Sigma APO 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM for Canon EOS DSLR

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,099.00
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 14% Off

Just bought this lens and omg is it sharp. I had the previous model (50-150 2.8 HSM II) and while it was sharp it had focusing issues even on a 50D. This lens however is sharp as a knife with a great build to boot. I guess Sigma took so long to release this because they wanted to get it right QC wise. Well you know what, they did. They hit it out of the park! It focuses fast and accurately. Once you get past the increased size you realize how good a piece of glass it is. I now have this and the 17-50 2.8. It focuses well in low light. The OS makes a little noise when it is on but that is certainly no deal breaker.

I am happy with both not only because of picture quality but also the price. Don't trick your money on Canon glass when you can keep a few bucks in your wallet and use this. It is comparble to a L lense except for the lack of weather sealing. Plus you get a hood and a lense case. Last but not least it looks like a pro's lens to the average Joe. You can use it to do weddings, concerts and sporting events. Definitely the best 1.6X telephoto lens out right now for semipros and advanced users.

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Cinemizer OLED multimedia video glasses by Carl Zeiss

Customer Ratings:

I was excited to give the new Cinemizer OLED a try, having been watching reviews of it, along with some of the emerging competition in the HMD market. Once received, I made all the connections to my PC and checked for any updates in firmware. The un-boxing and connecting were not difficult. These slip on and off like glasses. I put them on and adjusted the optic wheels to focus each eye. Unfortunately,there was a dead pixel in the corner that shined a bright blue light from just outside of the picture. Other than that, the picture was perfect. Crisp, clear, with a size equivalent to sitting and watching my 42" TV from 6 or 7 ft away. I did notice I was having difficulty in focusing, and thought I may just need to "get used to them." After trying to watch a movie and moving the glasses around, from side to side and up and down on my nose, came to the conclusion that one eye was always going to be out of focus due to a lack of ability to adjust for pupil distance. I contacted the seller and requested a return and was offered the option to exchange or for a refund. If it were just the pixel, I would have exchanged, but since there was not an adjustment for pupil distance, I requested and was granted a refund.

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Sony VRDMC6 DVDirect Compact Size DVD Burner with AVCHD Recording

Customer Ratings:

I've stopped using my old hitachi video camera(from 2001)awhile ago since I never liked dragging it out, setting it up, charging it, finding a tape or lugging it around etc. But, none the less, I still have at least 10-12 mini cassette(8mm) tapes that needed to be put on DVD, as well as some old VHS tapes too. I haven't seen any of these home movies in years because watching a VHS is aggravating(waiting for it rewind?! geez. hello old school). I was so excited to hear about this and figured it would be a great idea to finally transfer my stuff.

Out of the box, it will literally take you moments to set up and start recording. If you're taping from a VCR, make sure you plug into the line OUT on the back of the VCR.

It formats the DVD disc for you, and when you press play on your video camera(or VCR) you also hit the big main button on the DVDirect to begin recording. If there's snow in your video for more then a few seconds, it pauses recording and resumes when the video kicks back in. You can choose 5 min, 10 min or 15 minute automatic chapter inserts, so it's easy to navigate a long video. Sound is good, but only as good as it was originally. If you have crappy sound on your old video camera, it'll be crappy on DVD. I wasn't expecting it to turn my stuff HD or work miracles, so this is exactly what I wanted and expected.

The screen on the DVDirect is easy to see and tells you how long you've been recording, when it's stopped, it tells you how long is left on the DVD to record. Only a few buttons, so it's simple to stay on track and not get lost in countless options, which means it won't be hard to figure out even for someone who's not good with technology. It does record live time, so you have to have a little patience. Press play, record, and walk away. Also, amazingly simple to finalize the DVD and pop it in a player and begin watching. I also notice on the box it says you can make photo slide shows with music. Pretty cool! Definitely a great buy for anyone with tons of old VHS and mini cassettes.

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Acer Aspire V7-582PG-6673 15.6-inch Touchscreen Ultrabook (Cold

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $849.99
Sale Price: $793.71
Today's Bonus: 7% Off

Hi, I just received this new Acer Aspire V7 from Amazon.com. I am typing this review from my new laptop and would like to share the first review. I have owned plenty of other laptops from various manufacturers in the past, including Apple, Toshiba, Asus, Acer, etc. I was drawn to this particular laptop because of the Generation 4 Haswell processor. As of this writing, this is one of the first laptops to offer the Haswell chipset. The keyboard is fairly spacious and the keys are pretty tactile and responsive.

I am happy to report that my wifi has been working flawlessly so far. No hangups or dropped connections! The new sony pro 13" and macbook air both have/had their share of wifi problems. I'm glad that this computer is working fine out of the box!

The trackpad is probably the only minor downfall (besides windows 8), the track-pad is a little fidgety when it comes to scrolling pages up and down. Otherwise it works decently. I will be purchasing a new Bluetooth mouse anyways, so this wont effect me too much.

Pros:

Generation 4 Haswell Intel Processor

8GB of Ram standard (most still offer 4GB)

Less than 1 inch thick

Under 5 lbs

7.5 Hour battery life! (I have not had this laptop long enough to verify this. But I will update when I get some more battery only usage).

Sleek, clean professional look

Backlit keyboard

Excellent price ~815.00 as of this writing.

Relatively small power brick and cord. NOT apple magsafe small, but still smaller than other PC laptops. The power brick is about the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Super tight and strong hinge. The screen will not budge and is very firm.

