Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER

Customer Ratings:

As a serious amateur, I've been fortunate enough to own a number of point and shoots including Panasonic, Fuji, several Nikon's, & a couple of Canon's. All have had their strong points and I'm not a brand loyalist by any means, but after a couple of weeks, I must say I absolutely love this camera.

My first impressions were ones of pleasant shock. The camera seemed smaller than in the pictures and if it seemed smaller, it seemed doubly more so in terms of weight. Compared to my SLR this thing is an absolute lightweight but very well built and certainly heavier than the smaller 'in your pocket' point and shoots. A great balance...although I wouldn't want to drop it. Some strategically placed silicone on the housing would make this a bit more rugged without much if any impact on cost. Powerup is about as fast as you can bring the camera up to your face amongst the best of the point and shoots. Controls are easy to use and I like the mini joystick for making on the fly adjustments in manual and scene modes. The menus are fairly well laid out although some items I had to resort to the manual to find their location for the first time.

The iA or Intelligent Auto function gave consistently above par picture quality, although I was always able to tweak it better myself (this could have been as much preference as anything). The AVCHD and HD movies worked absolutely flawless with my Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]. (NOTE:Make sure you lowlevel format these SDHC cards a COUPLE of times BEFORE first use). I do wish that you could use the normal shutter release instead of the dedicated movie button on the back face when in movie mode. I kept forgetting and tried to stop the movies using the shutter button instead of the record button. Minor nuisance, but will be overcome as I get my brain wrapped around the change in button locations.

The battery worked well past 300 stills and about 35 clips, so I am very pleased with it with the LCD display being used for most of the shots. I purchase another spare battery;Lenmar DLP006 Lithium-ion Digital Camera/Camcorder Battery Equivelent to the Panasonic CGR-S006A Battery, also available here at Amazon, and it appears to be working about as well as the original Panasonic (a great buy). The EVF or Electronic View Finder was very handy, although most of the overlaid information is very hard to distinguish in the small EVF. I CAN'T BELIEVE PANASONIC DIDN'T INCLUDE A RUBBER BOOT FOR THE EVF! Please someone, anyone, make it as an accessory.

The EZ or Extra Zoom function is quite handy. Using this feature, you can shoot at lower resolutions and get more effective zooming power out of the camera...over 30x and it works very well. The LCD screen is clear and crisp, but its performance in high ambient light is about average. Thank goodness for the electronic view finder mentioned above.

Image stabilization is the absolute best amongst my camera collection and is especially noticeable in low light and full zoom. I was pleasantly surprised how well I could take indoor pictures at night with a simple tweak of the exposure. Far better than any of my other point and shoots, although nowhere near my SLR.

The standard 3picture burst mode was fairly standard and unimpressive, but the 10pics per second for speed priority and 6 pics per second in image priority burst mode worked well for catching difficult shots like geese landing on the water and children jumping out of swings, but I still wish the resolution and picture quality was better in these modes. Still, for a point and shoot, it's ability to catch the fast action is at the top of it's class.

The lens cap interferes with zoom, but the camera will kindly remind you that you have left it on with a 17,000 volt discharge...just kidding...it will tell you on the LCD screen.

UPDATE: A new megazoom runoff was conducted by Digital Photography Review in June of '07 and can be seen here: or you can cut to the results here:

To say the FZ35 stacked up well would be an understatement, but as they point out in the above review, you will likely not be disappointed with any of the other fine cameras in the pack. The review, however, will help you to pick one that works best for your needs and preferences. (I'm still super happy and winning contests with my amateur photos).

LIKES: Ease of use, picture quality, zoom and extra zoom, HD movie, lightweight, stop action. BEST Point and Shoot I've ever owned ! ! !

DISLIKES: (all minor) No eyepiece boot for EVF, lens cap interferes with zoom, tripod mount interferes with battery/memory door when in use. Only 10 sec. max on the built in timer.

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Zmodo PKD-DK4216-500GB H.264 Internet & 3G Phone Accessible

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $249.00
Sale Price: $189.41
Today's Bonus: 24% Off

If youre looking for hi tech crystal clear images and detailed images, move on. If you just want a basic, easy to install CCTV system this is great. Its as easy as mount the cameras with 3 screws, plug the cameras into the cables, run the wires to the unit and plug them in. Its easier than the average surround sound system.

the night vision is OK, works well in darkness up to about 10 feet; the images are black & white though. The overall image quality is OK, if someone is within about 15 feet the image is clear enough to recognize a stranger by the photo. Past 30 feet you'd have a hard time distingushing between Jessica Simpson and Hillary Clinton. When you attempt to 'zoom' the image it gets very grainy, so forget that idea. The field of view is fairly narrow, so if you are using it in a small space (10x10 room) the view is limited.

Overall, its a breeze to put in and use, just dont expect the best image quality. if youre a small business or a homeowner, its fine though.

UPDATE 2/13: here we are less then 18 months later and the system is not working properly. First, one camera developed issues with the image and rolling lines. Then a second camera did the same thing. Now the images freeze on the screen every few minutes for 30-45 seconds and it stops recording while this happens. I tried to contact Zmoto with no luck. For being less then 18 months old and only used inside a climate controlled store, I am disappointed. Pass and pick another better quality setup.

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Tamrac 5588 Expedition 8x Photo/Laptop Backpack (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $419.95
Sale Price: $312.68
Today's Bonus: 26% Off

I got this backpack as a Father's Day present. I'd been looking for a large backpack to combine the camera gear and the laptop, and this seemed like an ideal bag to carry all my stuff for the weekend getaways.

Unfortunately, my experience with the backpack did not survive the first encounter. I loaded the backpack up with my camera gear (2 D/SLRs, 5 lenses, three flashes, batteries and PSD and other gear) and the laptop. The total weight including the backpack itself was 30.2lb. The first time I tried to heft up the pack to wear it, the top of the left strap began to tear from the bag. That was it. That was all it took to convince me to return it to Amazon. I'm sorry, if something as fundamental as the shoulder strap of the backpack can't hold the weight, then I have no confidence in the durability or the workmanship of the pack.

For those interested, I've uploaded a photo of the damaged strap.

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OLYMPUS digital camera TG 1 water proof protect case PT 053

Customer Ratings:

Bought this to fit on my Olympus TG-@ camera. Still getting used to underwater photography and have only used it on one dive but worked without a hitch

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EVERFOCUS ECOR264-16X1/1T 16 Ch, 1 TB, Built-in DVD Burner, 480

Customer Ratings:

First let me say I trust everfocus cameras and their DVRs I have used them for years and they work well.

Some issues on this DVR from time to time it will freeze the controls and you will have to reboot to get the controls to work again.

The search features ie the user interface is antiquated.

They should be easier to find what your looking for without having to be that specific.

So for my home use its good but commercially not so good.

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ASUS UL80Vt-A1 14-Inch Thin and Light Black Laptop (11.5 Hours

Customer Ratings:

EDIT: An updated and revised review of this laptop can be found at over at Expert Laptop Review:

I recently went on a laptop buying rampage and have ended up with the Dell Studio 14z, HP dm3z (L625 + Radeon 4330), and the Asus UL80VT-A1 in possession all at once. The first part of this review will focus solely on the Asus UL80VT-A1 and the second part of this review will compare it with my experience with the Dell Studio 14z and the HP dm3z.

ASUS UL80VT-A1 DETAILED REVIEW

First and foremost, let me say that I ordered the UL80VT-A1 because I thought it was simply an awesome idea to have switchable graphics in a laptop because you get excellent battery life + excellent performance when needed. There were no reviews of the UL80VT out when I purchased it, so I purchased the UL80VT-A1 from , which has a 100 percent refund on purchases just in case things didn't work out with me and the new lady.

While I was waiting to recieve the laptop in the mail, I read a review over at . Oh boy, was I disappointed considering all the bad things the reviewer had to say about it (i.e. bad keyboard, bad track pad, horrible build quality, poor gaming performance). Needless to say, I had second thoughts about even opening up the Asus UL80VT-A1 because I didn't think it was worth my time considering the all the problems the reviewer had with his review model.

