Yongnuo Speedlite YN560 Flash for Canon, Nikon Cameras

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.99
Sale Price: $59.99
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

I haven't shot enough with it to determine consistency, but I'm pleased so far. Flash is a bit large for the output, but it is still decent. I did some test shots and was getting f8 at 18 ft. This tells me that the GN is just about 144. The specs put it at just 58. (Maybe that was supposed to be meters and not feet). This is almost as good as I got from the Sunpak PZ42XC at full on manual.

Build is similar to the Sunpak flashes. Swivel and bounce feel no less solid and click into place just fine without shifting. The built in diffuser AND mini bounce card are nice although small. My sunpak PZ42XC doesn't have that. There is a PC sync and a power supply connection on the side which my sunpak doesn't have either. Then there is the optical slave which works well with two levels of sensitivity and of course my sunpak lacks that as well.

With all of that said, this flash isn't for just anybody. This is just a plain dumb manual flash without TTL or even a thyristor. THERE IS NO AUTO FUNCTION. If your intent is to use this as a camera mounted flash for candids, forget it unless you know how to manually setup for every shot by adjusting your aperture as needed. It is not intended for that purpose.

The flash came with a base that has a threaded hole in the bottom so it can be mounted to a stand. It would do a terrific job providing fill or backlight capability. It swivels 180 degrees and straight up so bouncing into an umbrella or through a diffuser while the slave sensor faces forward for a stationary photo shoot are ideal uses of this flash. So is placing it behind a subject for a backlight. My Lumiquest gel holder fits very tight due to the large flash head, but it fits.

The controls and lights on the back seem a bit confusing and the manual isn't a lot of help since the translation from Chinese to English is about the same quality as you get from Google translate..... I was able to figure it out but it took some time experimenting with the unit.

Recharge is quick even at full power. I was very impressed. Of course it has less output than the Sunpak and uses the same number of batteries but still, I was pleased.

One other note. When i first tried to turn it on it wouldn't do anything and I was immediately afraid it was DOA. I found that to turn it on, you must hold the on-off button for a couple seconds. When you press it down, the lights on the bar progress from left to right and if you don't hold it down till the lights get to the far right, it just shuts off. Awkward, but easy to deal with if you are aware of it.

Altogether, I'm quite pleased with what I have assuming it lasts a a while. The build seems solid so I'll just have to wait and see. I'm confident enough in the product that I'm going to buy a second one so I can have one for fill and the other for a backlight for impromptu studio shots.

If you need a slave flash with some power and manual controls I really think this is the best thing out there. Almost everything else in this price range is a single power or auto-flash without the ability to make manual output adjustments. You can get this output with no slave, the slave with no manual,or you can spend twice as much. But if you need a speedlight with auto functions for camera mounted shots, get something with auto functions.

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Kingston Digital HyperX Predator DataTraveler 512GB USB 3.0

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,750.00
Sale Price: $544.74
Today's Bonus: 69% Off

The Predator 512GB USB3 Drive is a unique product right now, being the largest USB stick you can really buy at the moment, but just as importantly, it is very fast as well for a USB drive. It's no SSD, BUT, as removable storage goes, it's very fast, outpacing my external mechanical hard drives and high-end SDXC cards by a fair margin.

And this is what I need it for, LOTS of FAST external storage all in one place.

Crystal DiskMark results, posted below, show this is about twice as fast in large file operations as my SandDisk Extreme SDXC 45 MBps card in my laptops built-in SD card slot, and about 3X as fast as my WD Passport 1TB connected via USB 3. Net, my go to portable storage device at this moment.

+Very fast for removable storage

+Rugged

+Secure and convenient key ring holder with quick release

+Protects the USB connection well via sliding mechanism without using an all to easy to loose cap

+Big-ish for a USB thumb drive, but small for something that holds 512GB!

-Performance drops off for 512mb writes

-No hardware encryption, must rely on a software solution

Highly recommended, but do wish for the hardware encryption option and can't wait for the 1TB version to come out!