Loud speakers, (I'm not saying they sound good, but they are loud!)

Perfect display, no dead pixels etc.

Lots of HDD space

Very fast for 90% of all computing tasks (not for gaming though)

Runs cool and quiet. The bottom of the unit gets warm, but nothing too uncomfortable.

Cons:

Windows 8 ( I really dislike this OS., I much rather use Mac OS or Win 7)

Cheap packaging,

Horrible manuals and documentation. Pretty much nothing included.

No backup disk of any sort

Most of the ports, including power is on the back of the unit! the only ports on the side are 1 USB on each side, 1 headphone and 1 SD slot.

Tons of stupid bloatware (useless free software).

Crappy low resolution front camera, but its fine if you just want to skype.

Tiny power button located on the side. Not a big deal but it could get bumped in a bag or case.

I hope my review helps you when making a choice, I took one for the team and ordered this without any prior reviews. Glad its working out so far!

++++UPDATE++++

The external power button on the side of the unit is not a problem. When the laptop is off and the lid is shut, the power button is inactive. So you don't need to worry about it accidentally turning on while in a laptop case/bag.

Unit boots up in about 12 seconds! (from fully off)

Wifi still working very well. Strong signal bars, solid connection off of my AT&T u-verse wireless router.

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Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

Customer Ratings:

If the answer is "Yes!" then buy with confidence. This lens dominates its niche. It delivers on its promises and is one of the classic white L lenses.

I got this lens to supplement the 28-135 IS, but I've ended up rarely using it. In fact, Ive decided that there may be a better choice for many photogs.

First let me begin by stating the obvious. Most images taken with this lens here and on online galleries like photosig or photo*net are taken at 400mm. Duh! I was hunting last weekend and took this lens along shooting animal pics from a blind. I set it to 400 and left it there. For wildlife and landscape shooters in particular, if the lens is going to be used at 400mm practically all the time, I think a better choice might be the 400mm 5.6 primecosts hundreds less and sharper to boot. Going a step further, one sucessful wildlife photog I know recommends that if you are thinking about shooting wildlife other than birds, forego 400mm(prime or zoom)and get the 300mm F4 prime. His opinion: the larger size of most mammals offsets the loss of that last 100mm, yet is sharper, has lower light perfomance for the times of day when most mammals start moving, and yes, less money.

On the other hand, if your passion is shooting animals in a zoo, maybe this lens is for you. Dont have to worry about dawn or dusk shots and the range of the zoom might come in handy.

Sports shooters might actually benefit from the zoom's ability to adjust to capture unpredictable shots, but unless youre right on the sideline I still suspect it will be left at 400 most of the time, so ditto the prime. Ive read that 5.6 can be a bit slow for for fast shutter speeds in anything but optimum light. Of course, the next step up, the 400mm F4 is over five grand, so 5.6 is the practial limit for most average consumers.

In either case, you will be able to substantially reduce this handicap IF you have a sensor that takes good pics at ISOs of 800 or above. Thats not every camera.

I put the lens on my 30D to check the aperture progression for you techies out there. The lens shows F4.5 100~135mm, F5.0 ~135~270mm, and F5.6 thereafter.

People and portraits? Thats where it gets trickier. I can see using 400mm compression for compositional reasons in an environmental portrait, but how much is that market segment? 100mm isnt a bad length for people pics, but doing long-distance photojournalistic stuff had me feeling like I was Magnum PI on a stakeout.

If you're like me and the majority of your work involves people and portraits, the 70-200 2.8 (even non IS) is a much better choice for around the same money. I would have gotten 100x the use out of it over the past year.

I bought this one before I really had the need for it, thinking I would expand my horizons, and it just never happened.

But this lens does shine with its strengths. IS allows you to handhold 400mm pics with greater success than the non-IS prime. I dont do weddings but I can imagine IS allowing this lens as a supplement when a photog is stuck at the back of a church during the ceremony... as long as the lights arent too low.

Right after I got it I was in DC and snapped a few pics of George Bush at the Capitol. Im nobody special and couldnt get any closer than the "Nobody Special" section...not close! This lens got usable pics that I could have cropped way down and still had good resolution close-ups. One of those pics is posted in the customer images here.

Other benefits? The push-pull design allows almost instant adjustments. Because it compresses, its easer to carry than the prime (lengthand size-wise, not weight). And, in spite of the fact that I use it far less than I imagined, I have no plans to get rid of the thing.

So the question boils down to whether you really need the zoom, the IS, and the ranges of this lens at the higher price than the prime. Wildlife/landscape photogs that use tripods? Maybe not. Sports shooters with monopods? Maybe. People shooters like me? I've learned almost never, unless I someday find myself a private detective or a voyeur.

That said, if you weigh your wants and this lens still tugs at your heart, dont hesitate to buy it. It delivers performance and value...within specific parameters.

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Centon 32 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card 32GBSDHC10

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $32.46
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

Trust me, if you want to save your video and pictures then DO NOT PURCHASE THIS CARD! I tried to rate this 0 STARS, but Amazon wouldn't let me.

We purchased two of these cards for such a great price only a week ago. We needed extra memory for our camcorder (Sony HDR-CX150) and a higher end digital camera (Nikon D7000) that we were taking on a trip. It would have been better to have nothing than to have these worthless cards.