So that morning I got my HP dm3z in the mail and was really excited about how incredibly beautiful the laptop was. It is definitely sexier (in my opinion) than every other ultraportable out there, including the Macbook Pro 13" and HP Envy 13. I'll get to the dm3z a little later... either way, my first impression led me to believe that I'd probably be keeping the dm3z and just returning the Asus. When the Asus came in the mail, I wasn't even watching for it like I had been the dm3z. But I did take it upstairs and opened it up. (Unboxing video coming soon...)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

My first impression was astoundingly contradictory to review I had read. I picked it up, squeezed it, pushed on the keyboard, which had minimal flex that wasn't noticeable to me when typing. My other first impressions were just how well the trackpad worked. The two finger scroll worked flawlessly (though it isn't as smooth of a scroll as Apple's, it functions equally responsively and is just as useful).

GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE Rating 9/10

Over the last view days, I've been taking the UL80VT-A1 out for spin in a series of gaming tests. The first game I tested was the ever popular Counter-Strike: Source. I was astounded by the computer's ability to put out 150 FPS in the stress test at native resolution of 1366x768. I had been expecting to get closer to 80-100 FPS. I then tested it with 4x AA on, and it resulted in 99 FPS, which is phenomenal considering that AA usually cripple weaker graphics cards like the Nvidia 210M.

I was eager to test out the UL80VT's performance in some of the latest games because of the previous review I had read that had denounced its ability to play modern games. I had recently purchased Batman: Arkham Asylum. I loaded it up with the default settings, which were set on Very High at native 1366x768 resolution. Game play was moderately smooth and playable, but it was also noticably choppy at times with those settings (26 FPS average in the video stress test), so I dropped the settings down to medium. This time the Asus got 40 FPS average in the video stress test, and the game play was perfectly playable and smooth.

I then downloaded Team Fortress 2. It has been known to give ultraportable gaming machines a tough time due to its high shader requirements. When playing, I averaged about 50-60 FPS at native resolution with everything on High with no AA. I noticed drops down to 30 FPS when in heavy action, but it was not too disruptive to game play. I don't think it went below 30 FPS during the time I played.

After hearing claims that Asus UL80VT could not run Need For Speed: Shift well. I downloaded the demo to see if these claims were true. Fortunately, they were not. I was able to achieve playable frame rates, though it was a little choopy with the default settings, which had the screen at 1024x768 resolution and everything else up in detail. I tried changing the settings, but after changing the settings to lower the resolution to 800x600, the game repeatedly gave me an error and crashed right as the race was about to start. Unfortunately, I was not able to do a formal test, but it was clear that the game was getting at least 30 FPS at 800x600 resolution with texture settings on High. I would expect the game to be very playable as long as you are content with 800x600 (or maybe slightly better res) and medium settings.

I also managed to squeeze in a little play time in Protoype, another recent game that was released earlier this year. It played very smoothly at the default 1280x720 (which was the max res for some reason) and on the default medium settings.

Another game I was able to try was Call of Duty: World at War, which has identical specs to the latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. People will be glad to know that I was able to achieve 35-40 FPS constant at native resolution 1366x768 with texture settings on "normal" (except for "shader settings" which I set to "low"). I also turned off all of the extra graphical features, which didn't make much of a difference in visuals anyway.

In conclusion regarding the gaming peformance of this ultraportable laptop, it has excellent performance and handles most modern games fluidly at native resolution.

BATTERY LIFE Rating 10/10

Yesterday, I used the laptop for 3 hours early in the morning with wifi on and brightness up. Later that day, I used it for about 15 minutes running Batman: AA. I then used it about 7 hours more with brightness at about 20% (2.5 hours with wifi on and 4.5 with it off). In total the laptop lasted me 10.25 hours between a mixture of wifi, gaming, and note taking/paper writing. I was extremely happy to get this excellent of performance out of it. This was precisely what I was looking for in terms of battery life.

BUILD QUALITY Rating 6/10

My initial impression was that the build quality was just average--not great, but nothing bad about it either, but now after having it for a couple days, I now agree with Charles' review about some of the issues with build quality. Yesterday morning when I was typing, I noticed that when I pressed down on the front edge of the left palm rest it squeaked annoyingly (it hadn't pressed down on this part of the laptop when it was on a hard surface yet because it had always been on my laptop up until this point).

I began squeezing the front edge and noticed that top part of the chassis isn't cemented to the bottom part of the chassis very well so that when you put pressure on it (such as when you rest your palm on it) it made a noise. I tried placing about an inch long piece of scotch tape across the part that was sqeaking, and the squeaking went away completely. It was disappointing to find this because it was the first issue with the build quality. Also, I now understand what Charles meant when he said that when he pressed in the center of the laptop it causes the bottom of the laptop to touch the surface it is resting on...

It's not if you press in the middle of the keyboard like I had thought Charles had said (my bad!!)... it's if you press on the trackpad buttons (like Charles had really said), he was right that you can feel the laptop touch the surface it is resting on, but the thing Charles was wrong about is that it isn't the bottom of the laptop touching the surface below it... it's a little "support peg/foot" that protrudes from the bottom of the laptop about 1/10" of an inch.

The overall chassis does flex a tad, but it is just the peg touching, and the peg is maybe moving 1/16" of an inch tops (probably less). So yes, the chassis does flex just a hair, but not as bad as the review makes it sound (I think the review should be updated with this information personally).

I am thinking about putting a drop of super glue on the edge of the left palm rest to keep it from squeaking. I'm pretty sure it would work without a hitch unless you put too much glue and then tried to take the casing apart and wasn't able to. I figure it wouldn't void the 1 year accidental warranty but maybe the 2 year standard warranty if they figured out what I did. I'm not sure though... I figure you can always "cut through" the glue so that the chassis can be opened if you needed to send it in for repairs.

I also noticed that the entire surface (including the aluminum top) acquires fingerprints. I was disappointed that the aluminum top also was prone to oils from my fingers.

HEAT MANAGEMENT Rating 10/10

The heat on this bad-boy is hardly noticeable. I think more heat is generated because it is restricting the airflow over your lap more than anything. Whenever my lap started to feel a little warm, I would feel the bottom of the laptop but the bottom of the laptop never got hot. It was always just the fact that my legs weren't getting as much air to cool them down.

I was also able to play Batman:AA while on my lap just fine, though it was starting to be mildly uncomfortable by the time 30 mins rolled around. Still, as far as gaming on the lap goes, I think it would be doable, and far more doable than on any other laptop I have ever tried.

This laptop is by far the coolest running laptop I have ever owned (I've owned about 14 different laptops...). For this reason, I give it a 10/10 in heat management.

KEYBOARD Rating 8/10

Overall, I find the keyboard to be a little above average. I do not like the fact that there are no keys dedicated to playing and pausing music. To access media controls, you must hold the FN button down and tap the arrow keys (down arrow = play/pause). I do not notice any flex when typing. The primary concern that I had was from the squeaky palm rest edge when typing. After I fixed that issue, the keyboard became quite pleasant to use.

TRACK PAD Rating 9/10

I find the track pad to be the best track pad I have ever used on a PC. It does have a glossy surface, but I did not find that the surface was not nearly as sticky as the surface on many HPs (including the dm3z). I also found the trackpad to be responsive and that the multitouch gestures such as two-finger scrolling to work perfectly nearly every time.

The ELAN touch pad has configurable options to enable you to change the sensitivity of the two-finger scroll as well as enable you to use two and three finger taps to do customizable actions. I have my two-finger tap to do a right click and my three-finger tap to show my desktop.

My only complaint regarding the touch pad is that the uni-button. The uni-button looks like only one button, but has a left side and right side that makes up two buttons. When the uni-button was pressed towards the middle, it was very difficult to click, but if you pressed it near the ends the button became more usable. This was also the case with the Acer Timeline 4810t that I had owned for some time. I have found that the tap to click function is very usable, especially since I can just use two fingers if I need to right click. Therefore, I hardly use the button anymore anyway. My system works just fine.

OVERALL VERDICT Rating 9/10

Despite its (fixable) flaws in build quality and poor touch pad button (again just use "tap to click" instead), I'm still impressed with laptop and can definitely recommend it to friends who aren't particularly picky about build quality. The UL80VT-A1 will provide the performance most casual gamers want in a portable package that has a very long battery life and is inexpensive compared to similar models. [Oh, wait, scratch that... There has never been anything like the UL80VT-A1 to ever come out before... except maybe the Acer Timeline 3810TG that had switchable graphics, but that computer was only available in the UK. ]

COMPARED TO THE COMPETITION (DELL STUDIO 14Z and HP DM3Z)

I have now owned a Dell Studio 14z for about two months. I also purchased a HP dm3z, which I had originally planned on writing a review of but I don't know if I'll find the time. Maybe I'll just do a video review...