Kingston HyperX Predator 512 GB USB3 Stick on USB3 ExpressCard & Hub

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CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 x64 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo

Crystal Dew World :

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* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]

Sequential Read : 146.839 MB/s

Sequential Write : 108.268 MB/s

Random Read 512KB : 134.254 MB/s

Random Write 512KB : 1.737 MB/s

Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 8.755 MB/s [ 2137.6 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 1.462 MB/s [ 357.0 IOPS]

Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 8.589 MB/s [ 2096.9 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 1.713 MB/s [ 418.3 IOPS]

Test : 1000 MB [K: 43.6% (208.8/478.6 GB)] (x5)

Date : 2013/05/01 0:46:51

OS : Windows 7 Enterprise Edition SP1 [6.1 Build 7601] (x64)

---------Aug. 3rd, 2013 Update 512GB mSATA alternative delivers size and speed but not simplicity for ~65% of cost ----------

Thought I'd look into the possibility of using a 512 GB mSATA drive with USB3 case as an alternative. So, combined the Samsung MTD5120 mSATA drive from provantage with a mSATA USB3 case MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof USB 3.0 mSATA SSD Enclosure Adapter MDMS-BP-USB3, connected through the best USB3 Express card adapter I've found to date, the Transcend USB 3.0 Express Card Adapter for Laptop TS-PNU3. Total cost was about four hundred fifty, so about 65% of the Kingston HyperX. Speed is good, size is small, but downside is having to have a USB3 power cable and adapter to use it. Net, for price I'm glad I got it, but given the need to have the USB3 parts all the time, I'll use this new mSATA setup in something a bit less critical with less frequent use, i.e., as a mobile backup for the MyDocs folder on my laptop when traveling.

Have posted the Crystal Diskmark results for the mSATA drive below, connected via USB 3 to the same laptop as my HyperX, so therefore, should be pretty comparable results. Note that the large file sequential read/write are deficient vs. the HyperX, while the random large file write and small file results are better. Net, usable, comparable speed.

mSATA Samsung 512GB 1.8 inch case USB3

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

CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 x64 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo

Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/

mSATA Samsung 512GB My Digital SSD Case USB3

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

CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1 x64 (C) 2007-2010 hiyohiyo

Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/

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

* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]

Sequential Read : 111.278 MB/s

Sequential Write : 44.840 MB/s

Random Read 512KB : 95.420 MB/s

Random Write 512KB : 60.853 MB/s

Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 15.342 MB/s [ 3745.6 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 14.452 MB/s [ 3528.4 IOPS]

Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 12.161 MB/s [ 2969.1 IOPS]

Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 17.308 MB/s [ 4225.6 IOPS]

Test : 1000 MB [U: 74.5% (355.5/476.9 GB)] (x5)

Date : 2013/08/04 0:44:49

OS : Windows 7 Enterprise Edition SP1 [6.1 Build 7601] (x64)

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Sony BRAVIA KDL42EX440 42-Inch 1080p LED HDTV (Black)

Customer Ratings:

Received this Sony 42" LED HDTV last week and I already own the 32" LED HDTV 1080p so I knew it would be just as great. Well it is better than I hoped it would be. Set up was super easy. The screen is sharper than my 32" size. You can watch this TV in a dark room and it adjusts to its environment. Same with a bright light on. From every angle you can see this TV clearly. This is in our living room. Perfect size. Highly Recommend this TV.

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Tamrac 5587 Expedition 7x Digital SLR Camera & Laptop Backpack

Customer Ratings:

I've just received this kit few days back and it was great and as descried

Here is my feedback about each item I received:

Tamrac 5587 Expedition 7x Camera Backpack: 5 Stars

LensPen Lens Cleaning System: 5 Stars

Precision Design USB 2.0 All-in-1 Card Reader: 4 Stars

ImageRecall Digital Image Recovery Software: didn't try yet.