The first day we tried to watch the 20-30 minutes of video we had recorded just to have the camera say the memory card was not formated. I was disappointed, but just figured we had messed up, and we still had about 100+ still pictures of the day (I thought). The next day was fine, and then when I went to look through some pictures on the Nikon the next morning I noticed I was missing everything I had shot the first two days and part of the third day; yes over 300 shots that were just gone. During that day I tried shooting and then reviewed the pictures. Three seperate times that day the pictures just vanished into the memory card. The video camera: you guessed it all the video we took (over 3 hours worth) just disappeared. Needless to say this has been THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT EVER as far as any memory card problem is concerned. When we got home (30 minutes ago) I ran a data recovery program on the card, and got nothing.

I will say that if you could get 32 GBs for $40 that would be good but ours never held more than 1 GB before erasing itself. The write speed didn't seem to be class 10 because when I tried to shoot in continuos mode for my Nikon I could only get about 5 shots before it quit shooting; I get the same results from a class 2 card I used when I first purchased the camera, and I get a little better results with a class 4 card I have put back into the camera after getting rid of this one. Overall this card was unusable as you may have read. In summary this has been the worst puchase ever, and I've already got my return label printed out. SAVE YOURSELF THE TIME AND BUY SOMETHING RELIABLE!!!

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Samsung BD-D6500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) (2011 Model)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $199.00
Today's Bonus: $0.99 Off

I needed to replace an aging Panasonic DMP-BD35K, which had decided to become selective as to which BD's it would play( typically newer titles wouldn't load, I'm not sure if it's a question of a lack in newer firmware, of which Panasonic hasn't released an update in about two years, or if it just isn't working any longer.).

I had researched extensively on the purchase of the Panasonic reading many reviews from several websites, but on this purchase I just decided to take a chance with Samsung. I do own a Samsung television which I really like and the reviews of Samsung's 2010 Blu-ray player were also good. Nearly as good as the 'King of the hill' Oppo( according to cnet video test scores. ). I was also aware of the many negative reviews of the 2010 BD-C6500 and I also noticed that they were mostly in regards to the web enabled apps, and not in regards to video playback. I have an Apple TV which I use for Netflix streaming( it does an excellent job of that, 720p only, but no biggy for me ), and I don't really have any use for the other apps.

So in comes the BD-D6500, I unpack it and connect it in about five minute. The set up is basic with many of the menu selections being 'Auto'. I'm still playing with the set up to see if anything looks better/more accurate. I pop in a disc( Avatar ) and wow, it just looked better. I start going through several BD's and they all look great. The blacks are darker without an over zealous increase in contrast. I run it at 24Hz and it appears to do that better as well( it was always so-so on the Panasonic. ). The Imax shots in The Dark Knight look awesome. And all the while as I am going through several BD's I notice how fast this player loads the discs. Really fast compared to the much older Panasonic.

I'm really impressed by this player. I also played some old DVDs to see how well it upscaled and it did a great job. Again it clearly out performed the Panasonic.

Now as far as the Smart TV apps are concerned I did try to watch a movie on Vudu as it gave me a free rental, and after I selected a movie( Machete ), the player locked up. Maybe it didn't like the movie I picked, but it still shouldn't have done that. I did notice that after I registered the player, the Vudu, along with all the other apps that I went through seemed to work. Perhaps I needed to register the player before I was able to use the apps? And there isn't any built in memory for BD-Live which is kind of lame. You need to use an external USB drive.

In the end I am very happy with this purchase and to be completely honest, a part of me was hoping that this player would have sucked just so I could justify the $500 purchase price of the Oppo BD-93. But it doesn't. It's just a really good Blu-ray player and that's what I wanted. So if your not too concerned with Smart TV apps( which are now working for me ), or too worried about playing files off of your PC( which I think it does, but I haven't a use for. ) then buy with confidence, as I am sure that once the different review sites get their hands on the this new BD-D6500, the results will be stellar.

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Canon PowerShot SX160 IS 16.0 MP Digital Camera (Old Model)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.00
Sale Price: $127.69
Today's Bonus: 36% Off

For the past 2 years I looked at the Canon SX-series cameras, but being a person who can only be happy with a lithium-battery camera, I shied away from these. So I finally went for it after reading the AA battery life is getting better. If you buy some rechargeables, preferably Eneloops, you will be happy enough.

PROS:

* Takes EXCELLENT CRISP, SHARP photos with TRUE COLORS, and also GREAT MACRO (close-up) shots. (I have taken some grainy photos while playing around with it, but they were my fault due to low light without the flash being up).

* Larger than an ultra-compact camera, easy to grip, yet not so large where it's a drag to carry with you this camera feels comfortable if you have larger hands or fingers, you won't accidentally push the wrong buttons, plenty of room I have short, stubby fingers and short nails as I do a lot of typing, those ultra-compact cameras were wrong for me!

* Very pleased with battery life; I've taken over 250 shots and a couple of videos with the Eneloops, they're still going strong (the alkaline AA batteries included w/camera did not last long) for Eneloops see my link below.

* The Image Stabilization turns off automatically when you attach the camera to a tripod, something I always forget to do with other cameras (AUTO mode).

* When you have this zoomed out to 16X, the stabilization seems to work better than other cameras I've used (the more you zoom out, the shakier it is); normally on other cameras I'd have to use a tripod.

* You can optically zoom during a video, audio does not cut out during the zooming function. Zoom motor is VERY quiet once you press the video/movie button, it becomes almost silent the way it does this amazes me.

* Easy for anyone to use in AUTO; and this also has full P/A/S/M manual controls, so this is a camera you can grow into if you are a novice.

