TomTom GO LIVE 2535M 5-Inch Bluetooth GPS Navigator with HD

Customer Ratings:

UPD(Nov 2011): I thought I will update this review a little bit. Everything below still remains true. The only major change is that now the major competitor seems to be the new Nuvi series. Garmin finally made dramatic progress with their TrafficTrends and the routing on Nuvi 3490 is very similar to what IQRoutes on TomTom would give. I say below that if you live in a big city, you need TomTom. This is no longer a rock-solid statement. Garmin has created a viable alternative.

If you want a connected device, the choice is easy. At the moment 2535 is the only decent device on the market.

If you don't care if the device is connected or not, it's a tough call between 2535 and Garmin 3490. 2535 is still faster and a bit better and more stable in routing , but the gap is not as huge as it used to be. Given that Garmin 3490 has a better UI, it's a hard choice and boils down to your personal preferences. Personally, I will keep both for some time. I trust TomTom a bit more. Garmin is more usable.

The worst single thing about TomTom remains their "myTomTom" website and plug-in. This is the most ridiculous piece of software I have to use which has more bugs than features.

Besides LIVE functions, TomTom's main advantage remains "Map Corrections" feature. Even though map quality is lower than the maps that come with Garmins, you can make corrections like disabling roads, changing turn restrictions, etc. On Garmin you are effectively stuck with whatever Navteq provides them and map updates are painfully slow (custom avoidances don't help). As I say below, on top of map corrections there is also map share, i.e. ability to use corrections submitted by other users. It will work on older TomTom models, but is not available on new ones because of myTomTom...

I also had battery issues and after 6 months of usage TomTom replaced it with a new device with no questions asked. My respect for that.

That's all for the update. The rest is the review as of April.

Overall, a nice device. I'll mostly concentrate on comparing it to Garmin Nulink 1695 as these are the best connected devices on the market. You can check my feedback on 1695 for additional details. Significant part of this review will be generic to any Garmin vs TomTom comparison, so I'll start with LIVE services to knock down the essentials.

Both units do a good job, both offer 1 yr of free services, traffic, google local search and weather.Garmin seemed to be a bit faster but TomTom is ok.

Local search: same functionality on both. TomTom's presentation of results is a bit friendlier.

Weather: TomTom offers weather "near you", "near destination" and "near other point" that can be your POI or a recent destination. Garmin only gives "near you" or near a pre-defined city. TomTom gives more details, Garmin gives sunrise and sunset times. Garmin also offers weather radar for $30 a year. I like TomTom's version more. Miss the radar, but I can get it for free from Intellicast app anyway.

Gas prices: TomTom allows to search prices nearby, cheapest in area, of cheapest on route. This is much better than what Garmin has to offer. Garmin gives "as of" date for each gas station which helps to eliminate stale information. Overall, TomTom is better.

Speed cameras: allows you to view speed cameras and report on-the-fly. It comes for free on TomTom and costs ~$40/year on Garmin. Garmin's reporting is a bit easier.

Traffic: a big plus is that traffic information is received almost immediately and you don't have to wait for FM traffic information to get to your device. Other than that, I haven't seen much advantage of Live trafic compared to ClearChannel FM subscription. Even though traffic acquisition is almost instantaneous on a connected device, the quality of FM data is sometimes better. At one instance FM traffic on my older Garmin warned me about a traffic on NJ turnpike while I was 60 miles away. It took took more than an hour for this incident to be reported through HD traffic on TomTom. The info came too late for the detour to be optimal and incorrect location of the traffic jam made suggested detour useless. On the other hand, when I approached NYC 40 minutes later, HD traffic worked flawlessly, while FM traffic for NYC area was not acquired until I was 10 minutes away from home and successful avoided the traffic using TomTom HD data. This is just to illustrate that there is no "best" traffic at the moment. Both FM and HD can be right or wrong. As I've said before, the only obvious advantage of HD traffic is no delay for available data to get to your device.

Other than using traffic data for navigation, Garmin offers two excellent ways to see traffic in your area or in different cities: you can view color-coded traffic map or list all traffic incidence by distance. TomTom kind of has the same options but compared to Garmin they are too painful to use to be useful. It's a matter of representation only. As for using traffic data for optimal route planning, TomTom is very good.

Other things: Garmin offers local event search for art, music and sport events + movie times + flight status. I actually thought that searching movie times on Garmin was faster than on a smartphone and I liked the flight status option.

Live services summary: TomTom has a bit smaller set of Live features, but those that are available are more user friendly and offer more options. Connection seems to be reliable, delays acceptable.

Now some generic comparison. As I've said, most of it should apply to all new units from TomTom and should be similar to what you might read in reviews for other units.

Screen: bright and clear 5''. Initially I was in favor of smaller screen sizes, but after using Nulink for a while became a big fun of bigger screens. This unit has pretty much the same form factor as 1695, but looks and feels better.

Same cable (with removable connector) is used to connect the unit to USB port or to an in-vehicle DC outlet. In contrast, Garmin requires a separate proprietary USB cable to connect the unit to a PC and requires dashboard mount to connect the unit to the charger. TomTom's dashboard mount is a bit more reliable, while Garmin's is somewhat easier to detach.

Touchscreen is good, but typing is sometimes painful. Garmin and Go 930 are a bit easier to use. It could be my personal thing as other users tend to like the touchscreen a lot, but I tend to make way more typos on TomTom 2535 than on any other touchscreen device I've ever used in my life.

Navigation and route planning: this is where TomTom rocks and Garmin so far was not able to catch up. Thanks to IQ routes the ETA is very accurate. On busy streets you need TomTom if you want to get an accurate estimate of the arrival time. On highways Garmin performs equally well or better.

I have my favorite test routes in NYC that include different boroughs and road types. Here is a sample result of TomTom vs Garmin comparison.

Route 1: Estimated TomTom 22 min, Garmin 20 min, Actual driving time 30 min all due to traffic lights)

Route 2: Estimated TomTom 15 min, Garmin 9 min, Actual driving time 16 min

Route 3: Estimated TomTom 31 min, Garmin 27 min, Actual driving time 50 min 12 minute of bridge traffic that both units didn't know about + 7 traffic lights.)

Route 4: Estimated TomTom 38 min, Garmin 28 min, Actual driving time 39 min

Route 5: Estimated TomTom 16 min, Garmin 12 min, Actual driving time 15 min

I care a lot about accurate estimated travel time because it is necessary to calculate an optimal route. This becomes critical in densely populated areas where there are multiple ways to get between two points. For example, looking at travel time estimates for route 3, one might decide to take Garmin's route because it's estimated to be 4 minutes faster. In fact, following Garmin's directions would make it a 60, rather than 50 minute journey since it underestimates the travel time.

Overall, as you can see, TomTom's time estimate is not perfect either, but in many cases it comes pretty close to perfection.

Route calculation is quite fast, but not quite the immediate recalculation TomTom initially promised. Recalculation is reasonably fast but by no means immediate. Can take 30 seconds or more on a 30-mile route if you missed a turn and keep driving in the wrong direction. This is usually not an issue and recalculation takes just a few seconds if you're not far away from home or if there are not too many roads in the neighborhood. This is still much better than what Garmin used to have with their version of IQroutes.

Map display in browse map mode I would say on par, meaning equally bad. If you own an older Garmin unit, like 2xx or 7xx series, you will have to suffer for a few weeks before you give up and accept the new look.

Map display in 3D mode (navigation) Garmin has more clear indication of the next turn. TomTom often shows a more realistic curvature so that you can use the map on the screen to anticipate a sharp curve at night or in law visibility.

Overall, I think I like Garmin's representation more, except when I'm on mountain roads.