Anyway, the HP dm3z initially impressed me tremendously with its fantastic metal looks and thin profile. However, two issues became immediately apparent that prevented me from considering the laptop further: the HP dm3z produced a tremendous amount of heat even while just idling (the bottom got roasting hot while playing games... though the palm rests stayed pretty cool) and I quickly became frustrated by track pad lag and malfunctioning two-finger scrolling. The problem with the two finger scroll is due to the fact that it does not always register that you are actually using two fingers, therefore, it thinks you only have one finger down and shoots your mouse all the way across the screen where you didn't want it to go.

Beside the two-finger scroll I noticed minimal track pad lag (though there was lag). The track pad was definitely usable and should not prevent someone entirely from purchasing it for that sole reason, but after trying out the UL80VT's track pad and comparing the two. It was night and day. The UL80VT's was immediately responsive and the two-finger scrolling worked perfectly pretty much all the time. I have sorely missed two-finger scrolling since getting rid of my Macbook Pro a year ago. I am very glad that PCs are starting to make it standard on the majority of notebooks today. Unfortunately, the HP dm3z did not have good enough drivers to make the two-finger scrolling worthwhile.

One thing that I really liked about the dm3z is that it had an excellent keyboard with zero flex and it included media control buttons for the function keys (like Dell Studio 14z). I would definitely recommend the dm3z to people as long as you understand that it is going to produce a lot of heat (especially while watching video/playing games), the track pad is just going to be so-so, and you aren't going to achieve the same battery life you would if you went with the UL80VT (unless you went with the intel version with integrated graphics).

I began searching for a new laptop shortly after I found paint chipping on my Dell Studio 14z. It was frustrating since I try to take excellent care of my laptops and chipped paint tends to bring the resale value of laptops down tremendously. All in all, I found my experience with the 14z to be a good one and would recommend the laptop to someone who has a strict budget and can't afford a UL80VT.

With the dell, I was typically able to get about 3.5-4.5 hours of battery life (8-cell in windows 7) while surfing the internet-writing documents. The HP dm3z seems to get about 4.5 hrs of web surfing time. The Asus literally doubles the length of my time I am going to be away from the wall (with both the HP and the Dell...).

My primary complaints with the Dell Studio 14z were related to the build quality (paint chipping and noticeable keyboard flex that was causing me discomfort). I loved the back-lit keyboard and will miss that feature on the UL80VT, though I am a touch typist so it will make little difference in terms of actual functionality.

I love the fact that my UL80VT has a DVD-RW because I like to watch DVDs at Starbucks that I rent from Redbox. I couldn't do that with the 14z because it lacked an optical drive, but I can do that with the Asus.

It should also be noted that the UL80VT has a better screen than both the Dell and the HP (in my opinion).

IN CONCLUSION

After I discovered the flex, I began contemplating switching over to a Macbook Pro 13". So I went to my local Best Buy to compare sizes, keyboard, touchpad, etc... I got to the store and there was a bestbuy sales guy there that I got to know pretty well when I bought my Dell Studio 14z. I began explaining to him how the 14z hadn't met my needs due to a sucky touch pad and paint chipping off for no reason, etc. I pulled my UL80VT out of my bag and explain to him the features of the laptop (i.e. switchable graphics, 10 hour battery life). I loaded up Batman Arkham Asylum and he was amazed that it played smoothly at native resolution. I showed him squeaky palm rest and explained to him I was considering getting a 13" Macbook Pro. He responded pretty quickly that he didn't think that apple would have anything that would be an upgrade from this so just recommended that I just stick with the Asus... (lol and he's a sales guy that is supposed to sell laptops for best buy, not recommend for me not to buy them... lol)

I agree with the guy at Best Buy. Apple's got nothing on the Asus UL80VT... except maybe better build quality, poorer performance, and a $500 dollar increase in price. Hint: get the Asus, unless build quality is of utmost importance to you.

I'm sorry that this review was so scatter-brained. I like to keep things more organized, but I also just wanted to get this review posted!!

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Gagne Port-A-Trace 1618-3 3-Light Stainless Steel Lightbox

Customer Ratings:

This item is exactly as described. I'd definitely buy from this company again ! The item arrives safely and was packed very very well. I am super pleased at the light box's size as it is exactly as it was described on Amazon.

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Sony KDL65HX729 240 Hz 65-Inch Class (64.5-Inch diag) LED

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $4,098.00
Sale Price: $2,398.00
Today's Bonus: 41% Off

I've now had this TV for about 3 weeks and absolutely love it. Beautiful and thin design with lots of cool little apps though to be honest, you'll end up using your iPhone or iPad over them. The true reason I got this TV was for its HD quality and 3D capability and boy do both shine. Whether I'm watching an HD show, Blu-ray or 3D, the colors are always vivid with no bleeding, especially of reds. Black are deep and the brights are bright but realistic bright.

A lot of times, people are fooled by fake bright which might seem "brighter" but isn't actually real. This TV is part of a few TV's that I've seen show real colors. If you enjoy HD content, have Blu-ray movies, this is the TV for you. An extra bonus is the edition of 3D which I enjoy quite a bit, especially when gaming with the PS3.

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Sony Alpha A330 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot

Customer Ratings:

I have owned two other 35mm cameras from Minolta, and wanted a digital camera from Sony. So far so good; no problems other than the battery has a short life. It drained completely when we were up in the mountains camping. No outlets anywhere, of course. Couldn't recharge it. Camera is very good, though.

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RCA DPTM70R 7-Inch 60Hz 480 x 234 LED-Lit TV (Black)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $84.95
Today's Bonus: 6% Off

Side by Side comparison with the Haier/Prism set results in 10 channels for the RCA vs 2 for the Haier in the Baltimore suburbs. Picture quality of the RCA is better than the Haier especially in low light the soft setting is a good choice for a bedroom. Both units work well with an outside antenna w amp matching the channel count of a high-performance 55 inch LED Samsung. They also get the same list of QAM channels on Comcast Cable. Haier doesn't reject scrambled channels as easily as the RCA. The units have similar menu layouts. The remote is nicer on the RCA but very thin. Might be easily lost. Sound quality of the Haier is superior to the RCA. USB input directly plays some movie formats. Both units operated 1.5 hours on a charge. The RCA gave better warning on exhausted battery. Both units require their remotes to select a channel not previously scanned.

The RCA is probably worth the extra 25% for the better local antenna performance as an emergency set and better video quality.

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GoPro Camera CHDOH-002 HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $274.50
Today's Bonus: 8% Off

(Update 6/6/2012) GoPro finally released the new diving case which fixes the infamous underwater focus problem with the standard waterproof case after two years of long wait for some users. The diving case will cost $49 that is a great price, but it is extra. Anyway, all my comments regarding the underwater problem should not be a concern with the new diving case.(Update 5/21/2012) I got the new diving case from GoPro. Although it cannot attach any filter, it is still great. I like the lens cover that came with it too. I can also see tiny bid less fish-eye effect and wider angle on land. That is nice IMO. I am giving 4 stars because they have the fix now even though I needed to spend extra $49. The diving case is that good.

After all these issues / promises are solved and updated, I will give this product 5 starts.

1. (Fixed!!!)Underwater focus fix with Extra $49.

2. 127FOV and 90FOV for 720P as promised

3. Overheating issue and short battery life

4. Price is still too much for such low quality materials used in this product.

5. (Released!!!)This was not expected, but as they promised "Pro-tune" firmware update will be released in this summer, not in summer 2015 like the diving case that GoPro promised long time ago.

6. Bugs in low light videos, photos, and time lapse feature.

7. Hopefully this will get fixed with "Pro-tune" firmware, but Auto White Balance does not perform well underwater at all.

Quick Summary:

Hero2 is clearly better than the original HD Hero in many areas. The price difference is justifiable although $300 was bit too much for my wallet. I am still happy with the purchase. If you are choosing between Original HD Hero and Hero2, I would get Hero2 for better low light performance. I would not use this camera for photos like point and shoot cameras unless there is lots of light and steady mount to take time-lapse photos. (Update 3/16/2012) My GoPro Hero 2 is broken now from getting wet. GoPro HD Hero 1 and 2 both have underwater focus issue. In order for the camera to work underwater, you need to modify the case with some flat lens. FYI: Modifying GoPro cases voids the warranty.