* Has a Mode Dial some cameras, including Canon's cheaper models, are removing the dial on top of the camera and changing to a menu-only format.

CONS:

* Shutter response time is a little slow, probably due to the AA batteries (I'm using a Class 10 SD card, so it isn't that). Not sure if you would be happy with this camera if you are trying to capture fast moving kids or pets; if you can get them to hold still for a few seconds, it's fine.

* Build-quality: It's plastic, but if you are careful with your cameras you should be OK. The battery compartment door seems a little more robust than cheaper Canon models I looked at, it has a spring, unlocks and slides out to the side. Plastic tripod mount (ugh!, why couldn't they use metal?)

* This camera can't be put into your pocket, it needs a case. Also, a camera this size needs a neck strap, not a flimsy little hand strap like the one in the box.

* The 230,000 pixel LCD screen doesn't impress me, I've purchased cheaper cameras that have 460,000 pixels. You may be unhappy with photo quality when viewing it on the LCD, and pleasantly surprised after you upload the photo to your PC.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

1. My camera was made in JAPAN! Not to say yours will be; I know with Panasonic cameras sometimes the same model will come from different countries. I don't know about Canon.

2. I've yet to find a P&S digital camera that is perfect. This one isn't perfect either, so it got 4 stars. You have to weigh the pros & cons for YOUR specific needs in a camera. I've tried other cheaper, basic Canon's, and I either returned them or re-gifted to friends.

3. There are strap openings on both sides of this camera, but they are so small they will only accommodate those small loops like wrist straps have. I think I found a neck strap that will work, see my link below. I've got one on order now.

4. I uploaded a short video to YouTube, I am Yarii41 on YT; if you do a search for "Canon SX160 Video Test" you should find it. I can't put the link here, since links to other sites aren't allowed in our reviews.

ENELOOP BATTERIES: Sanyo XX Battery Powered by eneloop, 2500mAh typical / 2400 mAh minimum High Capacity, 4 Pack AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries

CANON CASE: Canon PSC-3300 Deluxe Soft Case for Canon SX130IS Digital Cameras

CLASS 10 SD CARD: Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 10 Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC10E

NECK STRAP: OP/TECH USA 2201021 Bin/Op Strap-QDfor Compact Cameras and Binoculars -Neoprene (Black)

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Apple iPod nano 8 GB Silver (6th Generation) (Discontinued

Customer Ratings:

Woke up a few weeks back and got my new Ipod Nano 6th gen to start my morning jog. However, to my surprize afer a full nights charge it wouldnt turn on! "Okay, no problem, I'll just call the tech support"...

After spending over 2 hours with them on the phone, and trying everything we could, they advised me to take my Ipod into a store where they would see what could be done... After all, I still had 8 months of my warranty! To cut a long story short, as soon as they looked at my Ipod I was asked the following question: "Sir, has the device been in contact with liquid?" "No" I said... "What about sweat?"... Man, once I heard that question, I just couldn't believe my ears!!! Of course there is going to be some contact with sweat! I bought the device to go jogging with it! One would imagine that the all mighty Apple would have that one covered right!!! NOPE... Apparently we cannot sweat if we exercise with an Ipod 6th Gen. Or at least that was what was informed to me at the store.

Now, Im about $180,00 short (after you add all the accessories I bought for it!Silly me!!!!) and with Apple slamming the door on my face! As they were totally relunctant to give me further assistance or even collect the device to have it inspected!!!

I live in a humid place, but only used the Ipod at the gym (which is air conditioned), so I would really like to get a position from Apple about this, as I feel utterly cheated by them...

Well fokes, that's my tip... If u sweat when exercising, make sure to buy another MP3 player as I wouldn't want someone else going through what I just did.

My next MP3 player will be an inexpensive chinese one. As if it stops working after 3 months due to sweat, I'll still be on the win...

I demand that Apple at least takes the device in and have a look at it as to give me a position of what has happened! I seen Nokias be dropped in the toilet and work the next day, how can a bit of sweat destroy an Ipod which is designed for joggers?!?!?!?!

Cheers!

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Windows 7 Dell Inspiron 660S Desktop Computer I660S-2311BK

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.99
Sale Price: $499.98
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

I've only had my new computer several days but it was easy to put together. It's fast and the keyboard has a good feel to it. I was surprised at how small it is about half the size of my old Dell. It's nice. I'm satisfied so far.

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Pioneer SPH-DA01 AppRadio 6.1-Inch In-Dash Double-Din AV

Customer Ratings:

I was so pumped for this product when I first saw the announcement for it a little over a month ago. Now that I have it and have spent the past 3 days using it I can safely say it has been a huge letdown. I really wanted it to work as well, I tried my hardest to see past all the issues, but there are so many and they interfere so heavily with the usability I couldn't. For that reason I'm returning it. I'll detail the specifics individually further down.

First, the idea itself was a great one. One I am convinced would have worked if it were not for the buggy software and the slow interface. It feels as if the product was rushed to market before it was thoroughly tested and tweaked. The line between great product and horrid one is thin here and this one missed the mark for myself. Also, I didn't count off for this as I was fully aware of it going in, but am posting it as an FYI to future less informed buyers. This product turns into a mediocre radio without an iPhone 4. It has no other input and will be a waste of $400 if you don't have one or don't plan on keeping yours for a while once you get the radio. I can't stress this enough, without an iPhone this radio is a few steps from useless.