Voice prompts a bit better on Garmin. Always right on time. You can't miss a turn if you listed to Garmin's voice prompts.

Voice recognition works quite well on 2535. Not available on Nulink. The only problems I have with TomTom's voice recognition is that I can't make it understand 4-digit house numbers and that response time is a bit slow and it usually takes a few seconds for it to prepare for voice recognition. One just has to acknowledge that user interface is slow on this unit and one needs to be patient.

Lane assist, junction views and arrows indicating next turn much better on Garmin.

Ease of use on par. Just a few examples: selecting a new state is painful on Garmin. Avoiding/non-avoiding tolls for a given route requires multiple clicks to get through the menus, while TomTom just has an option to ask whether you want to avoid if a toll road is on the route. Saving a new favourite location, viewing the name of the city your are in, browsing POI is much easier on garmin. In general, TomTom made a step forward from 930 to 2535. Similarly, Garmin made a huge step backward when it introduced 1xxx and all subsequent series. As a result, in terms of usability TomTom and Garmin are on average the same, but details vary, so you might want to choose what is important for you.

Avoid part of route: available on TomTom, not available on Nulink(but implemented in newer non-connected 24xx series of Garmin GPS). This is a very useful feature to have.

Map corrections: you can make basic map edits for yourself on TomTom, like changing direction on a 1-way street. With garmin you'll have to wait for at least 6 months for the change to be reflected in the map update.

If you look at the main image of 2535 that TomTom posted here on Amazon, you will see a screenshot where a vehicle is driving on Chambers st in Downtown Manhattan towards Broadway. Ironically, several months ago Chambers street has been made one-way in the opposite direction. This is where map corrections come very handy. And by now I spent like 40 minutes bumping into similar issues and correcting them on my device. On older units you would have "map share" feature that allow you to accept corrections submitted by other users even if not verified by TomTom. On 2535 however, map share and many other features are currently disabled. Essentially, they've taken out a feature that is available on older and cheaper units and for the last 8 months (since the release in Europe) promise to re-enable it. So far it costs me 40 minutes of my time and I expect there will be more. This is one of the factors that influenced my rating. Don't get me wrong, Garmin users don't even dream about anything similar, but TomTom had it on older units, so it's reasonable to expect it now.

POI search and categorization better on Garmin, might be frustrating to find the right category on TomTom.

Map update: free for tomtom, $80 lifetime for Garmin.

Now the downside for 2535: the response is sometimes sluggish. There is a visible delay between the moment you click and icon and the moment the screen changes. It might be less than a second, but enough to make you think that the UI is not fast enough. If browsing multi-page search results, moving to the next page might take a while, especially when a vehicle is in motion. Similarly, if you tried google local search and couldn't find what you were looking for, there might be a 10+ second freezing time after you hit "cancel".

Comparison with TomTom Go 930: I'm not sure that at this stage it makes sense to update from 930 to 2535, unless you really want google search. 2535 has an updated user interface, but also fewer customization options. For example, speed limit indicator turns red when you are driving +5 to speed limit. There is no way to modify this behavior on 2535. I don't see much improvement in route recalculation times either.

All you're getting is a fancier look and restricted capabilities. Not worth it.

Also, as you probably know, no map updates, no voices and no extras can be installed on 2535 at the moment. TomTom released European version more than 6 months ago saying that update functionality will be available in the future. 6 months later the future is still not there.

To summarize: esthetically I prefer Garmin, while TomTom offers superior navigation. You can be happy with Garmin away from big cities. In fact, on a trip to North Carolina Outerbanks I used my old Garmin (255W) more often becase of amazing ease of use and a slightly better ETA on highways. However, you need at least some TomTom device if you're going to drive on NYC streets.

I've rated TomTom 2535 as 3 stars for now. Mostly because of

sluggish response

no immediate route recalculation

no updates.

TomTom has a track record of making improvements with software updates. It's not impossible for this unit to get 4 or 5 starts from me in the not-too-distant future. Regardless of the starts, TomTom is the best in route planning and with connected traffic this device supposedly offers the best routes on the market.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Canon EOS 70D 20.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Dual Pixel CMOS AF

Customer Ratings:

This is going to be short, since I've not had the chance to do a whole lot of shooting as yet. Consider it a "just out of the box" impression. I already have a Canon 5D Mk III, and a number of L series lenses. I wanted a "backup camera" for video shooting, and I was intrigued by the new auto-focus system offered on the 70D.

So far, I'm extremely pleased with this camera. The 18-35 mm kit lens gives a lot of range, and I tested the camera out with my other lenses. The L series lenses work very well, and auto-focusing is fast, smooth, and doesn't search around much even in very low light. The camera is not as heavy as the 5D Mk III, but feels solid enough, and not all that different in the hands. Even with the 70-300mm f4-5.6L IS USM zoom my heaviest lens at the moment the camera feels surprisingly balanced.

The crop sensor obviously changes the effect of the lenses, but having a full sensor and a crop sensor both, it's like having 2 sets of lenses. My 70-300mm zoom now has an effective reach up to 480 mm (on the Canon 70D) due to the crop factor of 1.6. To me, this is kind of a bonus, though not in itself a reason to buy the camera. Smaller sized sensors result in an apparent increase in focal length, and a greater depth of field, but this is a generalization and each lens has its own properties that affect the image as well. Read the reviews of individual lenses when considering how each one reacts to different types of camera bodies.

The main thing to take note of is that while the Canon 70D will accept all the EF and EF-L lenses, it is designed to use the EF-S series lenses as well. In fact, the EF-S series lenses are custom tailored specifically for the Canon 70D and (as far as I know) other APS-C crop sensor cameras made by Canon. These lenses and the kit lens is one of them will not work on a full frame camera like the Canon 5D mkIII; the rear element extends back into the camera body in a way that makes it impossible to attach lenses of this series to full frame sensor cameras. Even if they could be attached, I suspect the captured image might suffer from serious vignetting and other problems.

For a thorough understanding of how the APS-C, full frame and other types of sensors interact with various lenses, I highly recommend doing some research on the web. There's a lot of good information out there, and this is a fairly involved subject that I don't even want to attempt to dive into here :)

One thing I couldn't figure out before having the camera in my possession deserves a mention. This is my first experience with a fold-out LCD screen on a DSLR, and I had no idea how the display would deal with flipping around 180 degrees. Would it be upside down? This was the first thing I tried, and the screen auto-flips when it is rotated. Maybe everyone else already knows this but I didn't! Anyway, the fold-out display is a great feature, and it also folds face-in to protect the display when not in use.

The ability to touch various points on the LCD display while in Live View or shooting video, and shift focus while shooting is to me at least worth the price of admission. If Canon eventually updates the 7D and/or the 5D Mk III, this functionality would be most welcome!

Purely as a "gut reaction" I really like the 70D immensely. And it seems a very good value for the price. This may actually become my preferred "walk-around camera, though time will tell.

EDIT 10/22/2013: I've spent a lot more time with the camera now, so I can add to my earlier comments.

While I purchased the 70D mainly for shooting video, I recently used it to shoot bracketed exposures for HDR (high dynamic range) panoramas. A friend of mine had a nodal camera head (The "Ninja" head) which allowed for precise rotation of the camera to cover a full 360 degree field-of-view. The Canon 70D allows for up to 7 bracketed exposures via the AEB controls. The plates were shot in the RAW (CR2) format, using the kit lens, and stitched together using PTGui software.

After some initial trial runs, where we ironed out the kinks in the whole process, the results were exceptional. For those who may be wondering "why do you want a 32 bit HDR 360 panorama at 10k-16k resolution?" it is used to create realistic lighting and reflections in a 3D/CG software (i.e. Modo or Maya, for example). The 3D scene can be lit entirely by the 360 panoramic image, producing a very convincing result.