Video Quality: ***** (Amazing)

Photo Quality: * (iPhone is much better unless you need fisheye look)

Built Quality: ** (Cheap plastic body, but the case is sturdy)

Fun Factor: ***** (Can mount on anything. Very versatile)

Easy To Use: *** (It is easy to use, but hard to configure)

Underwater Video: * (Horrible)

Underwater Video w/ Flat Lens: *** (Great, but modifying a case with some flat lens voids the warranty)

Value: *** ($300 is pretty expensive)

(Update 2/21/2012) I started seeing some disappointments from reviews regarding underwater focus and photo quality issues. The underwater focus issue is pretty disappointing, but there are many quality solutions from other vendors as little as $22. GoPro is almost ready to release the new diving case. IMHO, GoPro2 with a flat lens option produces amazing underwater result. I first thought $300 was too much for such plasticky cheap looking camera, but the performance is there as long as you know its quirks. I have not found any better solutions under $500 to shoot wide angle underwater video. For underwater macro video and photo, a point and shoot camera with an underwater case works better. If you are thinking about replacing your point and shoot camera with GoPro, you might not like this camera. This is pretty much the best wearable/mountable action/helmet camera that has different purpose than Point and shoot cameras. I use DSLR, Mirrorless (CSC), Point and shoot, and Action/Helmet (GoPro) cameras all for different purposes. If you shoot more photos and do not wear a camera on you, Panasonic TS3, TS4, and Nikon AW100 suit your need although they can not do time lapse (except TS4).

Pros Over the Original HD Hero:

* (Update 2/20/2012) Addictively fun camera to use once I understood the quirks.

* low light. Especially at 60fps in low light, I see huge difference.

* Video is sharper. I am not sure about 2X though.

* Auto White balance is much better in low light.

* The Running LED light on the back side. I do not care about the top and bottom ones.

* Motion is clearer and less motion blur due to faster shutter speed I think.

* Auto Exposure is more accurate.

* Improved dynamic range. I see good detail in shadow areas.

* Config LCD is easier to use.

* 120fps!

* I can use the same protective cases and mounts on Hero2.

* And other neat features like 10fps photos and more.

Pros Over Other Action Cameras like Contour HD series, Tachyon HD series, Bullet HD series, Midland XTC series, and Oregon Scientific ATC-9K

* (Update 2/21/2012) The waterproof case is amazing and inexpensive to buy extra. I had to drill a hole in one of the cases for mic jack. When I checked the hole, the wall was very thick and strong. I am extremely confident to take the camera anywhere!

* Most action cameras use microSD card which is little more expensive and easy to lose. GoPro sticks with Full SD card. That is great!

* There are other action cameras that are on par with the original HD, but this Hero2 is one step ahead of other competitors. There are no better action cameras in terms of video quality than Hero2 as of 11/10/2011.

* As far as I have seen videos of other products, Hero2 handles the best in high contrast scene and low light.

* Rolling shutter issue seems well controlled compared to other cameras.

Cons Over the Original HD Hero (Update 5/8/2012):

* (Update 6/26/2012) Hero2 underwater auto white balance is much worse than Hero1. Hero2 underwater videos are very very green, so I need to post-process. I tried with a red filter, but Hero2 AWB sometimes goes crazy and outputs super red tinted underwater videos.

* Battery does not last as long as the original HD. Hero 2 @ 720P/60fps lasts max 1.5 hours with a new battery in optimal temperature. Usually it will stop recording in less than 1.25 hours. I am expecting 1 hour, so that I can plan my recording.

* I keep repeating myself, but Hero 2 gets very very very hot. Make sure no small children touch the camera while recording without a case.

* More bugs. Newer products usually have some software issues, but Hero 2 has many. Occasional lock-ups. Strange streaks in photos. Half of one picture in different exposure. Losing some color. In low light video, there are two strange lines showing up. There are more issues I have experienced, but I have to ignore. I guess it is because working-around issues are also part of fun for GoPro users.

Temporary Cons (Gopro says a new firmware will fix the following items):

* No support for 127º and 90º FOV at 720P even though that was specified.

* 3D is not supported yet. (Update 2/20/2012: 3D has been supported via firmware update)

Cons:

* (Update 4/2/2012) Overheat Problem. Now that I broke my Hero 2 by getting it wet, I am bit scared to use it underwater. I tried one of my newly purchased hero 2s to film in a room at 75F degree temperature with the case and LCD backpack. It overheated in 30 minutes and shut itself down. I saw the overheating icon on the LCD screen. The camera and the SD card were very very hot.

* (Update 4/2/2012) Much more noises toward end of video due to excessive heat with the case and LCD backpac. After I was getting the overheating issue with one of my Hero 2 (I now have two hero 2s and one hero 1). I started testing all my GoPro cameras. Hero 1 got hot, but it was not as bad as hero 2. I tested my two Hero 2s recording at 720P/60FPS for 30 minutes on a tripod. Both of my Hero 2 cameras took excellent noise free footage at first few minutes. However, towards the end, both cameras recorded pretty noisy footage that I am sure that came from the excessive heat. I know many cameras overheat recording long period of time, but Hero 2 seems little too easy to get that hot. I did not realize this noise issue since I have been using it underwater exclusively in very cold water. Without LCD backpac, they run little cooler, but they still get very hot.

* (Update 2/20/2012) While recording or not recording for about 1 hour, the camera body gets super hot. I can understand when recording, but if I am not recording, it should not get that hot and drain battery. I have to make sure I turn it off when I am not recording. I now use automatic shut-off.

* (Update 2/20/2012) Using the external mic jack with nice powered mics still gets too low volume. I can increase volume level in post-process by adding 10db-15db to get better sound quality than the internal mic though.

* (Update 2/20/2012) It is very addictive. I bought all sorts of accessories for it that ended up costing more than some nice DSLR cameras.

* Flimsy battery cover.

* Built quality is good, but for $300, they can do better IMO.

* No in-camera exposure adjustments like Contour HD.

* Config LCD is better than the original, but it is still hard to adjust.

* No underwater lens or case option that fixes the underwater blur issue directly from Gopro. There are 3rd party options available, but they are not perfect. They are either too big or have vignetting at 170º. If GoPro is putting underwater footage on their boxes and the promo-videos, they should provide some kind of underwater solution.

* 120fps is great, but you need lots of light. Well I guess we knew that.

* As we know, this is not an indoor camera. Even though video is pretty good indoor, photos are pretty noisy and blurry due to use of slow shutter speed. For time-lapse movies, slow shutter and motion blur are welcome though.

* Audio is still not good as the Original HD Hero. There is a stereo mic jack, but to use it, we have to buy another special case that has a opening on the side.

* Price. There are no other action/wearable cameras better than Gopro HD Hero2 at this time, so the price can be justified. However, when I look at Panasonic TS3 at $260 with metal body, GPS, and all the other features, huh... this is a pretty expensive plastic camera that has only two buttons from China. I am sure the profit margin on this camera is huge!

Wish list:

* Standard 1/4" 20tpi thread on the body would be nice.

* Different color bodies. It is not a big deal, but I would like it in black or camu for hunting and fishing.

* Electric or Software Image Stabilization: I see other cheaper video cameras have this feature. Any action cameras without it disparately need image stabilized, so viewers do not get motion sickness.

* A small Built-in LCD for liveview and playback would be nice. The LCD Backpac makes the camera too thick.

* Would like to know how to shoot and edit a video like the Hero2 promotional video!

Workarounds:

* (Update 2/20/2012) Unfortunately, GoPro has not released their underwater housing to solve the blur issue (ETA in April). There are quality workarounds from other vendors. The best option is "blurfix". The second best IMO are "Pursuit Glass Flat Lens" and "eyeofmine flat lens housing". The cheapest solution is "mako flat lens".

* (Update 2/20/2012) Sometimes GoPro2 takes very dark and underexposed images (almost black) in time lapse mode. I found that the use of 1 second or faster interval can cause the issue even in slight low light condition. If you give GoPro 2 at least two second interval, GoPro2 has enough time to process and use 1/2 sec shutter speed to get some what right exposure.