Install & setup:

This was par for the course as far as any radio is concerned. I mounted the GPS antenna on the dash and the mic by my sun-visor. More than enough cable for both tasks. I am unsure if I could have gotten the GPS antenna to my back window, but it would have been tight. All other items installed like you would expect any aftermarket radio.

Hardware:

The fit and finish of the actual hardware is good. The microphone and GPS antenna look and feel like they are quality items and will last a while. As noted before the cable length for both was ample for installing on the dash/sun-visor. I can't say if I could have gotten the antenna to my back window, but it would have been tight if I had tried. The multitouch screen feels like an iPhone on the surface, although the software on the device causes issues with usability that will be detailed below. My screen had a single dead pixel that stuck out like a sore thumb when the screen was all black or displaying a dark color. The "home" button and volume buttons from a hardware perspective felt quality. The iPhone connection cable is unnecessarily thick and heavy. Although it feels like it will last it is too cumbersome to be comfortably used. As noted before there are no inputs for anything other than an iPhone and as discussed in other reviews only a single set of RCA outs. I did not degrade the rating for this as I knew this before I bought it.

Software/Processor:

This is where the unit really fails. It is extremely slow and the software is buggy. Several times (4-5) in the 3 days I have used it the unit has completely frozen, would not respond to any input what-so-ever. The only fix for this was to shut my car off for several seconds and start it back up. The software is also very, very slow. It takes 45 seconds to even become responsive after my car is turned on. When switching between screens there is a lag of between 5 to 30 seconds. It gets frustrating when you press a button several times after no response only to have 3-4 clicks register at the same time 4-5 seconds later, this happens quite a bit when changing volume. This appears to be a combination of the software and a slower processor than is needed. I am unsure if a more efficient software update could solve this issue as it is so bad now.

Radio:

The radio performed as you would expect. All was decently peppy except changing between bands. This took 10-15 seconds a band, there are 3 FM bands and 2 AM bands. So going from FM1 to AM1 can take 45 seconds as you press band, wait 15 seconds, press it again, wait 15 more and so on. Programming favorite stations was very easy, however the autoprogram button was right by the band switch button. I twice wiped out my presets after I hit this as it goes without confirmation if you touch it.

iPod:

This functioned well. The only major annoyance here was having to use arrows to scroll through songs/artists. The familiar slide your finger to scroll as you would on the iPhone was not here. The lag in the device between hitting the down arrow and seeing it moved often caused me to scroll past the artist/song I was looking for.

Phone/Bluetooth:

I never got in the phone app directly after the first few times. As hitting the phone button on the radio stops any music from playing before you dial, and once you do press this button you have to exit the radio app and relaunch the music app from your iPhone. For instance, if I'm listening to pandora and hit the "Home" button, pandora continues to play as expected, but once I press phone, before I have even decided who to dial the music stops, so it is silent until I find the contact and dial them, hang up, exit the app, and relaunch pandora. The workaround is to use your phone to scroll through your contacts and dial. This pauses the music only when you start the actual call, and resumes it as soon as it is over. The phone interface is also very slow. You have to use a button to scroll through contacts one page at a time, which takes 4-5 seconds to switch pages. I ended up using the phone to place every call after trying it through the actual radio. The bluetooth works OK. Most everyone I talked to asked me if I was on speakerphone as they could hear ample amounts of background noise. Also every call I placed that was over 8-9 minutes developed a serious echo, sometimes with a 1-2 second lag. I speculate this was due to the processor falling behind but am unsure.

Individual apps:

Next I'll go over individual apps. This was the most exciting thing about the radio as it makes it ever expanding as more apps come to support it. One needs to remember that the radio doesn't really run any apps, it just offers a second display for, and a way of interacting with, apps on your iPhone. Most of the complaints about the apps have to do with the responsiveness of the radio, not really the app as when I used them without the radio, all the interface challenges went away. The phone plays more of a critical role in controlling the radio than I hoped. Things such as switching apps, entering a destination in the GPS, or looking in your ohone book without killing the music has to be done on the phone. Also the reviewer that noted you can't use more than one app at once was partially mistaken. For instance I can start pandora music, then switch to motionx drive and the pandora music still plays, but to do anything other than change the track, I have to close motionx and open pandora from the phone itself.

Pioneer App Radio App This appears to be more of a "proof of concept" app than anything useful. First the vehicle has to be in park to use it. It allows you to access your iPhone calendar, Photo's, Google maps, as well as launch the supported apps on the device. There is really no use I could find for it, doing all the mentioned was much faster and easier using the iPhone. The reviewer who said this app must be running was mistaken. All supported apps can be launched directly from the iphone without ever using it.

Pandora This is probably the most polished app currently available on the device. I had very little issues with this app, other than the slowness of the interface.

MotionX Drive This app is handy, but the radio offers little more than a remote display for the GPS. The only functions you can do on the radio are resizing and changing the orientation on the map (using buttons, not multi-touch like on the iPhone). All other input had to be done via the phone, a fact that could arguably be more dangerous than using the radio. No multitouch moving or resizing of the map as in other apps. There was little difference noted in position accusation time between the phone being plugged in and not. For that reason I am unsure if the GPS antenna was helping much. Although skies were clear, it could have shown its usefulness during an overcast day.

INRIX Traffic A pretty useful app, it supports multi touch and moving of the map as it does on the iphone. Although extreme slowness was noted here as well.

Netflix/Hulu Both worked as you would expect if you plugged your phone into a monitor. The radio only acts as a remote monitor for viewing video, all control is on the phone for both apps. The vehicle has to be in park to use them.

rdio Did not use, can't offer review.