At any rate, the Canon 70D delivered terrific results doing something I didn't even foresee when I bought the camera. I will try and upload some of the tests (where the photographic panorama serves as both background and light-source) if I can figure out how to do so on the Amazon site.

EDIT 11/9/2013: A note to anyone who intends to shoot green screen (for color keyed composites) or do precise color grading in post production: The video output from the 70D is not YCbCr 4:2:2 compression. This is not apparent to the naked eye when viewing the video footage, but it becomes an issue when attempting to work with the footage in a post environment. The firmware update for the Canon 5D addressed this problem by enabling 4:2:2 color output via the HDMI port to an external recording device (I use the Atomos Ninja 2 for this) but currently uncompressed "clean" HDMI is not enabled on the Canon 70D. I have my fingers crossed this will be dealt with in an update to the firmware.

This is not a huge issue unless you intend to do extensive manipulation of your video footage in post production, but it is something to consider with this camera and DSLRs in general. There are workarounds, of course, but that can entail a fair amount of time & effort, particularly when extracting color key mattes (masks) involving fine edge detail or areas of transparency.

That being said, the footage is nevertheless beautiful. And I suspect this technical point should not be an issue for most people considering buying the Canon 70D. The CR2 (camera raw) files are not at all affected by this, it's a factor limited to the HD video.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Nokia Lumia 1020, White (AT&T)

Customer Ratings:

Great camera that happens to be an awesome phone too. Carrying this should replace all your gadgets: smart camera, smart phone, and great music player. No longer do I worry about capturing the perfect photo with all of my friends, nor do i debate with self anymore whether to bring my camera (Cannon S90) Now, I just bring my NL 1020, no stress about missing the most epic facebook photo shot, or having the perfect shot turn up less than perfect afterview. Plus, the screen is beautiful and sharp. When I set it next to the NL 920, the NL 1020 screen is much brighter and crisper.

Enough, about the camera. Windows Phone OS has came a long way. It's a great fresh OS.

It's a great phone, and the perfect companion to those that never want to miss the perfect picture.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Canon PowerShot SX280 HS Digital Camera (Red) with 32GB Card

Customer Ratings:

I ordered this because we have the canon rebelX and it is to big and bulky but we had purchased a great zoom lens. We were headed to Alaska on an 8 day cruise and I dreaded the thought of carrying that camera everywhere. I ordered this and it showed up one day before we left!!

This little baby got me close for some great pictures. In fact the zoom was the same as the one for the canon we had purchased. It was small enough I could carry it everywhere. The color and resolution is amazing. These pictures are better then the big canon.

This package wow! The Tripod I figured it would be a small tripod you know like the little rubber ones, oh no it was a very nice tall one. I used it on our balcony for pictures when we went thru the Fjord. Everything was better then I had hoped.

The one drawback is when you use the video recorder it will drain your battery very fast. This package has an extra which was a big help and the charger was very fast at recharging. I did not do any video after the I saw how fast it drained it, I had so many more pictures to take to be without.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Kingston 2 GB microSD Flash Memory Card SDC/2GBKR

Customer Ratings:

If you get the Taiwan one, return it. The Japan one works very well. If speed doesn't matter, these are both ok.

Kingston (Taiwan)

Write Speed 3.90 mb/s

Read Speed 3.95 mb/s

Kingston (Japan)

Write Speed 10.2 mb/s

Read Speed 18.9 mb/s

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Archos 5 160 GB Internet Tablet with Android

Customer Ratings:

I have to say that I went against my gut when purchasing this device, as it looked really nice, and really, I wanted it for watching movies, listening to music and checking the internet quickly when I am on the run in airports.

The movie portion worked really well. For that, I give this device 5 STARS...I actually downloaded movies to my Amazon Unbox, then hooked up the Archos and bam, instantly on my new Archos 5 (well, after the movie downloaded to my unbox in 1.5 hours).

The music portion also works flawlessly. Not really any hiccups there, and the sound was good, but could be better. For that, I would give it 4 stars...

SO FAR SO GOOD RIGHT?

WRONG

First, I had the reset this device 5 times in 2 days because it just plain froze up. I would get multiple error messages when I was connected to internet, dropping the connection frequently (and yeah, I'm pretty skilled at making that work). TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE.

And I don't want to hear how a simple patch or download will fix this issue. If it doesn't work out of the box, than DON'T SHIP IT!! I've been reading that apparently, Archos is getting slammed with this stuff after only a week.

FOR THAT, it gets 1 STAR and should get ZERO stars!!

Second, the Appslib was never installed on this device. I called customer service, was talking to someone in 5 minutes, who then put me on hold for 45 MINUTES!! After 45 minutes (I only stayed on hold that long cause I was watching NFL game so I had nothing else to really attend to at the time), the phone rang for 10 more minutes, and then, line went dead. PATHETIC!!!!

I am reading that some software update added actually might have been the reason for the Appslib to never appear, and if you look at Amazon site, they pulled the 160GB version.

For that, I give it NEGATIVE STARS...TERRIBLE service and TERRIBLE that this device did not come preloaded as advertised.

I am sending it back and will use my Toshiba Netbook to watch movies on the plane rides for now. I'm really disappointed. The device itself was really nice and sleek looking. The interface was nice.

The resistive keyboard was kind of annoying as it took a pretty good finger press to make it respond, but worked well enough. I learned to type pretty well on it in 2 days.

I'm ANNOYED!!!

I would have bought the ZuneHD but the screen is too small for movies, as well as the Ipod touch..

I'm now considering the Viliv ex70 as I've heard great things and it's gotten favorable reviews.

I've read Archos history but wanted this device to work...The Android platform has a lot of potential and anything google touches pretty much works as advertised.

Now, I'll have to shop around a little.

I can tell you one thing...unless people start giving this device 4-5 stars when the bugs are worked out, I'll never buy another thing from this company.

EDIT TO REVIEW:

I have downloaded a new firmware update and the device is no longer needing to be reset constantly. It also does not lag any longer and seems a little more snappy and responsive. I'm going to hold on to it for now and see how this plays out over the next 3 weeks. I'm actually flying to CA for a sales meeting next week and so it'll be tested well. If I find it is just needing more debugging it's going back and I'll also update again.

I have 2 movies that I just loaded to it from Unbox. Wolverine and The Dark Knight...Both look very good, although I'd love to get my hands on a HD version of these movies to push to the device.

I'm nervous, however, to buy the HD plugin because I've read somewhere that it does not work or does not read that you have purchased it.

One last thing:

I also just read now that on the Viliv you can actually run Windows 7. It has a camera, and if that is the case, you can snap photos and then ink on them which I do when I'm on job sites taking photos and marking up buildings and plans. That seems practical to me. However, it's expensive (around $800-$900) and this device would be GREAT if these bugs go away.

Let me also so, GET THE 32GB NOT THE 160GB model. The 32GB runs SSD and it very snappy. It's also half the weight and thin.

I'd say it's as thin as my wife's iphone and as heavy as holding a large starbucks coffee. It's light and thin.

I have yet to try the GPS software but plan on downloading it from the disk provided to get the 7 day trial out of it. I'd LOVE that to work. Has a lot of potential when the 3D maps are available for the US in 2nd quarter of 2010.

BEWARE, not matter how much you want something...BEWARE

UPDATE #2: Done with it. It is going back NOW. I did the firmware update and it did NOTHING to help this machine. At first it appeared to make the system work faster, but then, it has frozen up 2 more times. Furthermore, I tried to install the GPS 7 day trial using the disk and the device again froze up. Sorry, but I cannot believe that these people would let these go out the door KNOWING it has issues. How the hell can they NOT know? If everyone here but one person has given this thing pretty poor marks, are they only using fully functional and perfectly tested devices?