* (Update 2/20/2012) Not so good indoor photo quality is due to use of 1/2 sec shutter speed almost all time in low light condition. Since I know that now, I do not use the camera handheld indoor. I always make sure I mount on something for steady shots.

Tip:

* (Update 3/4/2012) The best setup for fast action scenes is 720P/60fps/170FOV. I had hard time post-processing 1080P footage since the CMOS rolling shutter issue got exaggerated from camera shakes. If I can mount my gopro on a steady tripod, then I will switch to 1080P. When I am wearing it on me, I only use 720P/60fps/170FOV to avoid the rolling shutter problem. I had to use 1080P mode most of the time using the Original Hero HD because 60FPS in the old GoPro HD had pretty bad low light performance. HD2's 60fps performs really good in low light situation.

Non-scientific Test:

I compared the original GoPro HD Hero@1080P/127º and Hero2@1080P/170º against Nikon D7000@1080P with 8mm Fisheye lens@F3.5 in low light condition. Original GoPro could not capture most of the low light scene. GoPro Hero2 got it fine, but it was bit noisier than D7000. Assuming D7000 has jerky motion at 24fps, overall I liked Hero2's color rendition better than D7000.

(Update 3/16/2012) Broke My GoPro 2:

It is my first time to break an underwater camera in at least 100 dives while taking videos with several cameras. My GoPro Hero HD 2 case got some moisture inside, and it does not turn on with a fully charged battery. The case was not flooded, but I guess GoPro or digital cameras in general are pretty sensitive electronic devices. I understand when cameras get wet, they break, and manufactures cannot help. I trusted my GoPro case, but GoPro told me the cause of moisture getting inside was more likely use of a flat lens on my GoPro case. I never had issue with two of my flat lenses before. We are not supposed to modify GoPro cases to use the camera underwater if we want to retain the warranty. I should have known that. GoPro is not saying anything wrong here. They are right. However, my point is "How can we take underwater videos using GoPros without modification?" I know GoPro has a promotional video using modified cases. I just wanted to apologize for recommending third party flat lens options here on Amazon. You do not want to modify GoPro cases, and I now recommend not to use GoPros underwater unless you can live with blurry video footage or no warranties. The GoPro support person was not bad. He was doing his job making sure I modified the lens, so it is not GoPro's fault. As far as I investigated why my camera got moisture inside is that GoPro cases are not all made the same. Thier manufacture torallance is not tight. I have four cases that they all seem to have different tightness when closing the case door. Anyway, if you are going to use it underwater, make sure to test the case before use.

I still like GoPro2's excellent video quality. I also invested too much on several GoPros, mounts and cases, so I am getting it again from freedivingspearfishinggear.com, where I got my flat lens from. The person there really tried helping me on this issue. He did actually help me more than GoPro support (GoPro offered me some discount on a new camera as long as I returned the bad camera). The GoPro support kept the 24 hour reply policy. It is unfortunate that GoPro does not have a service department that can repair cameras. My GoPro2 works fine when connected to USB. It does not work with any of my three batteries (Fully charged using my other GoPro). I feel like it can be repaired, but I guess a new camera is much cheaper than repairing labor cost for them. Even though you scratch your GoPro lens (the actual lens on the body), GoPro will not replace with a new lens that is not expensive at all. Instead, they will give you some discount on a new GoPro that still cost much more than just a new lens.

If I can go back in time, I would start all over with Contour since their cameras are all weatherproof just by themselves. Contour Roam is waterproof. Contour has some of thier own quirks with thier cameras. Contour video quality is not as good as GoPro Hero 2. However, I am not a professional and cannot afford insurance on my equipments. I now feel much better with a weatherproof body and a waterproof case combination. With Contour + underwater case, I do not have to buy an expensive flat lens and modify a case to void warranty!

I am downgrading from 4 stars to 3 stars because GoPro does not have any phone support. GoPro does not have a service department that can repair cameras with fee basis. Despite I defended the underwater issue last month, If GoPro does not allow modification with flat lenes, they should not promote underwater videos. Lastly, GoPro cases are made strong, but they are not all made exactly the same. This is also a known issue.

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Klipsch Music Center KMC 3 Portable Speaker System (Black)

Customer Ratings:

The Klipsch KMC 3 excels with frighteningly loud sound, gobs of bass, and pristine clarity that sounds better than anything I've ever heard in my life.

While Klipsch markets this speaker as the ultimate beach-party companion, the KMC 3 offers more than head-thumping bass at bewilderingly loud volumes. It also sounds very, very good.

The sound is so clear that it will reintroduce you to your MP3 collection. The KMC 3 provides incredible distinction between the individual parts in the mix, and the sound of each element is so confident, strong, and clean. In tracks that I've listened to for years, I can pick out details I've never heard before. I can hang onto the wispiest arpeggio in the background strings and tell if there's one, two, or ten people singing tenor in a choral song. It's addictive.

What's really amazing is that, after an hour of marathon listening to mellow, subtle tracks and some rock, I couldn't discern any artificial push in the treble, midrange, or bass.

Now, there's abundant bass, so much bass! More than enough to "roll around in the music," especially when listening within twenty feet. But the basslines never sound thick or muddy, a common failing of "warm" speakers like UE. Instead the basslines are clean and clear as if the bassist was sitting here in the living room five feet away with his amp on the floor. The sound design is true and plain, almost... acoustically "flat." I can't believe I'm going to say it, but--

It sounds like a professional monitor. The most muscular, bassy, powerful, acoustically pleasing monitor in its price class.

And by the way, it's portable, weighs the same as a laptop, I can carry it in one hand, and it can run on D-cell batteries.

Volume. Let me address volume separately:

Holy crap!

At it's highest volume, it's so loud it scared the hell out of me. I only cranked it up once, and I'll probably never venture past two-thirds volume again. At full volume, the KMC 3 starts to eerily resemble a PA speaker. That's right, I said a PA speaker. This Bluetooth speaker could rock a house party or a backyard barbecue.

I'd even go so far to say that the KMC 3 could serve as the primary soundbar in a home theater, 65-inch plasma and all. It's that loud.

Competitors like the Jawbone Big Jambox, Sony SRS series, Bose Soundlink II, Beats Pill, Logitech UE Boombox, Sonos Airplay speakers, even the full ZVox soundbars just fail to hold a candle to this Klipsch.

Now, most Bluetooth speakers in this size cost $200 or so, but even considering the price difference, the Klipsch still comes out far ahead. If it costs twice the price, it feels like four times the speaker.

Give this one a try. You won't regret it.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 Digital Camera (Black) - DMC-ZS20K

Customer Ratings:

I wanted a camera that had more Zoom capability than my old camera but was also easy to carry in my pocket or purse. The Panasonic Lumix met both of these requirements. It has many nice features including the ability to do panaramic shots. I am excited to take it on vacation and get some wonderful scenic shots! So far I've used it to take pictures of my grandchildren and they've turned out very clear and sharp! I would recommend this for anyone who likes to take good pictures with a minimum of technical knowledge!

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Lenovo IdeaTab K3 Lynx 11.6-Inch 64 GB Tablet

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $549.99
Sale Price: $424.99
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

I hope to give the most comprehensive review of this Lenovo Lynx K3011W tablet.

After reading benchmark and reviews about the new Atom processor, I found that the Intel Atom Z2760 would outperform any nVidia Tegra 3 configurations, which is exactly what I wanted to hear since I was extremely tired of the standard tablet OSes; I've owned iOS, WebOS and Android devices for several years and it's always bothered me that I was always limited in productivity. I had always wished that I could have a full x86 environment so that I could install and run every app that I use for work and school while still having a multimedia consumption device that I could hold with one hand. After a couple of weeks of use, I have found that this is the exact device that I needed.

I have compared this tablet in person with the Asus VivoTab Smart, but I would rather have the brighter screen, louder stereo speakers, and the dockable keyboard that offers additional USB ports and its own battery. The Lenovo IdeaPad Lynx K3 has an MSRP value that's about $150 more than the Asus VivoTab Smart and it is also 0.2 pounds heavier. However, I was able to buy it on sale for less than the price of the VivoTab and I felt that the 0.2 pounds in weight was negligible.

