Reviews Written By: A2BB4DGBRVGKWWprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Norton 360 3.0 All-in-One Security (for 1 user, up to 3 Computers) | |
 | "Some improvements, still not great" | 2009-06-18 |
| Norton 360 is a perfect example of 2 things: 1. Software made "simple," but not "easy". 2. Software released well before it is ready. The main startup screen of Norton 360 is a deceptively simple 4-icon graphic interface, representing the 4 main features (see AMazon's photo above). Nice bright green checkmarks of approval make one feel good, and a short drop-down list under each one gives the appearance of a simple, easy-to-use interface. But, when you click on the "details" option under any of them, the next page is a dead end. You can see dozens of settings and features, but you can't actually access them. It's just a text listing. And there isn't even a link to the appropriate settings page. To actually do anything, you must close that and dive into the "real" menu. It becomes obvious that the main screen is just an inadequate mask over the real program, which is a poorly-organized mess. For example, the "Task Scheduling" screen is not listed under the "Tasks" menu, which would seem like the right place to find such a thing, if you were looking for it. Why isn't it there? Because Norton uses the same word, Tasks, as both the industry-standard term for actions a program is scheduled to perform (running scans, updates, and various cleanup utilities), AND to refer to the act of the user accessing features. This and other awkward details makes Norton 360 very annoying if you want to do anything other than let it run at its own discretion. Even at Version 3.0, Norton 360 still feels like an incomplete project. The simplified menu is not yet fully integrated with all features. Version 3.0 is actually an improvement over the previous versions (I will list a few examples below), and it still needs work. Here are some more specific improvements in v3.0: 1. You can actually disable the automatic backup, and it obeys that setting. 2. "Cookies" are no longer labeled as "viruses". 3. Several basic options (such as disabling backups) are now much easier to find on the main "settings" page, instead of being buried in oddly-arranged sub-menus, or requiring you to log into your online account. 4. A few links to setting/control pages have been added in locations which were previously dead ends (though most dead-end screens remain as such). If you have Version 2.0, and are for some reason thinking about buying Norton 360 again to get Version 3.0, maybe those will be helpful. If this is your first time buying Norton 360, that list should give you an idea of how far along the software is. Another improvement is that it seems to be less of a system hog than the previous version. But the "uses less than 10 MB of memory" claim stood out when I read it for 2 reasons. First, the amount of RAM needed for the main executable is not the only aspect of how much a program uses system resources, nor is it the biggest. Another important requirement is processing power, which is not necessarily low just because the required RAM is low. This seemed like an obvious red herring. Second, because the previous version was such a system drain, the general implication of Norton 360 being exceptionally "fast and light" was suspicious. It would have to improve a great deal just to reach my "acceptable" level. In reality, it is improved, but not miraculously better than the competition because the older version was so bad. It still causes interruptions if it happens to run an update when I am playing music or watching a video. This is not especially bad for antivirus software, it's just...normal. And not worthy of any special claims. So far, everything seems either improved or the same compared to version 2.0. I did notice that one of the settings which the help document recommends leaving "on" ("early load") was actually set to "off" by default when I installed it, but no other new problems have appeared. Overall, Norton 360 does not result in a net effect of making Internet security easier or more convenient. | ||
 | Motorola SLVR L7 Phone (Unlocked) | |
 | "CINGULAR branded firmware" | 2009-04-22 |
| I bought this direct from Amazon, and their "unlocked" phone is technically unlocked, but it has Cingular-branded firmware. For anyone not familiar with that, "branded" is a euphemism for "hacked up by the carrier to remove features and replace useful menu options with links to buy stuff." I guess "branded" is shorter than saying all that. This is not a "clean" L7. You may as well buy an unlocked Cingular phone from ebay. I have not yet checked all features to see what has been removed from this phone, although I immediately notice that even signed Java applications require constant "permission", while an unbranded phone would accept the Verisign certificate. | ||
 | CarGo QuickSteel Epoxy Putty 4 oz. | |
| "Great for the right applications, not as universal as implied." | 2009-04-07 |
| First, it does NOT (repeat, does NOT NOT NOT) "fully cure in 1 hour". Performance varies. It usually gets "most" of its strength after 10 minutes, but I have seen it take up to several hours, even a whole day, to really get 100% rock-hard. By one hour, it is probably 90% Successful uses: Filled a crummy car stereo knob. Hard to explain, but easy to understand if you have ever seen it. The internal tube, which slides over the stereo's shaft, always cracks and comes loose. I filled the hollow portion of the knob with quicksteel, and it will now last forever. Quicksteel seems to handle high heat much better than any other substance, and doesn't shrink over time, which is critical for this use. Wrapped some around a stubborn piece of hardware that wouldn't unscrew, and was not shaped for any kind of wrench. The quicksteel dries on like glue, and could be shaped to grab with real tools. It's hard to remove, so it's only for desperate situations. Filled in the handle portion of my "Gerber Artifact" tool. This stuff is good for filling gaps or holes in stable objects. I would not use it for structural repairs. It may be hard, and fairly strong, but it is also brittle and lacks extreme abrasion resistance. These are all different properties. I wouldn't use it for anything that will take a lot of impact or vibration. Quicksteel is also at risk of being weakened by bubbles and small spots of unmixed ingredients, so it's not for anything that would be dangerous if it failed. | ||
 | Gerber 06009 LST Drop Point | |
| "Gone downhill" | 2009-02-05 |