Literally, look at the reviews and you will see what I am talking about. It's amazing to me that a company would do this. Yes, large companies have devices that periodically are returned defective. But at the rate that these people are getting complaints, you have to wonder how this could go on for the period of time that it has.

So, Archos will never get another dime from me, unless of course they come out with a fully functional non brick like device that people are raving about. I believe my next device will be a Viliv. I have read review after review on those devices and they are almost all positive. The machines perform the way they were intended to, unlike this one.

And it's too bad...this is such a nice looking and feeling device. The screen is nice, it feels really easy to use in the hand...It's a shame it just does not perform.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Custom Brackets Digital PRO M Rotating Camera Bracket

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $379.95
Sale Price: $366.00
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

There have been dozens of flash brackets on the market. To maintain the flash above the lens in both horizontal and vertical shots, some awkwardly flip the flash, and (to me) better ones smoothly rotate the camera. There's perhaps 8 main bracket vendors now.

Every wedding type or PR event I went to, I chat with the photog when they were on break, and I got to hold, if not try most of their flash brackets. People quickly get used to the quirks of whatever model they buy. Cost and size can be a main concern for amateurs and semi-pros alike. I quickly realized I didn't like the constant flipping of the flash. It distracted me and my subjects, too. Rotating the camera requires a more expensive mechanism. It can be a faster technique than taking my eye from the viewfinder, and flipping the flash. (Rotating the camera, instead of flipping the flash, looks just a touch more professional, to me!)

The Custom Brackets Pro M kit, which rotates the camera and has several necessary plates comprising the "kit", is the best for me. Someone really really thought things out on this one, from the quality of the grip, the host of accessories, to the padded support in front that supports your left hand as it zooms the lens in and out. There are many adjustments possible, to solidly fit any 35 mm camera and flash. If you are gonna shoot weddings and similar events, this model is worth the upgrade, quality, and cost over competitor's models. Cost? You're talking perhaps $100 more-not much at all if you shoot a few events a year, and really profit from the bracket's quality! My main concern was its weight, and I learned how to "cradle it" when not shooting.

Pro's:

-Superb workmanship and one year warranty

-Easy and quick camera rotation, and angle of flash adjustment

-Camera position can be moved forward or back (it cleard the cord from hitting my hand)

-Quick release camera plate available

-Many fine adjustments to customize the fit of camera and flash

-Support bar in front (on newer models) is well thought out

-It's easy to raise and lower the flash height

-I never take my eye from the viewfinder, as needed with many flip flashes, and miss a shot

-Little feet swing out to let it sit solidly upright on a surface

-It's a good fit for my size 7-8 hands.

Cons:

-It's definitely heavier than smaller brackets-I recommend using it wth vibration reduction/image stabilizing lenses, if you hands get fatigued.

-It clicks somewhat loudly as it locks securely at full horizontal and full vertical (not a big problem, as you can: 1. not rotate it during times of silence, 2. learn to not rotate it fully till it clicks, or 3. if it bothers you,drill and place a removable "stop" to keep it from clicking and locking.

-It's bigger than other brackets, (they all look a bit intimidating to your subject!)

-Cost! If the price was lower, they would have way more buyers, and profits. I thought long and hard on this purchase.

Bottom line, our hands our camera rigs, and our strength vary! Like buying a car, catcher's mitt, or camera, hold and test a few brackets, for at least a few minutes, to see how it fits you. There's no "best one" that will please everyone.

Only you know what feels best for you-a flipping of the flash or rotation of the camera; a tiny bracket or a full size one.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Samsung UN60EH6000 60-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Black) (2012

Customer Ratings:

Did a LOT of research prior to purchasing this tv. At first I was dead set on getting the Panasonic P60ST50 Plasma because of all the great ratings for that TV, however when we viewed it in store I just couldnt get past how 'dim/dark' the plasma displays were vs the LED's. I recognize that in-store the tv's are set to display versions that will help stores sell more of what makes them the most money but this dimness is a known issue with plasma's and I could definitely see it. In addition, I did NOT see plasmas as offering a mind-blowing picture vs the LEDs in order to offset the dimness of the display, so that left me with finding the best LED instead...

I next researched the Samsungs, LG's, Sharps, and Vizio's for LEDs. In the end, we decided on a Samsung b/c of the good reviews and b/c we had previous good experience with the samsung brand. At first we were going to go with one of the ES (Smart TV) versions of this TV, but after more research and talking to a friend in the industry, we decided that we did not 'need' the 3D option and also that we could get the same or better 'smart' tv options with a 3rd party Digital Media Player add-on vs having it built into the TV. As a result, we decided on the EH6000 and this saved us about $1000!!!

Amazon has an excellent comparison chart to help you decide which Samsung TV is best for you in terms of features vs model simply look at any of the Samsung TVs and you will see the chart under Product Description/Specs area. The EH6000 is essentially the same as the 6100 & 6500 but without the smart tv features. Don't be fooled by the CMR ratings given by samsung do some research on the "refresh rate" and you will quickly learn that in order to get the 240Hz RR, you need at least a CMR of 720, however many techies will tell you that most people will not notice a RR difference between 120 vs 240 UNLESS you are watching a lot of 3d. If you feel you really want/need the 3d technology, then you'll need to spend the extra money to get the ES7000 or above. However, our view is that in a few years there will be better 3d technology available for less money than what is there now, so we made the decision to forgo the 3d feature since we don't think we'll use it much now and it adds another $500 or so to price. (and since most stations do not currently broadcast in 3d anyway).

As for the Smart TV features, this IS something that appeals to us, however the research we did kept saying that while Samsung has the best 'built-in' smart features, they still pale in comparison to what is available from 3rd party add-on boxes like Roku XS, Apple TV, Vizio Costar, etc. Why pay $500 extra for built-in smart TV features when you get can better features from a $100 or so add-on box?

Once we decided to NOT add the 3D or the built-in smart features, we were left with EH6000 thus the $1000+ saving. So, we got this tv, AND added a $90 Roku XS (awesome), AND a $170 Vizio Soundbar with subwoofer (just plug it in and go), AND a $70 Universal Remote AND an subscription to Amazon Prime ($80) AND we still have another %$500+ left vs higher end models. Now we have a better overall system for less money -Sweet!

As for the EH6000, the picture is simply STUNNING. Going from a DLP to this LED has been even more of a noticeable change than when we first went to HD years ago. The CONTRAST, 120Hz Refresh Rate, and overall depth really makes the people/action on the screen POP and my wife and I can't get over how great it looks. Even normal TV shows on NBC, etc look awesome. You will not be disappointed in the picture on this model.

Do your research and you'll see that the EH6000 is a great choice. Hope this helps.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

NOOK 7" 8GB WiFi Tablet

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $99.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off

The Nook tablet is a great color e-reader with the "bonus" of being able to read your email, shop on Amazon.com, surf the web, watch tv shows on Hulu Plus, movies on Netflix, and listen to the world's largest selection of music on Pandora Radio. I added a 16gb sd card filled with thousands of my favorite songs. But, the Nook is designed to be an ereader...it is not a games tablet, or an IPad.

I got my Nook Tablet (8gb version) from Barnes & Noble because of the extra discount I got with my B&N membership...the price was MUCH less than advertised by most internet venders. I already have a Brand X color e-reader and a Nook Simple Touch reader. My old color reader was hard on my eyes for long reading sessions, the Nook Touch is great for books, but it does not have internet access or play music and magazines don't really work without a color screen.