Precision Design Memory Card Storage Wallet: 4 stars

Precision Design Deluxe 6-Piece Lens & Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit: 4 Stars

Universal LCD Screen Protectors: 2 Stars

Microfiber Cleaning Cloth: Just Okay

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Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM AF Standard Zoom Lens

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $899.00
Sale Price: $749.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

I'm currently using a Nikon D90 but the D700 is on the horizon for me. This meant that I am not buying any DX lenses anymore. I have the Tokina 11-16, Nikkor 70-300 VR, Nikkor 50mm 1.8 and the D90 kit lens 18-105 VR (never been happy with the kit lens). So the only focal range I needed was basically 17-70 and the DX Nikkor 17-55 is out. The logical approach was the Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 but ugh... I'm not making $$$ from my shots yet and $1999 was a bit much to swallow. I rented the Nikkor and the Sigma to compare side by side and I really loved the Sigma's compact but solid presence compared to the relatively big and long Nikkor (chalk up one point for the Sigma)... I took about 150 shots with both lenses and I really could not find too many differences... Certainly none that stood out. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a pixel peeper and I was truly looking for the lesser priced lens to come up short but honestly only some very minor flare issues (shooting directly into the late evening sun) even showed up. On my crop framed D90 the sharpness was superb on both lenses, color, contrast and focusing accuracy and speed was exactly what I expected. VERY VERY good. One thing that added to the cost of the Sigma though (chalk up a point for Nikkor) is the 82mm filter size. They are not easy to find and are almost always more expensive (high quality Digital UV filter was $100). I now have my FX frame lens lineup set and I'm very happy with it as I purchased this lens right here at Amazon. Now... to save for that D700... *sigh*

Moral of the story is... if you want to save $800 and have a lens that you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference from the venerable Nikkor... get this Sigma 24-70 2.8 HSM.

*UPDATE*

As mentioned in the comments on this original post, if you are going full frame with this lens it is indeed a bit "mushy" from f/2.8 to f/4.0 in terms of acuity. On my D90 I just didn't seem to notice as much more than likely due to the smaller sensor and denser smaller pixels. On the D3s you can really see the limitations of this lens at wide apertures. I would also imagine if you are using a D7000 (purely speculation here) that you might start seeing some of the limitations on that crop sensor too due to its higher resolution. I will be selling my old faithful friend (this is not a bad lens) for the more expensive Nikkor now that I'm full frame. NEW moral of the story... if you are using a D300 or D90 or below this lens is wonderful. If you are using a higher MP sensor or full frame you will see the limitations at wide apertures.

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Nikon 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF AF Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon

Customer Ratings:

I bought this lens new about six months ago to use on my D3, and have used it now for four weddings.

It is not quite as sharp as my 24-70mm f/2.8, when wide open, but when stopped down one stop, it is tach sharp. It is also much lighter which helps a lot at a long event, and it has more reach, making it great for parties and receptions.

It autofocuses very quickly with the screw drive in the camera, and I never miss any action shots due to focus lag. It won't focus on some of the low-end Nikon DSLRs because they lack the drive screw.

I don't recommend this lens for DX cameras, because 24mm is not usually wide enough on DX for many reception and party shots. In my opinion, the 16-85mm VR DX or even the 18-70 DX lens would be a better choice for a DX camera.

The 24-85mm is also a very nice light weight travel lens for an FX camera.

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Sony HDR-CX290 8GB Embedded Memory HD Handycam Camcorder

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $379.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

This camera rocks. It's EXACTLY what I wanted but to make it 5-star worthy there's all the stuff that came with it. I was going to buy this exact same camera at BestBuy for the same price, but there is easily $80 or more worth of add-on's in this bundle that don't come with the one at BestBuy. The spare battery and 16GB SD Card alone make this a great buy but then add the little gig bag (which is suuuper nice) the lens cleaner and cloths, the mini tripod, the sd card holder, the HDMI cable AND screen protectors?! This is just too good a deal to pass up and it's all really ace quality stuff. VERY happy with this purchase. Highly recommended.

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Nintendo DS Lite Coral Pink

Customer Ratings:

People will no doubt find the Nintendo DS Lite to be a way for Nintendo to sucker people out of their money. It can be that way, if you think of yourself as a sucker, but for me the DS lite is a little better. Simply put, if you're content with your original DS, then don't even waste time to buy this one. If you don't have a DS period, the DS Lite is a much better investment than the original bulky one.