| I am uploading 2 pictures to show the current state of Gerber's manufacturing skill. This knife used to be much better. Near the tip of the blade, the edge grind is horribly one-sided. Near the base of the blade, the edge has been ground nearly 1/8" more than necessary. It almost looks like it had been used for years and re-sharpened. Long ago, this knife had a small raised area inside the handle on either side of the blade, simulating a washer. This prevented the visible portions of the blade tang from rubbing against the handle, which on the new version is producing scratches. It's purely cosmetic, but I don't see why they would have changed this for the worse. It also used to include a pocket clip which could be attached if you preferred, but now does not. | ||
 | Nokia 1600 Phone (Unlocked, U.S. Version) Full Warranty | |
 | "One major issue" | 2008-03-21 |
| I liked this phone upon first opening the box. The keys are easy to press but have a good click. The display was OK for a cheap phone. It looked nice and felt fairly solid. Sound quality is OK for the price. 3 times within a week, the phone locked up when I declined to answer a call. I click the end button, and the display still shows the incoming call frozen. On at least one, the ringer would not stop. No keys would respond, and I could not turn the power off. The first time, I removed the battery to reset it. The next two, I discovered that the phone would eventually recover after a few minutes. I see another user here has the same issue. A basic phone like this really shouldn't be struggling to operate. I had a Nokia 1100 as a previous feature-free "escape" phone. It didn't have any problems like this. The ringers were crude, but it worked fine. You can find a used 1100 unlocked on an auction website for much less. | ||
 | Cherry Poppin Daddies - Zoot Suit Riot | |
 | "Hooray for dirty Swing" | 2007-09-30 |
| Swing was well before my time, but damnit if it wasn't good music. I am glad a modern band came along to play some swing without treating it like some sappy background music for a church party.
"Zoot Suit Riot" includes some fast-paced swinging (!) tunes about fights with sailors, bady guys, getting drunk, and of course some good old-fashioned questionable romantic pursuits. The lead singer doesn't have the best voice of the decade, or even the year, but he is good enough and he sings like he has something to say. The music backs this up, and the result is an album with the energy we should expect from a dance genre. If anyone is bothered by songs about fightin' and philanderin' and dirty dancin', maybe they should pass on this and go listen to one of those nice wholesome 16th-century operas about rape and murder. | ||
 | Sony Ericsson K550i Cyber-shot Pearl White Phone (Unlocked) | |
| "Small package, fully loaded." | 2007-08-26 |
| The k550 is a perfect option if you want a phone that does a LOT of things, but you don't want something larger or more complex than a normal phone. Display: -------- The TFD display is visible in sunlight and doesn't have any trouble displaying full colors without weird shadows or streaks. The screen resolution of 176x220 seems to be plenty. Some larger phones go as high as 240x320, but 176x220 is a lot for a phone that is still small. Size: ----- Barely more than half an inch thick, and about the same profile size as many other non-folding phones. Call sound quality: --------------------- Overall sound quality is very good. The sound isn't squished to the higher frequency end so people with lower-frequency voices actually sound like themselves. I have used louder phones, but none with better overall quality, and this phone is loud enough. NetFront web browser: ------------------------ This embedded browser is better than any I have previously seen in a non-PDA phone. It does a great job of re-arranging websites for single-column viewing (Smart Fit, as they call it), but can also display websites very accurately in their natural format. It can even display horizontally and zoom out to view as much as half of a full website on the phone's display. However, browsing most websites will still be faster using Opera Mini, which reformats websites on Opera's proxy server first so your phone does not have to download as much. Opera also has the advantage of the page-up/down scrolling with the left/right navigation keys. EDGE Data Speed: ------------------- It's faster than standard GPRS, but it isn't miraculous and it can't overcome the delay connecting to the network each time a new page is requested. Don't expect it to change your life, but it's nice to have. 2-Megapixel Camera: ---------------------- - In addition to a higher resolution than common phones, it has autofocus (instead of fixed focus). It even has a macro option, and can take clear pictures from as close as a few inches. - As with any camera phone, it isn't a replacement for a "real" camera, but I will upload some pictures rather than try to babble in length about it. It's better than most. - One issue with the camera is the shutter button. It is extremely easy to press to the first stage (for focus), but is very hard to press to actually take a picture. This can be worked around by just using the menu button instead. REAL Email Client: -------------------- The phone can send and receive email for almost any email account. It can be set to check automatically for new email as often as every 5 minutes, or only when manually told to. It also has the ability to send emails with attachments. These options do not require paid email service from your wireless carrier as long as you already have full data access. If you want "push" email (new messages sent to your phone automatically, without having to check for them), the phone also has that ability, as long as your carrier supports it. I have not tested the push feature. Whichever option you use, it is much more convenient than logging into a WAP website to check email. Note: I was initially able to receive email, but not send it. I had to fill out the outgoing name/password in the "advanced" menu, even though it says to only use it if the outgoing server needs a different password (mine does not, but the phone wouldn't work without it anyway). All OK now. RSS Feed Reader: -------------------- If you don't know what RSS is, it's a way of downloading news updates from your favorite websites directly to your phone. If you do know, you will love this. It is NOT the same clumsy RSS Java application included with some previous models. The RSS reader is part of the k550's messaging features, and can be set to update automatically. The phone displays an icon on the standby screen when it gets new updates, and the new stuff is right in the messaging menu next to SMS and email. If a website has a proper RSS link anywhere on the page, even if you can't currently see it, the Netfront browser knows the RSS link is there and an RSS icon appears above the "more" softkey. The "more" list will then have an option to add the website