The Nook tablet has very sharp, clear, and contrasty fonts and is very pleasant to read, even for several hours. There is a night mode, and also a sephia mode for reading in bed without bothering anyone else. Magazines look great on its color screen. I listen to music on Pandora while I read, and when I am tired of reading, I can watch a movie on Netflix or a tv show on TV.com. I installed the Dolphin browser which uses tabs so I can switch quickly among various web pages.

Vevo music videos look great, but the Nook's speaker is too weak to enjoy music. However, music sounds great through good ear buds and when I plug the Nook into my computer speakers.

The Nook is an e-reader, NOT an I-Pad or high powered tablet. It does not have access to Google Play to obtain apps, so you are limited to the apps in the Nook app store. Those apps have been developed just for the Nook and its seven inch screen. The apps in Google Play are mostly designed for the smaller screens of cell phones, while Nook apps are designed just for the Nook.

Bottom line: the Nook Tablet 8gb is a terrific way to read books and magazines while enjoying your favorite music (I loaded a 16gb memory card with thousands of my favorite songs...transferring the songs over to the Nook from my laptop was fast and easy).

For folks who want the "full" tablet experience, Amazon.com sells the N2A card which enables you to boot your Nook into a full tablet mode, with access to Google Play, and the 400,000 apps available there. And, the N2A card also permits booting the Nook back into its original Nook settings, as the card does not modify any of the Nook's software or settings.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

ProAm USA DVC200 8 ft Camera Jib Crane

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $349.00
Sale Price: $279.00
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

My Jib Crane arrived 2 days before the projected delivery so walking into the office seeing that big box felt like Christmas morning as a kid. I tore into it, expecting complex instructions, but everything was self explanatory and it took longer to get the protective wrap off than it did to assemble. That's a sign of solid, well thought out design.

Sturdy construction, no flex, smooth as silk, and stable! I ordered the suggested stand in addition to this jib because it just makes sense. Everything is sturdy and the crane has a wonderful matte finish that just says BC went the distance. Everything fits together as planned without drama or buyers regret. I'm 100% thrilled with both items.

The only thing that I don't like... No carrying case. This is such a great deal already, so I don't think anyone should be discouraged from buying it... as a note to BC Media... Bags are cheap to make, but hard to find. If you did that homework for me it would have just been that little extra step to show guys like me that you're covering all bases (no pun intended).

All together great! Send me some transport gear and I'm head over heels... :) I'd hate to scratch beauty with it banging around the trunk. Keep up the hard work guys!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Pyle PLPSE4P Parking Sensor System & LED Display

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $79.99
Sale Price: $26.69
Today's Bonus: 67% Off

This was easy to install and the sensors seemed to be a good design. They even give you a decent hole saw to cut the correct size hole to fit the sensor in your plastic bumper cover. It may cut through a chrome bumper too. Wiring was straight forward except display is for mounting on dashboard. I mounted mine on rear window shelf so I plugged in the sensors in backward order (i.e 4 into 1, 3 into 2, 2 into 3 and 1 into 4) This way the diplay shows which side of car the obstacle is. It does beep when you get close, then beeps continuously when you get real close (1.5 ft for mine.) My wife likes it too. I spray painted them which did not damage them. Looks Factory.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Midland Consumer Radio WR-120B NOAA Weather Alert All Hazard

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $30.75
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

I have been dreading purchasing a weather radio for some time because they all seem too expensive for just a radio that receives the weather band. But, I figured out that it is time to take this out of the "family" budget. I literally looked at every single weather radio on Amazon. I found out that I want a radio with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) so it will alert for inclement weather. (tornadoes at night are an issue where I live) Most other radios seem to have issues with reliability, reception, or construction--issues I want to avoid. So, I narrowed it down to the Midland radios: WR-100, WR-120, and WR-300.

I was leery of purchasing this at first because of the limited review at the time. I found at that this is just the updated model of the WR-100, which seems to be one of the more popular weather radios. I went to Midland's website(to lookup the WR-120) and saw that the item was just released, hence the limited info.

I would consider this a great standard/staple alert weather radio. The SAME technology lets you setup your county, or multiple counties. You can find your county codes online at NOAA (search: national weather service radio codes to be taken there directly).

I really like the backlight on the display--a nice cool blue with easy to read lettering. The interface itself is great, it lets me flip through all current alerts with the up/down buttons, so I don't even have to listen to the radio to get the most up to date status. It is simple enough that my 4 year old could easily figure it out.

The alarm has 3 settings-tone, voice, and display.

-The tone alarm is loud! -Which is great, not an annoying sound, just loud. It will wake you up. We can hear it all through our house.

-The voice alarm plays the loud tone for about 5 seconds and then goes into the radio broadcast(at the volume you set). I wish that the voice setting played just the radio, as I am used to a clock-radio alarm clock. The loud alert startles me out of sleep! I want the alarm to wake me, not scare me.

-The display just illuminates the backlight. Not useful for me at night, as I would not wake up to a soft blue, glowing light. I am sure this is plenty useful for some, and I will probably change the radio to this once we are out of tornado season.

Personally, I have not seen the multiple alert lights (5 for each-alert, watch and warning) to be all that useful because every message that my local weather service puts out does not code to the varying degree levels. I am sure this is useful for some, but I live right next to the NOAA station and they do not take advantage of this feature.(more a complaint against my local NOAA than the radio) -ps the reception is great....because I live right next to the NOAA station, so my review of that is biased. :)

The radio runs on three AA batteries for backup. Not sure how long they last. There was no difference in reception, backlight, and radio functions when I unplugged it. This seems like this might be a great radio to do some light traveling.

I could not justify spending the extra on the WR-300 to get any additional features. (Maybe Midland can include a tone volume option in the next release model that lets you choose between several volume levels for any alert? Then the radio would be perfect.) I would have rated this 4.5 stars because the voice alert is not pure voice, but half stars are not an option, so I rounded up. Midland's Research and Product Development team seems to listen to customer reviews, so maybe the voice alarm can be fixed.

Definitely a must have family radio for safety, and the best value out there--I am glad I purchased it.

Phew! What a lengthy review! :)

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Brother MFC7460DN Ethernet Monochrome Printer with Scanner

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $249.99
Sale Price: $167.99
Today's Bonus: 33% Off

The printer is excellent, no doubts. Cost of drum and toner are much cheaper than other brand printers, my main reason for buying it. Also I had on older brother MFC before and always liked it. The only problem is, the brother scanner software is poor compared to my 5 year old Canon scanner software, i'm a little surprised about it. For example, when you do a scan preview, it automatically selects the scan area in the Canon, not here though, thats quite basic and a pain not having that feature. Also, there are much much fewer scan image adjustment options that Canon had.

Other than the scanner software pains, I like the printer however, scan quality is good, print quality is good. I have it hooked up to my network via an ethernet cable which has a wireless gateway. So this printer is available on the network wirelessly also. I don't know what the big deal is about a 'wireless ready' printer, all a printer needs to be is (ethernet) network capable, most of us have a wireless router and it will automatically become available to all PCs on the same network wired or wireless.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

LG Marquee Android Prepaid Phone (Boost Mobile)

Customer Ratings:

I downloaded a countdown app for my Thrive tablet a few months back and have been literally tracking the days until I was freed from my cell phone contract and able to jump ship. In that time, I've done plenty of research into no-contract phones, and honed in on either Virgin Mobile's Motorola Triumph or Boost Mobile's LG Marquee. I even bought a $5 flip phone at Target and activated it with $10 of minutes just to test out Virgin's network. Both Virgin and Boost are owned by Sprint, and the cell coverage was just as good in my tests with that $5 flip phone. So I've been itching to get a no-contract smartphone and stop being needlessly gouged by contract service providers. I was leaning heavily toward Triumph, but at the last minute, decided on the Marquee for a few specific reasons.