With the DS Lite, gameplay is made a little simplar. The button placement and brighter screen make the gameplay a little better. For one, the start and select buttons have been moved to resemble where they were on the original Gameboy Advance. This makes handling some of the functions (especially for GBA games) a lot easier. The buttons, sadly, are a still a little small for guys with big hands like myself.

The DS Lite also comes with a phony GBA cartridge (called a "cap"). If you don't have a GBA game plugged into the system, you can put in the phony cartridge to keep it from collecting dust in there. However, when you do stick in a GBA game, it sticks out by about a centimeter. It just looks weird. The cap does, at least, keep the system looking good.

Perhaps the most welcome change to the DS Lite is the screen. The original DS screen was not exactly bright. In fact, it was, in comparison the DS Lite, rather dark. Games like Metroid Prime Hunters were darker than they had to be. On this new screen, the difference in how bright the games appear really shows. Not only that but, you can adjust the brightness if need be. It doesn't really affect the battery life, either. You can play the DS Lite for as long as you played the original. And also like the original, it charges while you play.

Another welcome difference is the touch screen itself. These screens last a lot longer than the original DS. Those who have an original DS no doubt experienced a lot of scratches on their screen from their stylus. To the point where it was noticeable. You could still see the screen, but it was apparent that the stylus was doing a number on it. The screen is more protected here. The stylus doesn't scratch the screen quite as easily. In other words, the touch screen lasts a lot longer.

The DS Lite also looks better, and fits in your pocket better. It also performs all the tasks of a regular DS. For example, if you're playing a game and you suddenly have to go, just flip it closed and it sleeps. There's also a place to store the stylus, and the stylus is better too. It's a little bigger and thicker, so it's not quite as easy to lose.

Some problems with the original DS still plague the DS Lite however. You still can't play Gameboy Color or regular Gameboy games on the DS Lite. Also, you still can't configure the controls to play a GBA game much easier. In other words you can't configure "X" and "Y" when you play a GBA game. This probably won't bother you in the long run, however. Also, the touch screen still has its sensitivity. Touching the touch screen with your bare hands is more dangerous than the stylus scratching the screen. The oils from your fingers might damage the screen and therefore, it won't respond to the touch of even your stylus.

When the original DS launched, owners will note that there were not very many good games availible. About the only good game during its launch in 2004 was Super Mario 64 DS. Now there are plenty of games out there (and not all of them are ports), so if you do want a DS, this is a great time to get one, and the DS Lite is a better investment than the original one by far.

The DS may not play movies, or MP3 players, but to be honest, that almost defeats the purpose of a gaming system. Am I looking to buy a portable entertainment center? Of course not, I'm looking to find a system to play some of my games on, and the Nintendo DS delivers. Real gamers know it's about the games, not about the bells and whistles of a system. For the casual gamer, the Nintendo DS delivers, and the DS Lite is a fine improvement.

The Good

+Vastly superior to the original DS

+It fits in your pocket easier

+The Screen is much brighter

+Touch screen is more durable

+The placement of the Start and Select buttons is easier

+A better stylus

+The battery life is unchanged

The Bad

-Those with an original DS, who want a DS Lite will have to spend more money for yet another DS

-Some of the cons of the original DS are still here

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Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital Camera and 18-55mm IS II & Canon EF

Customer Ratings:

I bought this for my son for his birthday. This starter kit comes with absolutely everything anyone could need to get started taking incredible pictures and HD videos. The car charger is a great thing to have!

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Dell Inspiron Mini 10 10.1-Inch Obsidian Black Netbook

Customer Ratings:

Note: I use computers for my work but don't pay much attention to details about them. I'm sometimes willfully ignorant of the details of my work computers, so this review (for better or worse) will not be a super technical one focusing on specifications and related details. I wanted a simple computer to use outside of work, and that's what I got here. I received this Dell Netbook a few days ago and wanted to share my initial impressions of it.