I was able to use the HP Envy X2 Hybrid Tablet as well. While the X2 is sold with the keyboard included, the MSRP is $850. It has been sold for $600 on sale recently, which is a good price for these Hybrid Tablet devices if it were to include a dockable keyboard. Unfortunately, the X2 tablet was bulky due to its thickness, and it was approaching the 2-pound mark at a little over 1.7 pounds. The X2 felt more like it was built to be a laptop than a stand-alone tablet. However, the Beats branded audio in the X2 as significantly louder than either the Lenovo Lynx or the Asus VivoTab Smart.

There are other options for Hybrid Tablets. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 has firmware, driver and chipset issues, and it is more expensive than the Lenovo IdeaPad Lynx. The Acer W510 is much heavier than the IdeaPad Lynx. Much like the HP X2, the Samsung ATIV is bulky and heavy. The AsusVivoTab full version is much more expensive than its counterpart of the VivoTab Smart. The Microsoft Surface RT has the restricted "Windows RT" system that will not allow the user to install their own programs, as well as having the slower nVidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor. I considered purchasing the full Windows Surface Pro tablet but due to its thickness and weight, it would have made more sense to purchase a Lenovo Twist at that point. Therefore, it was an easy choice for me to purchase the IdeaPad Lynx over any of the other offerings in this category.

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CONS

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I'll start the formal review with a list of negative aspects of this tablet. The worst physical aspect of the tablet is that the volume rocker on the side of the tablet. It rattles because it sits loose in its housing; this doesn't seem to be a defect but a design choice. Also, since it sits nested (inset) instead of sitting flush at the edge, it's extremely hard to push the buttons with your fingers. You will need to use your fingernails to reach in and push the rocker buttons.

I wish the microphone was better at picking up my voice. When placing it two feet away from me, it picked up my voice and cut out background noise, but my voice sounded whisper-quiet. If I tilted the tablet's top edge toward me, it picked up my voice clearly. If Lenovo had intended the microphone to be directional, it would have made more sense to find a way for Lenovo to mount the microphone port facing the user.

Other users complain about the edges of the tablet but I didn't find it an issue; it didn't cut into my hand, doesn't feel uncomfortable after hours of holding it, etc. I wish the back didn't feel like hollow plastic, but since there isn't much 'give' to the plastic, it's just a superficial nitpick. However, I can imagine that accidentally putting weight on this device will destroy the screen since it provides the structural integrity. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 or the HP Envy X2 have either metal housings inside or are constructed of aluminum on the outside so that there is some support other than a flimsy plastic casing. I don't imagine I'll leave my tablet lying around on benches, so I am not worried that I'll crack the screen at any point during my ownership.

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UNBOXING

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The tablet comes with a manual, AC adaptor, USB charger, microUSB-to-USB male-to-female adapter, and a "specialized" paperclip that will fit in the "CTRL + ALT + DEL" hole (a 'hard reset' pinhole is available on device in case the screen becomes unresponsive). The USB charger is fairly short at a little over a yard, so you may want to pick up your own microUSB-to-USB cable. The box itself is sealed with a specialized anti-tamper tape that will leave a 'lenovo' logo on the box if the tape is peeled to open the box.

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PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

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The tablet itself is a bit thinner in width than an iPhone 5. While weighing in at less than 1.5 pounds, this tablet "feels light as a feather" when compared even to the netbooks of yester-year. It's about 0.3 pounds lighter than my HP Touchpad and MUCH thinner. To put it into perspective, it means that the Lenovo Lynx is 6 times as heavy as an iPhone 5, or 3 times as heavy as a Kindle Paperwhite.

The top edge of the tablet has a power button with a charge indicator light next to it. The light is a very small LED that glows orange during charging and white when it's fully charged. It only glows when it's plugged into a power source. There is a microphone array as well, one in the top middle and one towards the right side. There is also a microSD slot which is covered. The cover comes off easily if you use a paperclip to lift it; it's near impossible to pry it up with your fingernail. The cover has a rubber tether that keeps it from fully detaching from the tablet, meaning that you won't lose it while you're inserting or removing an SD card. The microSD slot is fairly deep inside, so you will need to use a paperclip to push it in. It will click in, and if you press down again, it'll pop up but will not pop up far enough. I found that I needed to use tweezers to pull out the microSD card since it wouldn't stick out past the inside lip of the housing. There is also what appears to be a non-removable molded cover for another port, about the size of a nano-SIM card. Perhaps international versions will allow 4G data connectivity through this port, but it is blocked off by plastic molding on my device.

The right edge of the tablet has a microphone/headphone combo jack, the type that accepts the iPhone earbuds that has the line-in mic (three bands on the jack). There is also a microHDMI port. Both of these ports are uncovered. There is also a slit for the right-side speaker port which is situated closer to the top of the device so that your hands won't block the speaker port if you're gripping the edge towards the middle/bottom.

The bottom edge of the tablet has two docking slots and a microUSB port square in the middle. The microUSB port is used for charging as well as the tethering of other devices. The microUSB-to-USB dongle that came in the package can be plugged in here; I've successfully connected a 32GB USB flash drive and a USB dongle for a wireless mouse. Since this port offers less than 1A of power, bigger devices such as full HDD or CD burners will not run off of this USB port. However, if a powered USB hub is supplied, it will work without issues. There is also a barcode and serial number sticker next to the microUSB port with markings that this device itself was manufactured on 12/11/2012.

The left edge of the tablet has left-side speaker port to provide stereo sound. There is a dedicated rotation lock button and a volume up/down rocker. These buttons are nested in a bit so that it is not flush with the edge of the tablet, and it is hard to push them due to this fact. As stated earlier, fingernails are needed to use the volume rocker.

The front face of the tablet has one physical button. It is a Windows button that can be used to wake the tablet up from sleep or bring you to the Windows 8 menu. The button is nestled slightly in so that it's not flush with the face of the tablet. There is a chrome "Lenovo" logo that is embedded in the bezel underneath the edge-to-edge glass. Also embedded underneath the glass at the top of the bezel is the front-facing camera, a power LED and the ambient light sensor. All three of these items are next to each other, with the camera in the top middle and the other two items to the right of it. The power indicator is a very small green LED that flashes for half a second every time the power is turned on or off on the device. The ambient light sensor cannot be seen during regular use since it's covered by tinted black glass. However, if you shine a flashlight directly onto the glass (or put it in direct sunlight), you can see past the black tinting of the bezel and see a round hole with a green microchip of the ambient light sensor. The edge-to-edge glass on the front is set slightly inside of the plastic casing of the tablet so that there is a barely noticeable ledge around the entire face. The slab of glass is not oleophobic and easily attracts fingerprints and oils.

The corners of the tablet are slightly rounded. There is a clear seam that splits down the middle of the entire edge where the gray backing of the case is attached to the black plastic that holds the front glass face. However, I cannot pry between the seam and it does not feel as though the device is structurally weak. The back of the device is gray texturized hollow plastic. There is a slight 'give' in the plastic if you push hard enough, but it's barely noticeable. Holding it one handed will not push/bend the backing of the case. The back plastic has three stickers; an Intel Atom sticker, a Windows 8 sticker and an FCC sticker. Fingerprints or oils do not show up on the back plastic at all.

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SPEAKERS, HEADPHONES AND MICROPHONES

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The speakers on this tablet are truly stereo. Listening to the opening score for the TV series "Archer" showcases that there is a stereo effect and it's quite easy to hear it. In comparison to the one speaker port in the iPhone 5, one speaker port on the Lenovo Lynx will max out to about 80% of the speaker volume on the iPhone 5. However, since there are two speaker ports, it can get louder than the iPhone 5 speaker. It is multitudes louder than an iPod Touch 4th Gen. speaker. I cannot get the device to distort sound even at 100%, although the entire tablet will vibrate if the speakers are turned up during loud music. It's definitely loud enough to watch Netflix movies in bed even at 60% volume.

Plugging in headphones will automatically cut the speakers and send sound to the headphones. However, the device does not have different profiles for speaker volume and headphone volume; whatever volume level you have set will carry over whenever you plug/unplug headphones. This is different than iOS or Android devices that will allow you to have your speaker volume set to a different levels than your headphone volume, and will auto-switch volume levels as you plug/unplug your headphones. Headphones sound crystal clear.