to your RSS list. The phone came with some RSS feeds already added, but some of them were not valid. Make sure you get current RSS links if there is a problem. Customizable shortcut buttons: -------------------------------------- + Two half-circle buttons on the keypad, in addition to navigation key shortcuts + The left button goes to your WAP homepage. Any bookmark can be set as the homepage. + The right button brings up a list of customized shortcuts, along with a handy tabbed menu for other things. + The phone will not allow shortcuts directly to an application, but you can select a shortcut to the organizer's application list, which is just the application file folder. Organizer: ---------- + Includes Sonyericsson's well-designed calendar, tasks (with reminders), notes, and alarms. + Any sound file can be selected for the alarm clock. + Voice notes are not an official organizer feature, but there is a sound recorder in the "entertainment" menu. + Unit converter (eg, yards-to-meters, grams-to-ounces, etc) is not built in, although there is a free Java application on their website. "Issues:" --------- The number keys are very narrow and feel weird at first. I have adjusted to it though. The key illumination is also difficult to see sometimes because the numbers themselves are illuminated against white background. The battery cover is a delicate thing to remove, and it has to be done to remove the memory card. If you download a file with the same name as another file you already have, the phone will not allow you to change the name before saving it. You have to either overwrite the old file or delete the new file you just waited several minutes for. Uploaded photos: ---------------------- + 2 outdoor pictures + Picture taken with macro focus + Portion of macro image at full resolution + Image showing browser display | ||
 | Theory of Everything (The): The Origin and Fate of the Universe by Stephen W. Hawking, ISBN 1590074491 | |
| "Phoenix Strikes Again" | 2007-08-13 |
| When Phoenix did a crummy job on their audio book production of A Brief History of Time, I thought "that seems kind of disrespectful, doing a hack job like that just so they can make money off of a famous book." Ha! Do I feel like a fool now! Oh yeah, and of course I am obligated to add this little bit from Hawking's website: IMPORTANT NOTE It has come to our attention that the book "The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe" has been published. Professor Hawking would like to make it clear that he has not endorsed this book. The text was written by him many years ago, however the material has already been published in books such as 'A Brief History of Time'. A complaint was made to the Federal Trade Commission in the US in the hope that they would prevent the publication. We would urge you not to purchase this book in the belief that Professor Hawking was involved in its creation. | ||
 | The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe | |
| "Phoenix Strikes Again" | 2007-08-13 |
| When Phoenix did a crummy job on their audio book production of A Brief History of Time, I thought "that seems kind of disrespectful, doing a hack job like that just so they can make money off of a famous book." Ha! Do I feel like a fool now! Oh yeah, and of course I am obligated to add this little bit from Hawking's website: IMPORTANT NOTE It has come to our attention that the book "The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe" has been published. Professor Hawking would like to make it clear that he has not endorsed this book. The text was written by him many years ago, however the material has already been published in books such as 'A Brief History of Time'. A complaint was made to the Federal Trade Commission in the US in the hope that they would prevent the publication. We would urge you not to purchase this book in the belief that Professor Hawking was involved in its creation. | ||
 | The Illustrated Brief History of Time, Updated and Expanded Edition | |
| "TERRIBLE digital transfer by "Phoenix Audio"" | 2007-08-10 |
| It's a great book by Hawking, but this product is just a reproduction of something by Hawking/Jackson that we already know is great. So what sort of job does this product do of delivering one of my favorite audio books? Not a very good one. The original recording sounds fine, but this production from 2005 sounds like it was converted to a low bit rate at some point during editing, and probably had a poor noise removal job done as well. For the benefit of removing possibly a little weak static in the background, we get to listen to a robotic Jackson for 5 hours. It sounds similar to an early digital cell phone with a choppy feel and many T's and S's muffled. There really isn't any reason I can see for this to not be a perfect reproduction of earlier digital versions. Old bootlegs floating about the internet sound better. Maybe "Phoenix Audio" should have just grabbed those to print, and left all of that tricky audio work to the more competent civilian sector. | ||
 | Nokia 6133 myFaves Phone (T-Mobile) | |
| "T-Mobile turns a miracle phone into garbage" | 2007-07-24 |
| The original version of this great Nokia phone was really cool. Big display, email, fast internet. High-end flip phones like this are getting to the point where they can do almost anything the fancy Windows phones can do. T-Mobile screwed it up. You can't use any 3rd party email, mapping, HTML browsing, or RSS feed software because T-Mobile won't let you use Internet programs you didn't buy from them. Ironically, the one thing that could have been better was call quality. It's not terrible, and many would say it is just fine, but a higher-end phone like this could be a little better. So what is left after the carrier decides you don't need any of that fancy stuff? 1. A phone that is acceptible, not exceptional, for making calls. If that's all you want, get something cheaper. The good news is this phone seems to have dropped in price like a rock, so maybe you can buy it for what it is actually worth. 2. A 1-megapixel camera, which is almost pointless because the only way to send pictures is with picture messaging, which will resize the pictures down to the same resolution as it does for any phone. No installing email applications, remember? "The 6133 is a mobile messaging and Internet powerhouse."? Um, no. | ||
 | Battlefield 2 PC | |
| "UPDATE: More problems..." | 2006-09-22 |