I do a great deal of writing for my job and need to have frequent email access. I have a Dell Notebook but find that it's a bit of a hassle hauling it around anywhere, so it ends up staying at home most of the time. When I saw this Dell's Netbook on sale, I thought it might be ideal for my needs. In particular, I wanted something very lightweight that would allow me to access the web, answer email, access PDF documents, and edit documents. This Dell does all that and much more.

My job buys all my computers (the last computer I purchased myself was a Commodore 64 when I was a kid!), so I was a bit nervous purchasing it. I checked out reviews here and elsewhere and they seemed to indicate that the Dell Netbook would work well for my needs. However, I was concerned by some accounts of netbooks being slower than laptops and having many of other deficits. Fortunately, my concerns were unfounded (it isn`t slow and I have low needs for extensive computer memory anyway). I've never had to unpack a computer before (the IT people at my job have that honor), but it couldn't have been easier. I was literally using my new Netbook within minutes. Everything was preloaded and ready for use.

I was hoping that it would come with Microsoft Word, but it instead includes Microsoft Works Word Processor, which I`d never used before. When I tried to open a Word document from my email, I was prompted to download Word Viewer. The two programs are compatible, but it is a bit of a hassle converting documents back and forth. Otherwise, I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. The Netbook is not slow in accessing the net even with numerous programs open at the same time. It is super lightweight -not much bigger or heavier than a large hardback book. The battery in the back does stick out a bit, although that actually helps make it more stable on a flat surface. Even straight out of the box, the battery lasted well over 5 hours. Other features include a webcam, adobe, media player, explorer -all the standard items you'd expect. As I mentioned, I don't pay much attention to computer specifications and whether it has this feature or not. I simply don't use my computers for anything too complicated. However, for what I need, this Dell Netbook more than exceeds my expectations. The Netbook's portability make it ideal for carrying it around and travel. I think it would also be a great starter computer for kids and teens.

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Dolgin Engineering TC400-DSLR-C 4-Position Battery Charger

Customer Ratings:

A must if you have more than 5 canon lp-e6 batteries. The battery analyzer is very helpful for finding bad batteries. What's great is you can charge 4 batteries with one plug.

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Epson V11H561020 PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 1080p 3LCD Projector

Customer Ratings:

Ok I hardly ever write reviews but I thought about this quite a bit and read a lot before making this purchase so I thought I'd do my best to help others. I was one of the earliest adopters of the whole home cinema projector idea. I inherited what was at the time a $5000 state of the art Epson machine in 1999. We bought it for our dot com start-up. Afterwards I took it home and bought a screen. I figured out how to connect it to my cable and surround sound and it has worked great for nearly 15 years. recently it just died I think it was the fan blades. So it was time to upgrade. I was all excited to find out I could replace it for as little as $400-$500 bucks. But then I found out there was a big divide between office powerpoint projectors and home cinema. When I originaly bought mine there was no difference. The guy at Office Depot told me that if I wanted it for movies that I'd be better off going to Best buy. I went to Best Buy and they only had like three choices in Home Cinema. I had rapidly figured out that in order to get true HD i.e.. 1080 P the cost was like $1500 on up ugh! I didn't want to spend that much. So I went on a crusade to find a 1080 P HD projector for under $1000 so I naturally went to Amazon. I read all kinds of reviews and went to sites like http://www.projectorcentral.com which was very helpful. I finally narrowed it down to four all found on Amazon and studied at Projector Central:

Optoma HD25 $949

BenQ W1070 $884

Mitsubishi HC 4000 $949

Acer H6510BD $740

These were all very highly rated. I was really tempted to get the Acer for the price but the machine did not seem to be compatible with as many formats as the others. I was really torn and couldn't decide. Then I read about the brand new machine from Epson the 2030 with full HD 1080 P and it was and LCD not DLP like all the others and most people I spoke with seem to think LCD is superior. It even is 3D capable and even though I don't watch 3D movies yet I figured it couldn't hurt to have the latest technology. Plus after 15 successful years with Epson I wanted to stick with the brand. In fact I really wanted to buy the 2000 (not the 2030) which is the internet version and retails for only $899 instead of $999. But it wasn't available and I needed a replacement of my broken machine. But even at $999 this was significantly cheaper than other Epson machines and it is clearly seen as a superior brand in this category which they basically invented. If you can get the 2000 for $899 that is the way to go as the specs are nearly identical.