In conclusion the idea was solid and I feel could still be a good one. However, the software and performance issues were too much for me to overcome right now. I would strongly caution anyone who was thinking about buying this. That was the reason for the long review I did is had I known all the above, I would not have bought the radio.

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Apple Mac Mini MD389LL/A with Lion Server (NEWEST VERSION)

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $999.00
Sale Price: $956.92
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

I just want to point out the pricing of this product. For an additional $240 over the MD366LL/A model here at Amazon you get an extra 1TB drive and the $20 Server application. Assuming you are buying this for server use, thats $220 for a 1TB drive. You will undoubtedly need external drives for more capacity anyway, so ask yourself is $220/1TB worth it?

I don't have this model, but bought and continue to use the original Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server. Back then the $1000 price got you the second hard drive instead of a DVD drive over the mid-price model, but Snow Leopard Server OS cost $500, so you were only paying $500 for the hardware! Apple reduced the price of the server $480 but didn't lower the cost of the system at all.

These minis work well as server computers, but I'd recommend buying the "regular" Mac mini and Server app separately to save money.

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Fujifilm X-M1 Compact System 16MP Digital Camera with 3-Inch LCD

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $699.95
Sale Price: $649.00
Today's Bonus: 7% Off

First Impressions:

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

The Fuji X-M1 is an excellent camera. As the cheapest Fuji interchangeable lens camera, I was looking at the X-M1 as an introduction into the Fuji X system. This Fuji APS-C X sensor receives a lot of hype, and this camera does not disappoint. The build quality seems good and feels durable. The overall size with the kit lens is also much smaller than I had initially thought from pictures.

Out of camera JPEGS (with some slight tweaks) are very good. I'm glad that I don't have to spend as much time massaging RAW files in Lightroom.

If you're considering the following cameras, I think the X-M1 is better than the following:

* Olympus E-PM2, E-PL5.

* Fuji X20

* Sony NEX-F3, NEX-3N, NEX-6

* Panasonic GF5

The OM-D E-M5 has some unique features that may make it better for you (exceptionally good IBIS, weather sealing, EVF).

Pros:

=====

+ EXCELLENT out of camera JPGs

+ EXCELLENT control using dual dials

+ Useful Q menu

+ Easy to use regular menu

+ Good build quality

+ Fast focusing

+ Good fill-flash

+ Tiltable bounce flash

+ Fast operation

+ Customizable (I'll cover some tips later in the review)

+ Tilt Screen that can still be seen in sunlight

+ Small size

+ Custom settings on the mode dial

Cons:

=====

No EVF/OVF

WiFi apps don't allow control of the camera

WiFi is pretty poor on both Android and IPhone.

No sweep panorama

No built in level (c'mon Fuji this camera BEGS for a horizontal level)

Recommended Tips and tweaks:

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

* For faster AF, set the AF box size to the maximum and turn off the AF assist light.

* I recommend setting Sharpening +1 in any film mode.

* Fuji allows you to specify your tone curve. I prefer the flat look so I set Shadows -1, Highlights 0.

* If you want punchy, contrasty images, set Shadows +2, Highlights +2.

* For creamy noise free images to share on Facebook, set Noise Reduction to +2

* Be careful with Auto-ISO and DR. Auto-ISO at 6400 is useable, but DR400 will introduce noise into shadows. I stick to ISO3200 with DR200, or ISO 6400 with DR100.

* WiFi: Manual setup for PC Autosave is easier than "Simple" setup. I couldn't get "Simple" to work. "Manual" worked just fine.

* WiFi: If you use the Android app, remember you must follow the instructions on the camera EXACTLY. The modes are not interchangeable. Otherwise, the camera won't be able to connect to your device. I think Fuji can fix this and make their app more 'robust'.

Recommended settings:

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

* Portraits: Astia, Sharpening +1, Shadows -1, Highlights 0, Colors 0, Auto ISO 3200, DR200

* Landscape: Velvia, Sharpening +1, Shadows 0, Highlights 0, Colors +1, ISO 400, DR200

* Everyday: Provia, Sharpening +1, Shadows 0, Highlights 0, Colors 0, Auto ISO 3200, DR200

* Dramatic B&W: BW, Sharpening +1, Shadows +2, Highlights +2, EV Comp -2/3, Auto ISO 3200, DR200

vs. Sony NEX (NEX-F3 and NEX-6)

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

The Fuji X-M1 blows the NEX series away. Focusing on the Fuji is faster and far more accurate. The NEX-6 focuses faster than the NEX-F3, but both are still slow compared to the Fuji X-M1. Even more important, the NEX has a tendency to focus on the wrong thing. What I mean is, you can have people in the foreground (the subject) and the NEX will choose to focus on the trees in the background. I have no idea why. The NEX-6 has a very nice EVF which the X-M1 does not have. The NEX-F3 (and replacement NEX-3N) allow you to flip the screen 180 degrees for ''selfies''. The Fuji menu is significantly easier to navigate and the Q menu makes it quick to change settings, if you need to. [As a side note, the NEX menu is incredibly frustrating for advanced users. Options are under submenus, and you need to get back to the root level to change into submenus. Furthermore, if you customise your camera buttons in PASM, those customizations don't carry into some of the other modes, like auto mode. So when you switch modes, the experience of using the camera is frustratingly inconsistent. You'll find that the buttons you customized have reverted back to their default settings. I couldn't tolerate it.]