| I tried playing today, and I couldn't join most servers because version "1.4" was released and I still had version "1.3" So I download a 140MB "incrimental" patch that is supposed to upgrade me from 1.3 to 1.4, instead of downloading a whole new version of the game. That installer program somehow doesn't recognize that I already have v1.3, so I have to download a "full patch" (500+MB) to overwrite everything. After downloading and installing that monster, it STILL doesn't work because (surprise!) 1.4 isn't actually the latest version, even though it is the latest version listed on the official website. It turns out they released version "1.41" shortly after "1.4" to patch a problem with their patch, and in yet another stroke of genius they forgot to list 1.41 on the official website, so I had to search unofficial websites to find it. Not having had nearly enough surprises for one day, I then discover that there is no "incrimental" patch to get from 1.4 to 1.41, so I have to download ANOTHER 500 MB's to upgrade to version 1.41. DO NOT BUY GAMES FROM ELECTRONIC ARTS. They are greedy (see below) and incompetent (see above). Previous review: ----------------------- How shameless...money buys you better weapons This game has a scoring system, and as the player earns points, they get promoted and "unlock" better weapons. For $20, EA sells an expansion pack that includes even better weapons. Still OK, right? The trick is, people paying an extra $20 can use those new (better) weapons on the same servers used by players without the expansion pack. If you don't pay more money, you will end up playing in the same game with other people who have better weapons because they paid more. You can keep getting more points, but you won't get the new weapons. The pay-to-get weapons are displayed in the basic game, right along with all of the other weapons you can unlock with a high score only. They don't tell you that you can't ever unlock these weapons. Maybe they want you to spend so much time trying to get them unlocked that you will think "Oh well, at this point I might as well pay for it." | ||
 | Samsung X495 Prepaid Phone (T-Mobile) | |
| "Decent call sound quality, other stuff is lacking" | 2006-09-08 |
| If you just want a phone to make calls, this one is acceptable. The speaker lacks low frequency sound, but it's pretty clear overall. But Samsung added a bunch of other features, none of which work very well. Don't buy this phone if you are counting on those extra features. Web browser: Very slow to start up and respond to clicks. Download speed is a little slow, but that isn't the problem. If you click on a link, there is a delay before the phone even starts loading it. When starting the browser for the first time, it takes about 8 seconds. My Nokia 8390, a much older phone, has the home page visible in about 2 seconds. If you have a favorite WAP page you like to start on, rather than your carrier's home page, there is no menu option for this. It can only be done if you know the secret access code to the few WAP settings the phone actually has. Here it is: *#87927# After entering the code, go to 1.ProfileSettings > 1.T-MobileGPRS > 2.HomeURL. Java: The phone can run Java programs and games, though it is slow to start them. But it won't allow programs like Opera or Google Maps to access the web. There is no web browser setting to change this, unlike other phone browsers which either prompt the user to allow access or have manual web settings to do it. Ring Tones: MIDI files can be used for ringers, but the phone does a terrible job of playing them. It doesn't sound anything like a MIDI played on a computer. The instruments don't sound accurate and background tracks are too loud, so the ringer doesn't sound anything like the song. Alarm Clock: There is no slow-increase volume setting for the alarm clock, and there are only 3 alarm sounds (you can't use ringer sounds for alarms). Other Sounds: Text message alerts have similar limitations to the alarm clock. Useless tones like the startup sound and "warning" tones can be turned off, but there is a multi-note sound played every time you exit silent mode. Other Annoyances: The battery drains on its own when the phone is turned off (about a week will kill it). Twice it has powered off for no reason. | ||
 | Kodak EasyShare C530 5MP Digital Camera | |
| "Not bad, but you could do better" | 2006-07-05 |
| Detailed reviews often sound negative, so I will start with the simple good stuff. If you are thinking "I just want a camera that works, is this one OK?" the answer is yes, it's OK. It takes generally decent pictures with good colors, has been reliable for me (no random glitches or picture loss), and is no trouble to connect to a PC. If that's all you wanted to know, go ahead and buy it. If you have only used cheap film cameras before, most of the c530's drawbacks won't surprise you. The c530 is a decent camera and will make a lot of people happy. It's an improvement over Kodak's previous low-end models with smaller size, faster operation, and larger resolution pictures. But the price of this model creeps very closely to better cameras, some of them only $10 higher, while still maintaining some of the characteristics of cheaper cameras. So here are the things you might not like if you ever compare it to a better camera... Fixed focus: Like a $10 film camera you used to use, this camera does not have adjustable focus. The lens is arranged so, through most of it's range, it takes OK pictures. The pictures are not "bad" but never quite perfect either. For old film cameras, this was often an advantage for people wanting a simple, fast camera. But the disadvantage is you can't be sure to get a well-focused picture at any specific distance, and you can't get a good picture at all of anything less than 3-4 feet away (you won't be able to get a good full close-up of a face). Digital cameras with automatic focus are available for only a small price increase, and often can focus and take a picture as fast as the c530. For a few bucks more, you could have nearly perfect focus on most pictures, and the camera does all the worrying. No "optical" zoom: "Optical zoom" means the optics (lenses) do the zooming, like a telescope. "Digital zoom" means the camera "fakes it" by ignoring the outer portion of the image it would normally take and stretches the middle pixels. So if you use digital zoom, you aren't really getting a 5 Megapixel picture. You are taking only, say, 2 megapixels (depending on the zoom level used) from the middle and muddling them to stretch them to 5 megapixels. A camera with optical zoom instead would have the same clarity at full zoom as it would for close-ups. If your old film camera had no zoom at all, you might not care, but if you get a camera with real zoom capability you will never want to go back. Shutter response: For any digital camera, there is a slight delay from when you press the shutter button to when the picture is taken, and if your camera is slow you risk missing those brief moments that would be fun to photograph. This is not convenient, but is unavoidable in affordable digital cameras. This camera