First Things First:

Now that my Sprint contract is finally up, I feel like I've just been released from prison or something, and vow to never get suckered into another cell phone contract again. I've been under contract with AT&T, Verizon and now Sprint. Of the 3, Sprint has the best prices and their service is on par with the other 2 providers. I'm happy with Sprint's coverage, but the phone they sold me turned out to be a colossal dud a few months in, and they didn't care to do a thing about it since I was shackled for 2 years. So I've been counting the years, months and days until I could finally be freed from contract oblivion and get a phone that actually works! The phone I'm gladly dumping, The Samsung Moment, got 90 minutes of battery life at best, and took 10 minutes just to boot up!! My "wireless" phone was constantly tethered to a charger, was plagued with CPU hangs and lock-ups, and virtually every task was the epitome of tedium. Someone could literally die if they needed to rely on that phone in an emergency. I'm in a wheelchair, and I'd be better off trying to walk to the police than call 911 with that piece o' junk -good riddance!

Pre-Paid Stigma?

I don't get why most people willingly commit themselves to a 2 year contract with any service provider. I was duped into the false sense of security just like everyone else, but I've learned my lesson. Sure, maybe you'll get a "free" phone up front, or get suckered into believing the mail-in rebates are a great deal, or that 4G coverage actually matters when NONE of the providers can offer that speed consistently as of this writing. But in reality, there's virtually NO reason to be bound to a 2 year contract. I see how it benefits service providers, but there's virtually no upside to the consumer whatsoever -nada, nothing, zip, zilch, zero -period. It seems prepaid cell phones have a stigma associated with them, hence why they're being re-branded as "no-contract;" because only poor people or those with bad credit get "prepaid" cell phones. Well, I'm struggling financially now that I've been forced into early retirement, but my credit rating is still over 950, so the stereotype doesn't fit. True, at one time, prepaid cell phones were old technology that no one wanted, but that's no longer the case. Both Boost and Virgin have several smartphone options; even Blackberry if you're set on clinging to that dying brand. But no-contract carriers are getting better phones now; a few are even top-notch. Virgin has the Triumph and now Boost has the LG Marquee, which only a few months ago was a contract phone offered through Sprint. Both are really great smart-phones, light years ahead of my last contract phone. And both Boost and Virgin are owned by Sprint, so the fear of having terrible coverage are unfounded. All told, the excuses with going the prepaid route have quickly evaporated.

Motorola Triumph vs LG Marquee

I really loved a lot Triumph's features: fast CPU, huge screen, HDMI connectivity, excellent video quality, readily available Root mods, and the Motorola brand. I did exhaustive research into this phone and was really set on getting it. But one thing that really concerned me is Amazon suspended their sales of the phone multiple times after receiving customer complaints that their stock was defective. I know tech stupidity is often at play as much as defective hardware, but it did give me cause for concern. Then I read that Virgin was due to announce their new phone for the year, and it's going to be the LG Marquee, so that made me take a serious look. And when Amazon finally got the Marquee on Boost, I decided to just take the leap and go for it. It's not always true, but generally, new is often better in tech world. Things evolve and change very quickly with tech, so a phone that was only a few months old, compared to one well over a year old, sounded more appealing to me. And if it's true that Virgin will be carrying the Marquee as well, then there will be plenty of tweaks and mods available soon enough.

Boost vs Virgin

Since both companies are wholly owned by Sprint, they both have the same coverage. The real difference comes in the plans: Virgin has $35 for 300 min, $45 for 1200 min and $55 for unlimited. All 3 plans include unlimited text and data. I thought I could get away with their $35 plan, but would have to really keep an eye on my minutes to pull that off. Boost, on the other hand, just has a $55 unlimited plan which goes down $5 a month until you reach $40 monthly. That sounded much more appealing to me, since there are many coupons available online that offer $25 off to new customers, and over time, I'd be getting more for less with Boost. In the end, I'd just rather not worry about my minute usage.

If Buying Online, Never Buy From Anyone But Amazon

Of all the problems I read with the Triumph, the most common seemed to be activation issues from people who got their phone from a 3rd party seller, rather than direct from Amazon. Frankly, you just can't trust where 3rd party stock comes from, or that it's even brand new. Whenever I've had problems here on Amazon, it's always been with 3rd party sellers. So I've learned to stick with buying from Amazon directly, especially with tech stuff. Their no questions asked return policy makes it foolish to buy from anyone else, and it's the only way to be sure that what you're buying is actually brand new -not refurbished, lightly used, or grey market -just my personal experience.

Enter LG Marquee

A HUGE selling point with me for the Marquee over Triumph is the screen. Both are roughly the same size, but Marquee has a super bright NOVA display which can be viewed in direct sunlight, and still holds up at extreme viewing angles. Also, Marquee is running a newer version of Android than Triumph, and while I have no bones about rooting any phone, it's not necessarily something I want to do if I don't have to. So the newer OS on Marquee was another notch in its favor. Plus if Virgin is going to be carrying Marquee as well, then it just seems to make sense to go that route over Triumph.

Super Thin

The great thing about the Marquee is that it's very thin and light. My last phone had a slide-out Qwerty keyboard, and I was concerned that I would miss that. But the Marquee is half the thickness and weight of my last phone, which is quite noticeable when it's in my pocket. As far as missing the Qwerty keyboard, that really hasn't turned out to be an issue for me. I got a tablet last summer and have become quite accustomed to typing with a touch screen keyboard. I'm actually just as fast with it as a physical keyboard. So I haven't missed the hard keys whatsoever.

Fast and Responsive

My last smartphone had to be the dumbest "smart" phone ever manufactured. By contrast, this Marquee is a dream. It switches from my different desktop screens smoothly and crisply, with no hangs whatsoever. Occasionally there will be a slight pause when switching between apps, or pinch zooming, but nothing compared to my old piece of junk. The graphics accelerator isn't as snappy as my tablet, but then no phone would be, because tablets have much faster processors. I don't intend on doing much gaming or video watching on my phone, but have every reason to think that it could handle those tasks just fine. The YouTube videos I've loaded play smoothly with no redundant buffering; no better or worse than any device I've used. My tablet has become my primary go-to device, and I don't see any cell phone replacing my tablet's functionality. So for me, Marquee fits quite well into my tech lineup, and holds its own.

Battery Life

Every manufacturer exaggerates battery life with their devices. If you're a heavy user, then you likely won't be satisfied with the battery life of any smartphone. Having said that, the battery life on this Marquee is light years ahead of that old piece of junk I just got rid of. The battery is lasting me all day with light use, but it does drop quickly under heavy use. I think under constant use, I'd probably get roughly 4 hours. When I'd use my old phone as a WiFi hotspot, it would die after about an hour, even plugged into the wall. So clearly it was using more power than it could take in. I haven't rooted the Marquee yet, so I have not used it as a hotspot. Since I have a tablet, I do the majority of my surfing on that, and just use my cell phone for calls and convenience; so I wouldn't call myself a heavy user at all. But I'll post updates to the battery life as I get more real world use with it. But overall, I'm quite happy with it, and don't feel like I'll be stuck in a lurch with a dead phone, like my last one.

EDIT: Just ordered this 3900mAh High Extended Battery with Back Cover which supposedly will over double the Marquee's battery life. I'll post back my real world usage when I get it.

No Bloatware

Unlike most phones, the Marquee doesn't come bogged down with a bunch of useless apps that nobody wants, and can't uninstall. The Marquee is running a pretty stock version of 2.3 Gingerbread, which seems to be standard for these no contract phones. My guess is since they are a low cost service, that carriers are not wasting a lot of time developing custom operating systems, which is fine by me, since it offers a truer Android experience.