My expectations were high on what the image would be like but they were met in spades. The quality is truly crystal clear sharp like HD television. The one criticism is that the projector's zoom is too good. By that I mean it can project to an enormous image. But since I only have an 80 inch screen and I am using this in a 15 foot room it created a little problem for me. My old projector needed to be quite a distance away to fill the scrren, but the new projectors are much more powerful in terms of zoom. To get it to fit my screen properly, the projector needed to be only about 6-8 feet from the screen. This is a little bit of a pain because I wanted to put it in the cabinet at the back of my room. But from 15 feet or so it can't make an image of "only" 80 inches. In fact at that distance its close to twice as big. I've sorted this out but you may want to study the dimensions of your room and where your wires are. There are projectors know as "short throw". This may be the way to go but you will have to study this further. If you do a google search or check out the manufacturer's site you can find out the distance need to create x sized image. Basically there is a manual zoom on the projector like on binoculars this can only do so much up or down the rest is accomplished by distance. The further away you are the bigger the image the closer the smaller.

Overall I am very pleased and I'm definitely keeping this machine. Its functionality and menus are far superior to my old machine and it is really easy to work with. Movies are awesome and so is football. I'm totally satisfied.

PS I also went out and bought Apple TV to be able to view all my photos and other content. Its only $99 and allows your lap top to connect wirelessly to the projector but I learned you have to have Mountain Lion only a $20 upgrade and that now make the projector even more functional for me. Its cool to surf the internet, Netflix, Amazon prime movies on your laptop and then push play and have the projector play the movie wirelessly.

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Samsung A177 Unlocked QuadBand Phone with QWERTY Keyboard

Customer Ratings:

The husband and I are no longer under contract, and did not want to get back into one just to get an affordable phone with the features he needs. An unlocked cell phone seemed to fit our requirements, but I was skeptical. However, based on the prior reviews, and on other information I found on the web about this particular phone, I decided to try it. The vendor confirmed that this model would work with the T-Mobile SIM card. Sure enough, it does! Sound quality is really good, and it has pretty much every feature you'd find in similar phones (the Blackberry Curve comes to mind). Calendar, messaging, web capable, this phone is a virtual office in the palm of his hand.

The phone is also aesthetically pleasing and distinctive. So far, the hubby is extremely pleased with it and that's saying something.

If you need a quality phone, but don't want to be slave to a cell contract, or shell out hundreds of dollars, seriously consider this one. The price is right, and the phone, at least for us, was even better.

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4GB SDHC (Secure Digital HC) Card Sandisk SDSDB-4096 (BUB-S)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $5.84
Today's Bonus: 71% Off

Standard SD and SDHC cards look identical in size and shape, only SDHC-compatible products will be able to accept the new SDHC cards. SanDisk differentiates its new cards with the new SDHC logo on the card and retail package.

Now my web research finds that at the time of its release Wes Brewer, vice president of consumer product marketing at SanDisk, said, "In order to provide the easiest and most compatible solution for 4GB and larger capacity SDHC cards in the market, SanDisk chose to bundle its new MicroMate USB 2.0 SD/SDHC compatible card reader, which normally retails for $19.99, with this new card."

Note this deal does not include a reader.

In my case the device I bought it for can read it. Without the dedicated reader my year old HP computer cannot .

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OMAX 40X-2000X Digital Lab LED Binocular Compound Microscope

Customer Ratings:

This microscope is awesome. Viewing it from the eyepiece to connecting it to the laptop was incredible! The price was phenomenal for this micropscope! Very happy with the purchase. I did have a bit of a problem at first viewing it on my computer, I emailed the company,with a very quick response to help me. It was me that wasn't focusing correctly to view it on my screen, but I was happy to know they are there to help with problems if you need them!!!