is about average speed for it's price range, but does not have to take time to focus. In the same time it takes this camera to take a picture, other cameras are able to adjust the focus automatically first and then take a picture just by mashing the shutter button. Better cameras also let you "pre-focus" by pressing the shutter halfway, then waiting for just the right time to click it. If your dog starts to sniffle, you aim and press the shutter halfway, then wait to click it right when the dog sneezes. No such option here, because focusing isn't the delay, the delay is just slow operation. Small lens: The plastic window covering it is large, but the actual lens is smaller than a pencil lead. Smaller lenses capture less light, which means slower shutter speeds are necessary to get a good exposure, which means more motion blur. It also means pictures in dark areas won't come out quite as good. Technically there is more to it than lens size, and it's not as bad as I make it sound, but better cameras definitely perform better. Harsh picture compression: Most digital cameras will compress the image they take to reduce the file size and fit more pictures on a memory card, although it also reduces the quality of the picture. The picture is analyzed by the camera's software and all kinds of fancy math is done so the picture can be encoded into a smaller size file that still displays as many pixels. Compression of images generally works very well. A picture can often be reduced to 20% or less of its uncompressed size and you don't even notice. But the c530's best picture quality compresses your pictures to less than half the file size that most cameras do. This might actually be balanced with the lens and focus quality and not stand out, but all of these things combined make the 5-megapixel c530 not quite as good as other cameras with the same number of pixels. No lens cover: Most cameras have some kind of cover that slides over the lens when the camera is off to protect it from scratches or dust. Sometimes it's a fancy automatic mechanism, other times it's just a piece you push manually. This camera has a fixed window in front of the lens, so it isn't directly exposed, but you don't want that scratched either. No sound for videos: If you are moving up from a cheap film camera, this part you might REALLY not care about. But nearly all digital cameras have this feature. Some, like this one, don't record sound, which can be disappointing later. It's much more fun to record videos of silly things if you can hear the crash or the subject saying "OK, watch this!" Should you buy it then? You might still want the c530. It's smaller than some other cameras, and depending on how you will use it maybe it's fine. I keep the c530 in my car in case I need it and my other cameras are not handy, so even after all of the drawbacks I listed I still find it to be useful. But recently a lot of newer cameras are looking like a better deal. This review of the c530 is very similar to my opinion of the c300 (a larger, older, cheaper model Kodak), except the price of this camera along with newer competitors that are now available make the c530 not necessarily a great deal for the price. Right now I think the best alternative is the Canon a430. I had this camera in mind when writing this review. As I write this, it's only $10 more. It has 4 Megapixels instead of 5 like the c530, but the a430 has optical zoom so you get the same detail when zoomed in as you do for close-ups and everything in between. Its auto focus can take clearer pictures at any distance. You can select better picture quality (less compression). All of that adds up to the a430's 4-megapixel pictures looking better than the c530's 5 megapixels. If I could trade in a c530 today and pay only $10 to get the Canon a430, I would do it gladly. | ||
 | Sony Ericsson J300A Phone | |
 | "Better reception, more stable software, a few quirks" | 2006-05-14 |
| There are ups and downs, but remember that this is only a little over a hundred bucks UNLOCKED, brand new, and purchased legitimately (not a hijacked gray-market prepaid phone). That's pretty cheap. Good: This model is making calls in spots where my other phones (mostly SonyEricsson) regularly show no service. SonyEricsson phones took a reception hit starting with the t68 and similar models. This is the first improvement I have seen in years. Sound quality is better than the t290a, which sometimes cut in and out and had poor microphone quality. It wasn't unusable, but definitely low-end. The j300a has so far performed flawlessly. I also have yet to experience the odd menu lockups and pauses that were common in the t300 and still present in the t610. Some things about the software have changed and are annoying to get used to, but the stability is much improved. It also doesn't have the problem the t300 sometimes did with not being able to make a call (connecting forever) for no particular reason. It didn't happen most of the time, but someone who only used a t300 might have thought it was a network issue. It was a phone issue, and now it is fixed. If you want a fancy-schmancy phone that does amusing stuff, this phone lets you use the media player option to play MP3s while you WAP browse, play games, etc. The design is bound to have mixed reactions because it is a little weird with the swooped out bar on the back, but for me it is a refreshing change from the sea of silver clamshells. I normally prefer bar phones, but with at least a hint of unique design. This phone will make people say "ooh, neat!" Bad: One "con" to this phone is the MP3 ringers sound a little crummy (no bass, and an occasional pop). They play great when selected in the menu, but when a call is received the quality is reduced. Ericsson refuses to tell me if this is normal, and insists I either send it in for repair or buy a sync stand to update the software myself (expensive). It still sounds better than the recorded ringers on a Nokia, and MUCH better than the lower quality .amr format, but it's annoying that a software flaw stops it short of its full potential. Most users won't be too bothered by this though, as it is still above average. You better be using MP3, HiFi, or whatever sound-clip ringer your carrier offers, because the MIDI player in this phone is terrible. None of the instruments sound real. Older models with MIDI support had a nearly full assortment of instruments, most of which sounded like the real thing. This phone plays most intruments as a bleep or crude piano. Ironically, the piano, the default sound for un-supported instruments, doesn't even sound good. I guess they are trashing MIDI assuming everyone will be going to MP3 ringers. But you probably have more MP3s than MIDIs anyway, so it's not too bad of a trade. It lacks a full shortcut menu. It has assignable joystick shortcuts, limited to 4 and at least one you already plan on using for the phonebook (probably "down"). It does not have the shortcut menu of older models which allowed you to put a WAP website as one of the shortcuts. The speakerphone is not loud enough, even for a small phone. But the biggest drawback is a lack of Infrared or Bluetooth to transfer files. You need to buy a cable (get a generic one for $10, not a real Sony for $35). What the heck is the idea of giving us 12MB of memory and no way to fill it? I think that's what makes this a true entry-level model. Bluetooth or IR are the biggest hardware features that cost money. One more thing: For the non-pink-lovers, I too can confirm that it does indeed come with both the dark gray faceplate (almost black) installed and the bonus pink one. Fear not! | ||