Rooting

Since the Marquee is still quite new, there isn't a lot of root info out there just yet. But I have found root mods for the LG Esteem, which will work for the Marquee. Rooting can theoretically open you up to malware, since it grants access to the system files. However the benefits likely outweigh the risks, as you'd be able to use the Marquee as a WiFi hotspot under your unlimited data plan with Boost.

WiFi Tethering

There are several apps out there that claim to add WiFi tethering capability to cell phones without rooting your phone. I intend to explore those options, and will post an update here, if any of those apps pan out. Be aware that using your Marquee as a hotspot goes against Boost's service contract, however, I'm not too worried about it, since I only intend on doing it occasionally. I think where you'd run into trouble, is if you start tethering your laptop to your phone, and then download a bunch of movies, and use a ridiculous amount of data that no cell phone would clearly use. In my case, I would just like to tether my tablet when away from home, and no free public hotspots are available. Since a tablet uses data essentially the same way as a cell phone, I don't think Boost would ever notice the occasional tether with my tablet. Just be smart about it, and you should be fine. Having said that, I have no plans to root my phone, if any of the no root required tethering apps pan out.

Bluetooth Connectivity

This was one of the areas that concerned me with the Triumph. I read several people were having problems keeping their headsets connected. I keep my phone connected to my car's hands free speaker phone, and the connection has been good for me so far.

Sound Quality

The Marquee has pretty decent audio quality from the speaker. No, it won't compete with a boom box, but it's much better than my last phone, and plays pretty loud. I haven't used the Marquee to listen to music just yet. I haven't been doing much of that lately with my cell phone, but that might be because I stopped doing anything extra with that old piece of junk phone I had. If I get into it more with this Marquee, I'll post any updates if they're merited.

Call Quality

None of us want a cell phone that can't get a signal or has terrible call quality. I would guess this is the number one stigma against pre-paid phones. However this Marquee is much better than my old Sprint phone, and I'm quite happy with the call quality and signal strength of this phone.

Video Quality

The Marquee can play video up to 720p HD, and shoots HD video as well, however, the frame rate doesn't appear to be true HD at 24p or 29.97fps. When shooting video, the quality is quite good, but I suspect they're trimming the frame rate as the video does stutter when panning from left to right. It's not noticeable during filming, but is apparent in playback. However, this is getting a little nitpicky, but it's worth mentioning. Overall, the video quality is quite good on the rear camera, which is 5mp. The front camera is only 2mp, and noticeably lacking in comparison. The Marquee does take good pictures as well. And the NOVA display is stunning to use while taking pictures or shooting video. The screen also renders the live camera with no hiccups or artifacts whatsoever. That would be in part due to the awesome NOVA display. It's also worth mentioning that you can shoot video with the LED flash on, and that little LED is quite bright. So if you want to download one of those silly flashlight apps, you'll probably have one of the brightest ones out there and blind someone while finding your seats in that darkened movie theater.

NOVA Display

Supposedly the NOVA display draws 50 percent less energy off the battery than a standard display. This would be key, since these large screens are a huge reason why battery life is so terrible with all smartphones. And yes, this display really is crisp and clear, even in direct sunlight. I saw a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 4, and the Marquee had a much more vivid display. I'm not a fan of iPhone comparisons, but the screen quality is worth mentioning. I haven't yet put a screen protector on it, but do have one of those military grade, helicopter blade protectors that I may use. I'm usually a big believer in those, but for some reason, I'm still on the fence with whether or not I'll be adding it to this phone.

Storage Space

LG claims you're getting 4gb of storage right out of the box; 2gb onboard, and 2gb with the included micro SD card. I have an 8gb from my old phone installed in the Marquee. Keep in mind, that you never get the full advertised gb as you always lose some to formatting. So that 2gb card that this Marquee comes with is more like 1.7gb. Better to get a bigger card, and not worry about it.

Activation

Like my $5 Virgin flip-phone, I really love the streamlined activation process. I even kept my old phone number, and it was all quite easy to do. Last time I bought a phone, I was in the store 3 hours just trying to complete the entire purchase. By contrast, Boost has been a dream; Amazon shipped the phone straight to my door, and I was up and running shortly thereafter. Being in a wheelchair, this is a big deal, since going to stores that are rarely accessible is a huge pain. So the ease of purchase and activation, coupled with all the money I'll save monthly, makes this purchase a no brainer.

Throttling

Unlike their parent company, Sprint, I completely expect my data speeds to be throttled with Boost. I'd rather it wasn't, but that's likely the trade-off for the cheaper monthly fees. Virgin throttles for customers who use more than 2.5gb of data a month. And Boost likely does the same. Personally, I'd have a hard time using 2.5gb of data a month, so I think I'll be ok.

Bandwidth The Future Commodity

I wouldn't be surprised to see bandwidth become a commodity as valuable as crude oil. In fact, it's already happening, and it will only get worse as more people jump on the 'Cloud' bandwagon. There's a little thing called Spectrum... and there ain't enough of it to go around. Spectrum is essentially bandwidth; similar to a freeway, if all the lanes are clear, then it's full-throttle, but sometimes you hit gridlock and can't drive the posted speed limit. All the cell carriers are struggling to sustain the bandwidth their customers are gobbling up. It's part of the reason why no one can offer 4g (or even 3g) speeds consistently. Personally, I'm not interested in funding cell carriers tech upgrades via overpriced monthly service plans that tout speeds they can't even deliver. Wake me when your towers are ready and can handle the traffic, until then, I'll stick to paying less with Boost.

Footnote to Amazon

Amazon has done an excellent job in revolutionizing the tablet market with their Android hybrid Kindle Fire. They should take things to the next level, and become actual service providers with no-contract cell phones and WiFi hotspots. Their name recognition and track record for offering quality products at a reasonable price could do a lot in erasing the stigma associated with no-contract cell phones. Communications and data really is the future of technology; Apple knows it, Google knows it, and Blackberry has fond memories of it. Amazon knows it too, hence why they're edging in that direction. And becoming a no-contract service provider would be a great way for them to continue being a trend setter and leader in the tech world. Take it for what it's worth, Amazon. ;o)

Bottom Line

Sure, you could get a cutting edge smartphone under contract for the same money, or less, than this Marquee. But is it really worth being shackled to a 2 year contract and paying at least twice as much monthly? You don't really think those phones are free, do you?! Carriers know they've got you on the hefty monthly premiums. And those newfangled cutting edge phones will be quickly devalued by the next new kid on the block. To me, it makes much more sense to get a solid piece of technology that I have the freedom to upgrade anytime I want, and not be bound to any carrier. At the end of the day, if the service is exactly the same, then why pay more? Remember, 4g speeds are not available everywhere, nor are they consistently offered, even in the markets where they are available. 3g isn't even available everywhere, so a lot of people are being suckered into technology that isn't yet fully supported. Besides, with my tablet, my cell phone is actually only needed for calls. Hmm... imagine that! I'm quite happy to have finally come to my senses, and released myself from contract hell, so I can benefit from these great no-contract phones and services. So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Because while this is a great phone with a great monthly price, it still isn't the most cutting edge phone on the market. And even though it's far better than my old phone, the batter life could still be better. But none of that should deter you from getting this great phone, and the awesome no-contract service. So, jump on in folks, the water's fine!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Tamron SP 70-200MM F/2.8 DI VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon

Customer Ratings:

First off, I am an amateur and don't get paid for the pictures I take. For this reason, I figured I would give the Tamron a try and if I didn't like it I could always return it and consider getting one of the Nikon 70-200's instead. I'm using this lens with a D600, and have admittedly never used the Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR I or II, or the new 70-200 F4. Maybe ignorance is bliss in this case, but for an amateur like me I found it very hard to justify the premium of the 70-200 VR II over the tamron (even with the recent $300 discount).