The NEX does have very nice Auto, Intelligent Auto, and Superior Auto modes which make it easy for beginners. But for advanced users, I would recommend the X-M1 over the NEX.

vs. Micro Four Thirds (u43)

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

I highly recommend the Fuji X-M1 over *most* of the u43 cameras. It's significantly better than than the E-PL5 and GF5. However, the newer Olympus u43 cameras (OM-D E-M5, E-PL5, E-PM2, and E-P5) have very fast autofocus. In outdoors bright light, the X-M1 is nearly as fast. In indoor low light, the Olympus is significantly faster. Keep in mind that the Fuji X-M1 is still faster than the NEX in both conditions. The X-M1 beats the u43 is in image quality. The GF5 shots were only useable up to ISO800, and I recommend shooting at ISO400 or lower. The E-PL5, I kept to ISO1600. The X-M1 can easily go to ISO6400 with better quality. Although the E-PL5 and GF5 have touch screens, I find that I don't miss it. I had too many accidental shots with the touch screen enabled on the E-PL5, so I usually turn the touch screen off. Note that Olympus has a fantastic touch to shoot feature that makes it great for stealthy street shooting if you tilt the LCD up. For people who really want a touch-to-shoot touchscreen, nothing can beat the Olympus.

The Olympus cameras also tend to produce a very "yellow" image in indoor tungsten light. The Fuji colors are much more natural and realistic. In outdoor light, the Olympus is fine.

However, if budget is important, keep in mind that you can buy an E-PM2 or E-PL5 with Olympus 45mm f.18 for the same price as the X-M1. The Olympus combo will allow you take wonderful street "cinematic" shots or portraits of your friends and family.

If budget isn't a concern, I recommend the X-M1.

vs. OM-D E-M5

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

This deserves its own subsection because the OM-D is an excellent camera that can do things that many other camera's cant. First, the OM-D has the best IBIS of any manufacturer. The E-PL5 IBIS, Canon IS, Nikon VR, Sony IS, and Fuji IS can't compare. The OM-D 5-axis IBIS is so good, it allows you to do things that you simple can't do with another camera. You can take handheld "macro" (close focus on the kit lens) video. You can shoot sharp images at 1/2 second, and relatively sharp at 1 second. Seriously. It's THAT good. That's why I can't say with certainty that the X-M1 is decisively better than the OM-D. The OM-D AA filter is relatively week, and you can get very sharp shots. This is especially evident when used with a quality lens like the Olympus 45mm f1.8 or Panasonic 25mm f1.4. Furthermore, the OM-D can be easily customized (you can even directly control your curves!) and the kit lens 12-50mm has a built in function button that allows you to set it to do useful things like 2x zoom. So in one lens, you can have 12-100mm (with 35 film equivalent of 24mm 200mm). That's impressive.

Plus, the OM-D E-M5 has weather sealing. Although I don't use my cameras in inclement weather, it was nice knowing that the beach, dust, and rain didn't affect the OM-D.

Although the X-M1 can produce better image quality than the OM-D, the OM-D has so many features, that it needs serious consideration. The IBIS is amazing and will allow you to do things that you simply can't do with other cameras.

Between the OM-D and the X-M1, I don't know if the X-M1 is decisively a better camera. It's better in some ways and the OM-D is significantly better in other ways. I would recommend that anyone shopping for a u43 camera should consider the OM-D. Yes, it's much more expensive, but it'll give you so much flexibility and opportunity to do things that you normally wouldn't be able to do. Plus, the OM-D is built very well it feels like small Tokina tank.

vs. Fuji X20

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

I wasn't impressed with the Fuji X20. I returned it. The small sensor didn't produce good enough results and I felt it was only good to ISO800. The focusing was equivalently fast between the X20 and X-M1, maybe slightly faster in the X-M1. For a few hundred dollars more, the X-M1 is clearly the better buy. For a pocketable camera, the Sony RX100 I/II is probably a better camera than the X20. (I never owned an RX100 though).

I recommend the X-M1 or RX100 for slightly more money.

vs. DSLRS

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

Keep in mind that DSLRS can do things that the mirrorless cameras simply can't do (yet). Continuous focusing on a DSLR is much better than even the single shot focusing on the OM-D. If you want to take pictures of moving subjects, you need a DSLR. That being said, some entry level DSLRs (ie: Canon T3i, Nikon D3200) don't have as much direct control via dual dials as the X-M1. I'm not going to debate DSLR vs mirrorless cameras in this review both have their advantages.

The main benefit of the entry level DSLR is that they are more affordable; and paired with a cheap prime like a 50mm 1.8 or Nikon's 35mm 1.8, can teach you a lot about aperture and depth of field. You'll need to spend much more on Fuji's system to be able to do something similar. Overall, I think a DSLR offers a better introduction into photography.

vs. D90

========

You'll need to get a D90 (or better, like the D7000 or D7100) to get dual dials. (Sorry, I don't know the equivalent Canon range). The JPGS from the X-M1 are better than the out of camera JPGs from the D90. I only use the D90 up to ISO1600 and even that requires extra work with DFine after Lightroom. The X-M1 can go to ISO6400 with better quality. The X-M1 requires fewer tweaks then the D90 in Lightroom.

vs. D600

========

85mm on an FX camera is beautiful. The X-M1 can't replace something like a D600.

Overall vs. the competition

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

If you're considering an NEX or u43 kit, keep in mind that neither those nor the X-M1 are pocketable. You'll likely carry those cameras in a bag. If you want something truly pocketable, you're probably better off looking at an RX100. So if you'll be using a bag anyways, I would recommend the X-M1 over the NEX or any of the smaller u43 cameras.