 | Kodak EasyShare C300 3MP Digital Camera | |
| "Great deal, but you might want something better" | 2006-03-08 |
| It's a good price for the picture quality, but you might want to spend more to get a slightly better camera. Good stuff: If you want a digital camera for convenience, but were otherwise happy with a cheap 35mm camera just for 5x7 prints or smaller, this is probably the best deal. Overall picture quality is better than most digital cameras under $100, so it's the best way to go if you want a cheap digital camera. It's also very simple. If you want "easy-to-use," this is as easy as it gets. There aren't any complicated options, and almost everything is automated "behind the scene" so you don't have to think about it. Bad stuff: Slow shutter response. Compared to film cameras, most digital cameras of any reasonable price have a slight delay between clicking the button and the actual picture being captured, which can cause you to miss some shots. This camera is about typical for the price range, but you can get a lot better if you move up to a better camera. Digital zoom only. Digital zoom is not really a zoom at all, but an enlargement of a small area on the sensor inside the camera. You can "zoom," but picture quality degrades in the same proportion. For the price, almost no camera has real optical zoom, so this is average. No close-up ability. The focus range is fixed, which actually works out OK for small prints, but anything closer than about 3 feet will look blurry. A lot of cheap cameras have a "macro" switch to allow better close shots, so this camera is actually behind the pack on this. No lense protection at all. There is a plastic window, but it isn't protected either and if it get's dirty or scratched it's still a problem. Many cheaper cameras have a sliding lense cover. Other options: It's a good deal if you want a camera for this price, but for $40-50 more, you can get a Sony or Canon that resolves or greatly improves all of these problems. You might want to look at a Sony s40, Canon a410, or whichever models are current when you read this. Don't worry too much about "easy-to-use." Any digital camera in a similar price range will have an auto mode, which means all you have to do is click the shutter button and it figures everything out on its own just like this Kodak does. The simpler menu is still appealing if you don't want extra options, but other cameras won't be hard to use. Some other reviews mention the low included memory. This is true of ALL digital cameras. Most only have enough built-in memory for about 10 pictures, so plan on buying a $15-25 card no matter which camera you buy. | ||
 | VANGUARD VS41 Flexible MiniTripod | |
| "Super handy and better than I expected" | 2006-01-28 |
| This is incredibly useful for the price. It's the cheapest mini tripod out there and the design is brilliantly simple. It can be adjusted finely even though it looks clumsy. Just start with the legs fanned out but straight, and if you need to adjust the camera angle a little push the appropriate leg so it bends inward. It's more sturdy than I expected. The rubber feet prevent slipping and the flexible legs can easily hold a typical camera without bending under the weight. Maybe it's not for those 15-pound cameras with a 2 foot lens attached, but if you have one of those you probably aren't looking for a four-dollar tripod. It has a very small clip on the mount so you can hang it one a bag strap, but you can also just bend the legs around the strap. The only thing this tripod doesn't do is shoot upward at steep angles. The most I can manage to get out of it with the most extreme pose is about 40 degrees, and with a larger camera balance issues might limit it to less. One design drawback is the mounting screw is fixed. You don't get a little thumb knob to twist when mounting the camera, you have to rotate the whole tripod. But it's so small and the legs squeeze together so close that it's easy to do. For four bucks, it would be hard to ask for more. | ||
 | Canon Powershot A610 5MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom | |
| "By far the best deal I found" | 2006-01-19 |
| I suffered through a few cheaper cameras, all with disappointing results, before paying for this one. Digital cameras still aren't as cheap as film cameras, so you really just need to pay more if you want a good one. Maybe some cheaper digital cameras are OK for some people, but this one zooms farther, shoots faster, and takes better pictures. Indoor pictures come out pretty good (cheaper cameras take terrible indoor pictures) and outdoors it is just amazing. It has a variety of settings you can adjust, but I just leave it set to automatic mode and it works better than messing around with modes and settings on cheaper cameras. The only things you really need to touch are the macro option for really close pictures (within a few inches) and sometimes you might want to turn the flash off manually, although most of the time it will turn off automatically when not needed. Eventually I will try playing with different settings, but for now I am just thrilled with how well it works on auto. The first one I got was defective, but with Amazon I didn't have to pay anything for return shipping either direction to get it replaced. | ||
 | Tamrac 569301 Digital 3 - Digital/Photo Bag | |
| "Great bag for the price" | 2006-01-15 |
| It's a perfect fit for a Canon a610. The front pocket is just big enough for 4 extra AA batteries. The fabric is decent quality woven nylon. It's not the plastic-feeling kind and it looks more durable than fake leather. I would prefer metal loops for the strap to connect to, but the plastic parts look stronger than some others I have seen and for the price you can't really ask for more. | ||
 | Bunker | |
| "Great creative low-budget movie" | 2005-12-13 |