Build The build of this lens seems very solid. It's not quite up to the standard of the Canon L white lenses, but I would say it's very close to all of the nice Nikon G lenses...mostly metal some hard plastic. Thankfully I don't have to take my gear into rough conditions, but if you did, I think this lens would hold up very well.

VC The vibration control/reduction on this lens is fantastic. When looking through the view finder it really grabs the image and reduces nearly all camera shake. Occasionally it has a bit of a jitter before locking in on the image, but I have yet to see this affect any of the images, only my view through the optics. I can easily hand hold shots at 200mm down to 1/20 and lower if the subject itself isn't moving. I even did some shots down near 1/4 of a second and they were actually very usable, but I wouldn't depend on that unless I absolutely had to.

Image Quality So far the color, contrast, and sharpness of this lens have all been superb. The lens might be just a hair softer at 2.8 than it is at 4.0, but that's only when pixel-peeping at 1:1 and even then it's an extremely close call. For anything beyond 4.0 the lens is extremely sharp, and I would have no hesitancy shooting at 2.8 unless you're going to take a 100% crop and expect the hair on someone's head to be prime-level sharp.

Autofocus The autofocus is fast. I would imagine that unless you're a pro sports photographer whose job depends on getting every shot, this lens's autofocus is plenty fast. It will certainly be fast enough for an amateur like me to shoot sports, fast moving kids, dogs, etc.

Overall, I would highly recommend this lens. I've only had half a week to shoot with it, but so far I am very impressed. If you're like me, the ~$800 saved over the Nikon VR II means the ability to add another very nice lens to your bag. I can't imagine that the VR II would enable me to get any shots that I can't already get with this lens. And so to me that makes it a winner. I'll update the review if my opinion changes as I continue to use this lens.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Samsung Galaxy S4, White (Sprint)

Customer Ratings:

UPDATE#1: The battery life seems great, better than on the S3 even though the screen is larger and has a higher resolution than the S3. When I had my S3, I used to lose about ~3-5% of battery every two hours or so but with the S4, I seem to lose about ~1-2% so that's awesome. The phone comes with a ton of bloatware and the only way to get a good battery is by removing all the bloatware. I was getting terrible battery life when I first got my phone but after reading online it seems that everyone suggests removing the bloatware for batter battery life. Like I said in my review, the snapdragon 600 uses very little battery when it is not being used so that's a big plus. I'm a heavy user and when I say heavy user, I mean heavy user. I do pretty much everything on my phone from taking a crapload of pictures/videos, watching YouTube videos, playing 3D games, phone calls and surfing the internet. At the end of the day the phone has about 30-35% of juice left. Also, one thing that I forgot to mention was the speakers on the phone. Samsung decided to move the speakers which used to be at the top near the camera on the S3 to the bottom of the phone which wasn't a good idea if you ask me. You can block the sound coming from the phone when holding the phone with your hand.

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

It's been a week since I got my Galaxy S4 and this thing is super awesome. My previous phone was the S3 which I loved to death and this time I'm super excited to have the S4 in my hands. I had absolutely zero issues with the S3 but the S4 looks so sexy with the metal edges. I seriously don't understand why people buy an iPhone because let me tell you that the Galaxy S4 blows the iPhone 5 out of the water and every other phone out there. The Galaxy S4 wins hands down in every category compared to the iPhone 5. I was blown away by the performance of this phone. The Snapdragon 600 is blazing fast and uses far less battery than the S3. I can get through the day with a single charge and still have 30% left at the end of the day. I'm a heavy user so this says a lot about the phone. Even my family who loves the iPhone is blown away by this phone. My family just loves the big screen and the customization that it has compared to the iPhone 5. There are many reasons why I decided to go with this phone over the other smartphones on the market but the main reason is the screen size, camera, storage, processor and the battery life.

These are some of the things that the Galaxy S4 has over the iPhone 5 and other high end phones:

Pros:

-Screen: The Galaxy S4 has a nice 5 inches Super AMOLED HD screen that makes everything stand out when viewing it. The resolution on this phone is a nice 1080 x 1920 (441ppi pixel density) which makes everything look sharp. The Gorilla Glass 3 is also much better at preventing the screen from cracking and scratching. I tried to scratch the screen with my car keys and nothing happened to the screen, impressive. It has a significantly higher resolution than the iPhone 5 (640 x 1136). Also, the iPhone 5 is only 4 inches which is way too small for most people.

-Android OS: This phone ships with the most up to date version of Android, Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) which is the fastest Android version yet. Samsung has added many new features to TouchWiz which is great. I'm not really a fan of TouchWiz but it seems that they have made many improvements to the UI.

-Design: The design is sort of the same as the S3 which I have no problems with. The S3's design is sexy and very comfortable to hold in your hand and the same goes for the S4. If you loved the S3's design then you will love the S4's design even more, trust me. The phone feels a little bit lighter and thinner which is great. It has a nice feel to it that makes you want to hold the phone.

-Camera: The primary camera on this phone is 13MP (4128 x 3096 pixels) and the front camera is 2MP that takes some of the best pictures I have ever seen. The front facing camera is great when you are Skyping or even taking pictures of yourself.

-Battery: Samsung has decided to improve the battery capacity in S4 to 2600mAh that can easily last a full day with a single charge. I can get through a day with a single charge and still have 30% left at the end of the day. The battery life is one of the most important aspects when deciding which phone to buy for me because I travel a lot and I need a phone that can last a full day. My previous phone which was the S3 needed at least 2-3 charges to last through a day. The Snapdragon 600 does an outstanding job at using as little battery as possible.

-Storage: With the option of an external sdcard, this phone simply destroys the iPhone 5. I can store as many pictures and HD videos as I want and it will never come close to being full. I am the type of person who stores large collections of pictures, videos, and movies and this phone lets me do all of that easily. I also play 3D games that require a minimum of 1-2GB of space and this phone is perfect for that.

-Processor: The Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300) does an amazing job at keeping this phone lag free and blazing fast. I have never experienced a slow down with this phone. I have even tested this phone by playing intensive games such GTA Vice City on the highest settings and there were no slowdowns whatsoever. I am very impressed with the processor in this phone.

-Removable Battery: Who doesn't love this, seriously? This and the option of an external sdcard make this the best phone of the year. I always carry extra batteries whenever I travel somewhere and I can easily swap my battery with another one when the phone is low on battery. This is a big plus for this phone. Sucks to be an iPhone user!

Cons:

-None. As much as I want to think of something bad to say, there's simply nothing negative about this phone.

Overall, I can safely say that Samsung has another winner in their hands. It's a great phone and it doesn't disappoint. With the amazing 1080p resolution, screen size, battery capacity and storage, this phone puts other phones to shame. The Galaxy S4 will be the best phone of 2013, mark my words!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>

Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera w/ 18-55mm IS

Customer Ratings:

Arrived just in time for sons last flag football game and is taking great shots! First DSLR camera had an SLR years ago and loved it so it was good to get back into it with this one. Couldnt be happier with the quality of the unit and it was pretty easy to get going with some basic picture taking. It does take some time to get accustomed to some of the features and whatnot the camera offers we have just skimmed the surface. Be ready to read and play with it some to start then play and read more to really get going well worth the pics you get though...

Quality of the unit is top notch did some comparisons was going to go with a Nikon D7000 but decided to save some cash this camera gives you pretty high quality in the product itself and the pics it takes for the price. My borther-in-law has the D7000 and it is a nice camera but I couldn't justify twice the money for our purposes....

So far planning on some add-ons such as a flash for bounce flash photography and macro lenses for close ups and other things we want to get into.....price of those add-ons was better than what Nikons prices were overall not a whole lot but for a family of five we watch our pennies....

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Read More >>