handle any lighting situation. It offers foot-candle, lux, foot-lambert and cd/m2 measuring modes plus cine shutter speeds from 1 to 1000 fps and shutter angle settings from 1 to 270.

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RCA RCU1010 Universal 9 Device Touch Screen Remote Control Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't understand everyone else's negative reviews about the learning feature of this remote. For most of my components it took a little extra time and patience, but it got there eventually. The most trouble I had was with my Apex DVD player; the remote preset code wouldn't work and I had to program each button individually. The functions were "forgotten" a few times, but I patiently kept reprogramming and now it finally seems to have stuck. Sure, if I had paid a ridiculous amount for it, this would be unacceptable, but you ALWAYS get what you pay for. I've learned that lesson time and time again.
When I tried programming a second DVD player onto Aux, it screwed up the main player's settings. I haven't tried it again since successfully getting the first to stay in there. There are 4 Audio buttons which unfortunately only offer soft keys suited for audio operation, not adaptable to DVD players. So for now I'm holding onto my lesser-used player's remote.
The pros:
Programming wasn't difficult, I don't think I even bothered reading the manual.
I like that the permanent hard keys are play, FF, rewind, as I need those for 3 of the 5 components I am operating. The prior touchscreen remote I tried (Sima) had those as soft keys, which was annoying.
The response time for the keys seems adequate.
The blue-lit screen looks very high-tech and buttons aren't too hypersensitive about hitting the wrong one.
I love the punch-through feature for the volume keys. On the Sima I had to constantly switch back to TV to change volume.
The touchscreen material makes it very easy to wipe fingerprints off. Keeps it looking newer longer.
I love the PDA look of the unit.
I love FINALLY having only one remote on the coffee table, rather than two or three.
The cons:
The biggest con I can see is the placement of the hard keys. Being at the bottom, it is impossible to use this with only one hand. Would have been better to reverse hard keys and touchscreen (or provided longer hand grip underneath hard keys).
Not able to relabel soft keys for special functions. But from what I have read, only the top-of-the-line models let you do this. Again, you get what you pay for.
Kind of silly to have a "mute" button so prominently placed in the center of the hard keys. Our family never uses it. I wish it could have been reprogrammed for an important Tivo function instead.
Backlight doesn't stay on long enough, and impossible to see screen in the dark without it. Time will tell what kind of wear this puts on the batteries.
Overall I'd say this is a great value for the price. Some people who are more demanding with higher expectations might want to look at higher end units, though.
****EDIT****: 9 months later the remote has forgotten all my codes repeatedly and now nothing will stick. It's back to operating only the TV. Guess you have to pay top dollar to have a remote that is really and truly universal. Subtract 3 of those stars.

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