| Why the negative reviews? Two reasons. First, the cover makes it look like a zombie movie, but it's not, so people are majorly upset when it's not what they expected. Blame that on some brainless executive who took over when the brilliant filmmakers were desperate to get their unique movie distributed. But don't pass it up if you like suspense - there are indeed people getting killed by who-knows-who/what. Second, it's low budget as heck. That means inaccurate uniforms and markings (though most people wouldn't know) and whatever british actors were good and close by. Americans make movies all the time with people speaking with American accents (yes there is such a thing) playing characters of other countries. Being british actors doing the same, it sticks out like a fire hydrant to American audiences. It may be a bad thing to do with a movie, but this one isn't nearly as bad as it seems. What this movie does have is good acting (from most anyway) and a variety of unique characters. Each one represents some possible type of person that could have been in the German army during the war. They range from smart to crazy, aggressive to pacifist. It is not expected that a random handful of people would have such an even variety (only one of the characters would be close to an average person), but that's part of what makes this movie interesting - you see the interaction of so many character types. You also get to see things from the main character's point of view. Not literally all in first person, but through good directing. A couple of scenes are cleverly arranged to have more than one interpretation when seen alone, making a character's incorrect interpretation seem more plausible, even though the audience knows what is going on. The movie starts out uncertain, and becomes more clear at the end with a what I think is a stunningly brilliant shot that really sums up the theme of the movie if you know what is going on. | ||
 | John Swihart, Various Artists - Napoleon Dynamite | |
| "Song from opening credits not included" | 2005-09-20 |
| Quotes are great, but how about including the songs first? | ||
 | Sony MDRE828LP Fontopia In-Ear Portable Headphones | |
| "Very good for the price, not the best available" | 2005-06-19 |
| These headphones do reach the high and low ranges with adequate volume, and for the price are very good. They are better than most headphones that are included with portable audio players. Compared to Sennheiser MX500 headphones, these have louder bass, but not too loud. The volume of all frequencies is just about right. The MX500's main drawback is quieter bass, which can usually be fixed with a slight adjustment to the EQ if your audio device has one. The Sony MDR-E818LP do, again, have better overall sound quality at all ranges than headphones that were free with your equipment (or cheap headphones for the same price), but the first thing I notice when using these and comparing them to the MX500 is a difference in sound quality between low and high frequencies. Starting fairly close to midrange and going up, the Sony's have an obvious difference in sound. They are still better than any free headphones I have used. I prefer the Sennheiser MX500 because I would rather have more even and better clarity accross the board (I find it easier to adjust to lower bass volume than varied sound quality). They are only a few dollars more. However, if you just bought some audio device and the headphones are not good (a near certainty), these will sound fabulous in comparison. If you are very picky about sound quality and generally use more expensive headphones, you might still be pleased with what these headphones will do for the price and want to use them when you want to avoid risk to your more good headphones. It should be noted that the Sennheiser MX500's are not the best available either, only very good compred to most others, so I am not saying they are an absolute better choice. Take your pick based on the differences, they are both well above the POS free headphones you are wanting to replace. It should also be noted that some reviews of the Sennheisers say similar things about the high end of THOSE headphones, but those reviews must be comparing the MX500 to even more expensive headphones. The Sennheisers are definitely very good for their own price. | ||
 | How to Lie With Statistics | |
| "Easy to understand, important to know, fun to read" | 2005-05-30 |
| If you were paying attention in school, you don't need to read this. Fortunately, the author knows that a lot of people were not paying attention to the long and boring classes that tried to teach us complex math we would never use. This book is short and full of things everyone should know. You don't need to be good at math or anything else to learn from it. The book is 50 years old, but math (and lies) don't change. Not only is the book full of knowledge, but you learn that swindlers at all levels have been using the same lies for at least 50 years, but in reality much longer. This is a good book for people that have no math/statistics background at all. If you read it, you are certain to notice some advertisement, "news report," or political activist using one of the lies within a day or two. The only reason someone might not like this book is if they already know about everything in it. But if you don't know why people correctly say both "statistics don't lie" and "...lies, damn lies, and statistics," this book is for you. | ||
 | Tri-Angle Sharpmaker System Medium/Fine | |
| "Best sharpening set available." | 2005-05-29 |
| I have been sharpening knives on flat stones by hand for many years. I just got a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and it's the best contraption I have ever used. The stones are good quality. Similar cheaper brands have lumps on otherwise perfect stones, making them almost useless. Both the coarse and fine stones leave a relatively fine edge considering how well they remove metal. The triangular shape of the stones makes them work very well for regular knives and serrated knives as well. It comes with an instruction book that tells you exactly what to do. If you follow the instructions, you will get a very sharp edge. The only skill involved is holding the blade up and down, and that isn't hard at all. The price looks high, but you get a total of 4 long stones (two fine, two medium) of good quality. It is well worth the price to be able to keep your knives sharp on your own instead of paying someone to do it, which adds up fast. I don't recommend sharpening systems that involve clamping a guide system to the blade because they tend to slip and/or scratch the blade, are annoying to use for quick touch-ups, and don't actually maintain a good angle along the whole blade due to the mechanics involved. | ||
 | Far Cry PC | |
| "FUN game, sometimes corny dialog" | 2005-05-02 |