Testing the built-in microphone with Skype showed that unless you speak loudly or towards the top edge of the tablet, the microphone struggles to pick up your voice. While holding the tablet two feet away from myself, the microphone picked up whisper-quiet voice levels from me while I spoke in an "indoor" voice. However, I usually speak a bit louder when I chat on the phone, so trying a louder voice registered better with Skype, but the best result was actually to tilt the tablet's top edge towards me while I spoke. This seemed a bit impractical. I found that the audio mixer allowed me to "boost" the microphone sensitivity an extra 36dB. However, it would start to pick up the pops and creaks from my handling of the tablet.

When I used my V-Moda Vibe Duo earbuds with built-in mic, everything went MUCH better than expected. The sound of my own voice was crisp, clear and loud.

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CAMERA

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While using the Windows 8 camera app, it allowed me several settings. The still-image camera allowed resolutions of 0.3MP (4:3), 0.9PM (16:9), 1.2MP (4:3), and 2.1MP (16:9). When I switched to Video mode, it allowed the resolutions of 252p (16:9), 360p (16:9), 480p (4:3), 540p (16:9), 720p (16:9) and 1080p (16:9). Unfortunately, the picture quality is pretty grainy like any standard $20 webcam. It is grainier than the iPhone front-facing camera.

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AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR

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Since this is a full-fledged version of Windows 8, power adjustment and screen adjustments are taken care of through the usual Power Options in Windows. Lenovo does NOT run their own software on top of Windows, unlike Asus or Samsung. That means that there are less errors and less issues. The Ambient Light Sensor is embedded underneath the glass of the front-facing bezel. It's pretty responsive; holding your thumb over the sensor will force the screen to dim within a second. The dimming is gradual, rather than step-wise so that you see a nice fading in brightness.

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OS & SOFTWARE

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This is what it all comes down to. The reason I want a tablet is because it is easy to carry with me, whether I'm knocking out e-mails at the coffee shop or watching movies in bed. However, I needed a full-fledged operating system to run my suite of Microsoft Office, CodeBlocks, NetBeans, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Cool Edit Pro, Acrobat Pro, Oralce Database, Filezilla, etc. That was the limitation with iOS/Android: you can try to cobble several apps together and bridge their outputs to get your desired workflow, but it would always fall short.

I'm glad to say that this tablet exceeds my expectations by leaps and bounds. I owned a netbook several years ago and have had experience with the "Intel Atom" chipsets. They are ungainly slow and netbooks back in the day had limitations of supporting only 1GB of RAM. One of my major concerns was that these new hybrid tablets with Intel Atom are only meant to address 2GB of older DDR2 architecture RAM. In a typical day, my home or work computer is usually tying up 6 to 7GB of RAM between its programs, with the Windows 7 OS taking about 1.5GB of it. I'm happy to say that Windows 8 standard on this Lenovo Lynx tablet only uses 0.9GB, of which I can probably cut down to 0.7GB if I turn off some unneeded services. Even after a full day of use, if I close all of my apps, it will go back down to 0.9GB of RAM usage by the OS.

The tablet itself is delivered barebones. Other than the OS, it only has a PDF editor, a trial edition of Microsoft Office 2010 and a trial edition of Norton Security. Windows 8 now includes antivirus protection as part of the "Windows Defender" software that comes pre-installed with the OS, so I deleted the Norton security since it had too many processes and plug-ins associated with it.

Since the tablet uses eMMC solid state drives rather than the standard SATA drives, writing to the drive is slower than laptops or desktops that have SATAIII SSD drives. However, it is still noticeably faster than a 7200RPM HDD. The eMMC solid state drive may not be as fast as consumer SSD drives, but it's read times are still faster than the traditional hard drives inside of laptops.

After installing about 25 programs and configuring them, I was surprised by the start-up time. During the first half-dozen restarts while the tablet was setting itself up and downloading updates, start-up times were about 1 minute and 30 seconds on average. Fortunately, after running all of the updates and installing all of my apps/programs, the tablet does a cold boot in about 20 seconds! That's perfectly acceptable to me since my quad-core Core i5 3570k over-clocked desktop at home takes about 15 seconds to boot up in Windows 7. I'm extremely impressed with the boot-up time on this device. Wake from sleep is, in fact, instant. The OS is responsive the second you hit the "Windows" key to wake it up from sleep.

Speaking of sleep, I am monitoring the device over my WiFi network. I can see the tablet pop-up on my WiFi network every 5 minutes even when it's supposed to be asleep: it seems to wake itself up from sleep every 5 minutes to check for new e-mails and beeps to notify me (the screen does not turn on, but it will beep when new items come in). I have apps such as Skype, GMail, Yahoo Mail to auto-refresh while the computer is locked and asleep. When I wake the computer and look at the lock-screen, it gives me notifications about how many e-mails I have received, any calls that I have missed, etc. This is a setting in Windows 8 that can be turned on/off.

I have not found a day where I have run out of charge for this device. I have used it on the road to surf the internet and answer some e-mails while tethered over Bluetooth to an access point. After 3 hours of use in this manner, I had about 75% of battery left (the power plan is set to "Balanced" mode with the screen brightness about 3/4 of the way up). I have used this device with the WiFi and Bluetooth on for about 5 hours while streaming Netflix, and it had about 45% battery life left at that point. I've never let the battery run all the way down, but I wouldn't doubt the quoted 8+ hours of battery life.

The tablet itself is extremely responsive and snappy. When using the official Windows 8 apps that can be purchased from the Windows App store, the apps take the entire screen. You never see the Windows desktop or the taskbar. In this "Metro UI" or "App" mode, there are some nifty tricks that you can pull. Rather than hitting the physical Windows button at bottom of the tablet, if you slide your thumb from the right bezel inwards, a menu pops up that gives you the option to run a search for programs/documents, go the Windows menu, or open settings. If you slide your thumb in from the left bezel, you will cycle through Windows 8 apps and programs running in the background (same as the "ALT + TAB" shortcut on the keyboard). If you slide your thumb in from the left bezel and immediately slide back out to the bezel, you can see a thumbnail preview of all of your running programs. From there, you can drag a program to the left or right-side of the screen, and it will split your window so that you have two apps open in a 1:5 ratio. The surprise here was that the Intel Atom Z2760 processor is strong enough to run two 720p YouTube videos simultaneously in that odd picture-in-picture type of way. There was no noticeable lag or stutter; everything ran buttery smooth with one window in FireFox and the other in Internet Explorer.

Just to give you some numbers, Adobe Photoshop CS6 takes about 15 second to launch. Microsoft Office 2013 Word takes about 4 seconds to launch. Memory management seemed to be fine. For example, I was running Photoshop, Word, Excel, and 5 tabs in Internet Explorer and everything was running fine with only 1.6GB of RAM taken. After installing my suite of apps, 27GB of free space was still left on the internal storage. I have found a method of storing my Dropbox files to the micro SD drive by formatting the micro SD as an NTFS drive and setting a mounting point in a folder of my creation on the C:\ drive. This was necessary since my Dropbox contains several gigabytes of data that I did not want to waste on the internal drive of the Lenovo Lynx, and the Dropbox app will not allow storage on a removable drive (so I had to trick the program).

There is a Windows 8 app called "Fresh Paint" and I decided to try it out. It allows drawing on the screen. Since the Lenovo Lynx does not support a pressure-sensitive digitizer, it should only be able to see 5 finger gestures at once without being able to distinguish pressure sensitivity. I found that the Lynx performed sub-bar in the Fresh Paint application. If I picked a paintbrush and swiped across the screen, there would be a one-second delay before I saw the results. The resulting swipe would show up a block at a time rather than being a fluid brush stroke. The app was able to distinguish speed: a slow, deliberate drag would generate a solid ink line while a quick brush across would fade the brush stroke as it would on a real canvas. However, the app was completely unusable due to the delay. I wanted to open Photoshop and use the touchscreen to make a comparison, but Photoshop would not register the touchscreen as an input device. Upon installing Skitch, I was able to draw freely and annotate my photographs without delay. I would be inclined to conclude that perhaps input-heavy apps such as Fresh Paint may be the only apps that suffer from lag/delay from the Touchscreen as it is not optimized for this simple touchscreen.

Speaking of the touchscreen, it is extremely responsive and accurate. Even at full resolution, you can accurately click on a 9-point font link amidst a sea of links. When you touch the screen or move your fingers around the screen, you are greeted with a 20% faded gray circle that encircles your finger to show you that your touches are registering.