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Garmin Approach S3 GPS Golf Watch

Customer Ratings:

Let me begin by saying I am not a scratch golfer. I typically shoot in the high 80's. I've owned a skycaddie and utilized the golfshot app on my iphone. The sky-caddie was ok....I would regularly forget to bring it with me and became annoyed with the subscription model. I also grew tired of it's bulkiness. The golfshot app was cool but it was murder on my iphone battery. I also didn't particularly like exposing my Iphone to the elements. I had a few close calls when it bounced out the golf cart and fortunately landed on grass.

So I made my mind up to invest in another yardage aide. I spent a week researching and weighing the pros and cons of gps vs. laser. It came down to a few key points. First, as I mentioned previously, I am not a scratch golfer. I like exact distances but do not hit my clubs consistently enough for +/5 yards to make that much of a difference. Second, I know me. The idea of taking a laser rangefinder out every time I need a distance is unappealing. It'll end up staying in my bag after the novelty of it wore off. The exact distance a laser rangefinder provides is appealing but overkill for the vast majority of golfers including me. Most of us only need a fairly accurate distance. Third, I wanted something that was portable enough to ensure I would use it frequently.

Admittedly, handheld gps units are good but cannot match the accuracy of a good laser unit. That's not the point. GPS units allow you to enjoy the game by giving you fairly accurate distances to hazards and greens. They also serve to speed up the game. If you've ever golfed a public course on a Saturday you know what I mean (people searching for yardage markers, etc.).

So here's my take on the Approach S3 after two rounds. Set-up was fairly easy with the exception of the language issue others have mentioned. I followed the instructions of one of the other reviewers and it worked. The first time at the course it took about 4 minutes to acquire the satellites. The second round (at a different course) it took less than a minute. The yardages seemed to be spot on 50 yards or more from the green. Inside of 50 yards I became skeptical of the yardage the S3 was giving. Fortunately, I rely mostly on feel at that distance anyway so it wasn't a deal breaker for me. I think this issue is endemic to most GPS units.

The "measure" feature is pretty cool and easy to use. There is a dedicated button on the upper left hand side of the unit and was helpful in enabling me to check my club distances frequently. The scoring feature inaccurately showed my score in each round but I later found that either I failed to enter in my score on one of the holes or it didn't register. Either way, I was able to go back and update for the missing hole and it correctly calculated the score. I'll keep an eye on this and update accordingly.

Battery life is acceptable. I had about 70% of battery life left after a three and a half hour round. It should be able to get through a two round day.

I love the portability of the unit....being able to look down at your wrist and get a distance is great. My buddy, who has a Sky Caddie SGX, started asking me for distances when he saw the Approach was mirroring the distances he got from his Sky Caddie. You just can't beat the convenience.

My one complaint is the "green view". Moving the flag pin on the watch can be frustrating at times due to the size of the screen....it's just not conducive to that type of feature. Each time it took more than one try to position the flag stick correctly but not annoying enough to be a deal breaker.

In conclusion, I don't think you will be disappointed with the S3 if you're expectations for accuracy are grounded. Remember, it will not be as accurate as a laser rangefinder (given you use the laser correctly...they have their own set of issues).

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Canon PowerShot A4000IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $122.79
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

I purchased this camera to replace a PowerShot SD780 IS ELPH that I have had for 3 years. The A4000 has decent reviews on other sites, so I bit. I wish I would have paid more and bought another Canon SD/ELPH.

One thing the A4000 only takes 720p video at 25fps. My old SD780 did at 30fps.

For my review, I am almost directly comparing the A4000 to my old SD780 which is 3 years old.

A4000 Pros:

1) Taking video with the steadyshot works very well.

2) Miniature effect and other modes are fun

3) Takes fast photos

4) Zoom is phenomenal. 8x optical + 4x digital.

5) View screen is large and sharp

6) Construction feels really solid

A4000 Cons:

1) Video seems choppy and heavily compressed (blocky) compared to the SD780

2) 720p is only at 25fps when most other models are 30fps

3) Photos don't seem as sharp as the SD780

4) Sound recording quality isn't as clear as the SD780

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