| It may not be the best story ever told, but the game play is great. The general plot is standard--rescue a girl from a mad scientist on an island. The high points are good graphics, amazing scenery, and fun missions. The maps are all different in layout and the missions, though related, do not feel repetitive. So far I haven't seen a map that is not very cool to look at and move through. In most cases you end up having to kill everyone in an area (isn't that what we are here for anyway?), but you can use some sneakiness to engage enemies carefully and sometimes even bypass some useless people. Quiet kills draw less attention, but in "easy" mode you can usually still barge in and shoot people without being too frustrated. The enemies vary in brains and weapons. Some work together a bit, using silenced weapons to really give you a hard time in a jungle, others are just loud fools that give themselves away with chatter and go down easy. Guards in towers will attack you with rockets and sniper rifles, while grunts hanging around the mess hall just have pistols or standard rifles. Many enemies will take cover and attack from behind rocks, etc. You get to use boats, land vehicles, and even a glider. The vehicles are almost always there to avoid lengthy, boring walks. You can hop in and out at any time, making them an integrated part of the whole map, not like Medal of Honor (a great game) where vehicle use is uaually a seperate interlude where you are stuck in the vehicle until the next mission. FarCry has HUGE open maps without the tedious "you have to go to every corner or you will lose" setup of other games. The maps are all very large, and you can get where you are going more than one way. The general path is there, but you aren't constantly herded the right way. You don't need to turn over every rock, just move along however you want to get where you are going. But there is still variety, with some maps having enclosed areas as well. The graphics are absolutely amazing if you have a good enough computer and video card. Even the "low" settings aren't too bad with a half decent card, but "medium" and up are really cool. This game can probably give your video card anything it can take. There are some compatibility issues. The demo wouldn't work on my new video card, but the full version does. I don't think the demo has had any of the first version problems fixed, which usually happens with any new game. Not nearly as bad as getting Halflife 2 to run. I installed on a CDR drive just fine, so I don't know exactly what that was about. Maybe this "feature" has been removed because I am using the game a long time after some of those complaints, or maybe there was more to it. If you don't have this game yet, it's probably one of the best deals out there at current prices. Lots of stores have it for twenty or less. | ||
 | Crime Spree | |
| "A fun movie" | 2004-02-17 |
| If you enjoyed watching likeable wannabe crooks bumble around in movies like "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and two Smoking Barrels," this movie belongs in the same bin. Not as good in my opinion, but still really funny. A bunch of entry-level criminals from France can't ever do anything right, so their boss sends them to Chicago for one last chance at a big job. This job goes worse than their previous work, and they find themselves at odds with the Chicago mafia (led by Harvey Keitel and Abe Vigoda) and a street gang. The plot is not as twisted and surprising as other movies, but it's original as far as I can tell. You might guess at what is going to happen if you are one of those types trying to figure it out, but at least you won't feel like you are watching something you have already seen, and you will laugh all the way. On the other hand, people like me will be thrilled all the way. | ||
 | Gerber AR 3.25 Knife Fine Edge | |
| "No reason to buy this knife" | 2004-02-15 |
| It's a little on the heavy side, suggesting durability, but the blade lockup is not so great. It feels solid when open, but the spring is weaker than most heavy duty knives and the internal shape of the lock is not reassuring. From years of experience, I would say that this lock is more likely to fail than others if really stressed. General knife safety rules would tell you not to stress a blade in a way that might make it cause injury if it fails, but I personally would not put this to heavy use. I would suggest it for daily light use, but it's too heavy to carry around in your pocket. Thus, this knife is not really a good choice for heavy duty use or convenient carrying. As for the price, it is more expensive than other knives that are more versatile. I would suggest an SOG for a few dollars less (at least it would not be too heavy and the lock would be better) if you are looking on Amazon, or maybe just shopping around elsewhere. I give it 2 stars because it seems to be put together well, and if anyone is in love with the style or feel it should last a long time. | ||
 | Gerber 06425 Chameleon II Medium Serrated | |
| "Do not buy without seeing it in person" | 2004-02-15 |
| I personally find the finger hole to be very uncomfortable. The inside is a thick tube shape, so it isn't shaped for a finger very well. Maybe it will work for you, but it sure didn't for me. The bolt lock is a neat idea, but the opening and closing is kind of rough. It just feels like a low quality knife. You should definitely see if your local "discount retailer" that starts with a "W" and ends in "al-mart" has one in stock so you can try it out before buying. | ||
 | Gerber 06095 Microlight LST Fine | |
| "Nice little keychain knife for the price" | 2003-12-30 |
| Nothing wrong with it at all. It's a tiny little thing (about as big as a mini swiss army knife when closed) and it doesn't cost very much at all. Anyone that is disappointed was expecting too much. It weighs almost nothing at all, and at the very least makes a cool little addition to your keychain or a low-price gift. | ||
 | Gerber 06967 Urban Companion | |
| "poor design" | 2003-07-09 |
| The knife is a little stiff to open. The scissors are not very good, and make your thumb hurt after just a little use (the part you push to cut stuff is a thin sheet of metal). The scissors also tend to not fold up properly without some finesse. The scissors' poor effectiveness make them useless when you already have a knife with you, and you can get an equally decent (or even better) knife for less. I give it two stars because the knife is unique and you can buy it if it really catches your fancy, but I highly recommend almost anything else. Go to a large discount retailer for cheaper knives of equal quality, or spend just a few dollars more here on Amazon and buy the SOG mini Autoclip. | ||
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