I hope this review helps you decide on the X-M1. Enjoy the camera!

Avi

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Epson V11H561020 PowerLite Home Cinema 2030 1080p 3LCD Projector

Customer Ratings:

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

Optoma HD25 $949

BenQ W1070 $884

Mitsubishi HC 4000 $949

Acer H6510BD $740

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

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

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

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

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Motorola RAZR V3 Unlocked Phone with Camera, Video

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $54.99
Today's Bonus: 82% Off

I purchased the Pink Satin Razr v3 back in August `06. I upgraded from a Nokia 3595 to this lovely little piece of technology. This was a careful buy as I read every possible kind of feedback on the Motorola Razr from many different sites. At best, the reviews were mixed from other users/critics. But for me, this phone is working out great. I'm going to touch on a few points (negative and positive) about this phone.

What Amazon doesn't add in their product information is that this was something manufactured overseas for use in Europe and China by the looks of it. What tells me this? The charger that was manufactured for non-american voltage as well as the advertisement slips and instruction booklets in the product's box that are in both english and chinese characters. I immediately went into panic mode when I saw the charger's plug but, noticed the little white US adapter which is nothing more then a piece you hook onto the prongs that have the correct voltage plug to fit into your outlet at home.

And what I haven't been able to note in any reviews for this phone is that if you're buying this unlocked like I did, the only compatible providers are T-Mobile and Cingular since they use SIM cards with the GSM network. I'm sure there are others internationally but, these are the only american providers I know of. As for the SIM card in your current phone, just slide it out and slip it into your new phone. Just make sure to copy your phonebook to your SIM card before doing so. You may have to tweak the network settings to make sure they are compatible and functioning correctly. Your mobile phone provider should appear on the screen once you've finished.

The cons with this phone:

-When porting your phonebook over from another phone, the Razr breaks down each number into an individual entry. So even though you may have had 3 phone numbers for your husband or Mom in one efficient entry, this phone's does not have that organizational feature. On the flip side of this, you can put the specific icon next to the entry in the phonebook like the little mobile phone, house, office, etc.

-It's easy to get the large screen and flat keypad greasy from the oils in your skin. I find that it's enough just to wipe it off with the corner of your shirt gently should it get cruddy.

-The flat keypad could be annoying for people with thick, large fingers. I personally have no trouble with this.

-No MP3 player. Or any other fancy bells and whistles for that matter. Honestly, I don't think this is bad since you can buy a nice MP3 player from Apple or one of the other manufacturers that have decent space for thousands of songs rather then what you are limited to with a cell phone. I'm not a big fan of "all in one" gadgets since it tends to degrade quality.

Pros:

-It's quite aesthetically pleasing and sleek, no matter what color you purchase.

-The camera. It's not a fantastic camera, so if you're a photographer by trade you will know it is awful by professional, digital standards. But if you're like me, you just use it to take impromptu silly snapshots of friends, things, pets, etc.

-Volume. Seriously, I do not know how people find issues with the audio. My hearing is rather questionable but, I can hear my callers unless their provider's coverage is less then great. Any calls made from a normal phone are also sharp and clearly audible. And the Ringing Volume is a lot louder then my Nokia ever was so I'm satisfied. You have to bear in mind that a provider's area of coverage (or lack there of) will effect your phone call and how well you can hear. It's not always the mobile phone. I think people make the mistake of where they put the receiver of this phone since it is very small. And if you don't have it in the right spot at your ear, you will hardly hear a word.

-Price. The unlocked models have become reasonably priced. So if you have wanted one of these, now is the time to buy one.

-Bluetooth Technology. End of story.

On a side note, I just purchased the H500 bluetooth head set in magenta since it seems close enough to the shade for me.

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Western Digital WD Scorpio Black 750 GB SATA 3 GB/s 7200 RPM 16

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $114.99
Sale Price: $71.95
Today's Bonus: 37% Off

"Free-fall sensor As an added layer of protection, if the drive (or the system it's in) is dropped while in use, WD's free-fall sensor detects that the drive is falling and, in less than 200 milliseconds, parks the head to help prevent damage and data loss."

Model: WD3200BJKT HAS this sensor and is a little more expensive. Worth it , In my opinion.

Model: WD3200BEKT does NOT have this sensor. Retailers are not very clear about this.

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Voigtlander Bessa-R3A Rangefinder Black Camera Body

Customer Ratings:

Well very excited to buy this camera , read lots of reviews and went for it.

MMMM Yes I love this camera its perfect for the discrete shooter and makes a great change from the auto digis.

Bad oints.

Glassers wearers you get a lot of cut off in the viewfinder, i use the 40 mm 1.4 Nokton a great lens and as the camera has 40 mm guide lines in viewfinder should be perfect. sorry but very anoying.

I find the shutter very noisey and asi bought the camera for street photography well again dissapointing.

Shutter button hard feel so i bought soft release button and much much better, a great feel now.

Rewind feels a little flimsy

Love a thick leather half case to muffle noisy shutter sound and a wider eye piece and you have a Leica threat.

Good Points.

Price point its a bargain.

Metering is very acurate and foolproof.

Control layout simple and easy.

Reliable so far 100 rolls in three weeks.

Inspires me to take it everywhere as not heavy or too big.

Perhaps a M3 leica would be good as so quiet however has it got the reliability? No meter either on M3

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