One of the biggest necessities with these tablets is a good on-screen keyboard. Microsoft did a good job with Windows 8; apps in the Metro UI will automatically force the keyboard to pop-up as soon as you touch a text-input area. Outside of the Metro UI or "App" mode, there is a giant keyboard icon on the Windows Taskbar that will pop up the keyboard when you need it. They keyboard takes nearly half the screen (vertically). Since I have been using touchscreen devices for nearly 6 years, and since this is an 11.6" touchscreen, I can actually lay the device down on a surface and type at about 35 words per minute. The keyboard has different settings as well, allowing you to use the regular keybaord, a split keyboard that allows you to type on half the keyboard using just your left thumb and the other half using your right thumb, or go into hand-write detection mode so you can use a stylus to write directly on the screen and allowing Windows to decipher your writing. As another input method, speech recognition is built-in to Windows 8. However, it was near impossible to get it to work, due to the weak microphone.

Some apps do not seem to cope well with the pop-up keyboard. Windows tries to adjust your working screen by shoving your program's text input box above the keyboard that slides out from the bottom of the screen. In the desktop version of FireFox or Internet Explorer, it means that the web browser would redraw the area to fit the textbox above the keyboard. However, Google Chrome was a disaster. Instead of redrawing the HTML elements, Chrome would attempt to resize its entire window to make it take space on the top-half of the touchscreen. When you hit the keyboard button to hide the large touchscreen keyboard, Google Chrome often failed to go back to full-screen so you end up with a browser that fills only the top half of the screen. On more than half the occasions, Chrome would just crash after a keyboard input. So I ended up using Internet Explorer as my main browser. However, there are two versions of Internet Explorer; the Metro UI touchscreen version and the regular desktop version that comes with all Windows computers. The touchscreen-specific IE is easier to navigate since all of the buttons are huge, and menu items slide in from the top and bottom in large icons. The performance is also better than the desktop/regular version of IE, so I would recommend using this "App" version of Internet Explorer.

As mentioned earlier, I tether my Lenovo Lynx tablet to my iPhone via Bluetooth to share a 4G connection while I am on the road. Unfortunately, starting with Windows 8, Microsoft has removed connectivity to ad-hoc WiFi networks. The usual method of creating a WiFi hotspot will no longer allow you to connect to a shared Internet connection. Ad-hoc networks even fail to show up in the Windows WiFi configuration window. However, if you can create an ad-hoc connection via Bluetooth, this tablet will allow you to choose a "Shared Network" option via Bluetooth to tether to your cell phone's data plan. It also didn't have issues connecting with devices to stream audio via Bluetooth.

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PROS

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I'll finally list the "Pros" of owning this tablet:

*Extremely light compared to carrying a full-fledged laptop, yet can run the same 32-bit applications as any laptop. Lighter than an iPad with 3G chip.

*Very bright and crisp screen. Noticeably brighter than the Asus VivoTab Smart and easily useable in direct sunlight (minus the reflection due to the glass screen).

*No proprietary drivers or necessary accompanying software. Unlike Samsung or Asus tablets, you can upgrade this device to a full Windows 8 Pro or wipe it clean and install an operating system of your choice because it is not dependent on manufacturer-specific applications.

*11.6" diagonal screen adds so much more screen real estate than a 9 or 10" screen that you can type on the on-screen keyboard without issues. Keyboard is responsive without any issues or mis-alignment.

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REFERENCES

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CPUBenchmark has raw PassMark scores that show that the Atom Z2760 actually beats an Intel Core 2 Duo T5270 processor. AnandTech has a fantastic write-up about the Atom processor itself and a benchmark comparison in a dozen categories that show it out-performing the nVidia Tegra 3 Quad-Core processor.

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NOTES

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I have not purchased the dockable keyboard for this device. I will hold out for a price drop since I mainly purchased this device to use in "tablet" mode. I will post any updates at the top of this review in a section marked "UPDATES" if necessary.

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UPDATES

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03/18/2013

1) Certain games, such as Microsoft Mahjong, will run the memory up to 1.9GB used. At that point, a warning pane will pop open on the desktop stating that the system is "running out of memory". This pop-up will not disrupt your open apps and you will only see it once you close your app and go to the desktop. However, I did not experience any issues during game play. I played Mahjong for about 4 hours straight before I closed the app, only to notice that pop-up warning message. 2GB of RAM may be troublesome for some people.

2) Although I initially wrote that the desktop version of Internet Explorer was my preferred browser, I have found that having 2 or more Flash-heavy websites will make the browser freeze for a few seconds upon loading. The Metro UI "App" version of Internet Explorer does not have this issue. I have edited my review to state that I prefer the "App" version of the browser.

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Garmin nüvi 50LM 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $149.99
Sale Price: $89.99
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

I have had Garmin, Tom Tom, Sony and Magellan GPS's over the last ten years. I have come back to Garmin for my last two because they have by far the best interface. My other Garmin is a 1690.

The maps that came with this GPS are up to date. A restaurant that opened within the last six months is on the list.

I have found the 4.3 inch screen size to be the optimal size. It has a nice size keyboard and amazing graphics. It feels 'right' on a car dashboard.

The two features I absolutely require are the speed limit on the screen and the lane guidance. This GPS has both. This is my first Garmin out of three that goes into a split screen mode and shows the interstate signage as you come upon an exit you will be taking on your route. Great feature!

The audio is crisp and clear. It has plenty of volume capacity.

When needed, this unit will recalculate the directions quickly. I should also mention that it is very quick to acquire the satellites.

The one thing that this GPS does not have is traffic. My last four GPS's have had traffic and I have found it to be of limited usefulness. More than 50% of the time, the traffic has cleared out and you are still being alerted. The alternate routes around the traffic jams tend to be somewhat dubious.

Finally, what a great price!!! Just a year ago, you would have paid double the price for a GPS with all of the features you get with the Garmin 40. It is an excellent buy!

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Seagate Momentus 5400 250GB 5400RPM SATA 3Gb/s 8MB Cache 2.5

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $94.99
Sale Price: $48.50
Today's Bonus: 49% Off

Installed this in an upgraded Thinkpad T60 with Windows 7. The hard disk was new, not refurbished. Worked perfectly initally. HD started hiccuping and my system diagnostics warned me my hard disk was failing, at about 9 months after installing. It lasted another 2 months and now I'm waiting for a new HD to arrive in the mail to get my computer running. We'll see how Western Digital does.... I would consider myself a very shrewd computer user and I maintain my system very well, but still the Seagate was, unfortunately, a let down.

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Bower SFD728C TTL Autofocus Flash for Canon E-TTL II

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $48.96
Today's Bonus: 18% Off

This economical Bower SFD728C flash is designed specifically to be used with digital SLR Canon cameras with TTL and that is the key to it's appeal. It has no on board knobs or buttons for manual adjustment. Rather, it works great as an inexpensive point and shoot alternative to the more feature packed Canon brand Speedlite flash products.

Reverse engineering some of the the more basic Canon Speedlite external flash features, the compatible Canon cameras will adjust this Bower unit's flash intensity, auto-focus beam, etc. as well as 2nd curtain photo tricks and in-camera manual flash compensation.

The Bower SFD728C units locks tightly to my Rebel XSi flash shoe, and while the flash is all plastic construction it does not seem to be particularly fragile. Obviously, the manual zoom sleeve and the two way flash head swivel (horizontal and vertical) will allow you to try many of the bounce and indirect lighting tricks the pro's use with their much more expensive professional flash units.

Flash recharge is a fast 3 seconds with fresh batteries and the two rear panel LED indicators (flash ready and exposure status) on the unit are useful. I cannot give it 5 stars as compared to the more features packed Canon Speedlites but that is no shame as this unit is about one tenth the price of the best Canon Speedlite flashes! Still, I give it a solid 4 stars as a great entry level flash unit specifically made to take advantage of SOME of the flash controls and features found in the Canon professional line of SLR cameras.

Please note that it will NOT work as a slave or master with any Canon brand Speedlite multiple flash and extended flash setups. However, there are inexpensive, wireless "flash triggers" that work with various flash units like this Bower flash. They give you an inexpensive way to set up your own studio type multiple flash photos without buying into the very expensive Canon Speedlite multi-flash capabilities. While beyond the scope of this review, search "flash trigger" or visit the Strobist website to get started in multiple flash photography.

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