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Reviews Written By: A377LPVLLAI42D

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	Garmin nuvi 1370T 4.3" Wide-screen Bluetooth GPS
	"The down side is unforgivable"	2009-08-04
In some ways this is a much better GPS than my old Nuvi 670, or perhaps it's the age and treatment that my 670 has had, frequently baked too hot to touch and bounced around. Right now the 1370 locks on where the 670 can't quite make it. The text entry is a bit difficult but now, thankfully, uses a qwerty keyboard, so no more hunting for keys. It is nice that they have restored a tiny bit of the configurability of the old Garmin III and V, you can have things other than the distance to the next waypoint. The interface has been simplified, more Fisher Price than previous serious models I have owned. For an expert user this is not a good thing. I want to compress my menus as much as possible so that the least number of selections will get me where I am going. Large friendly icons makes for narrow and deep menus. But for all that, it's a good GPS, I could forgive all that for the slight increase in performance and I do need new maps, and it's not really worth making the investment on my old GPS. Now the utterly unforgivable. The traffic information is supported by adverts, so you can get adverts popping up in your sight line where you are expecting navigation. This is crass stupidity. The manual says you shouldn't copy down the coupon codes whilst driving. Are they INSANE? California has just banned talking on a cell phone whilst driving andd Garmin are popping up adverts to mess with your concentration. I expect the lawyers are going to be beating path to Garmin's door with the injury claims. If I crashed with one of these things on the windshield I'd be only too ready to claim it popped up an advert and distracted me. I think the jury would go for it. After 12 years as a Garmin customer I guess I'll have to find something else.
	Garmin 010-00544-01 Gtm 20 Traffic Recei
	"Unreliable"	2009-05-01
I've had this for a couple of years, it still powers on OK, however it won't stay locked on to the signal. I live in the San Francisco Bay area, so radio reception should be no issue, yet each time I come back to the car the thing has lost lock again and I have to power it down so it can restart. It will run for a few minutes, or half an hour, before it drops off again. So much for realtime traffic information. The price is ludicrous, this thing should be thirty bucks at the very most. Knowing what I don now I'd think more than twice before I'd buy anything that used this receiver again.
	Garmin 010-00544-01 Gtm 20 Traffic Recei
	"Unreliable - or at least it was"	2009-05-01
I've had this for a couple of years, it still powers on OK, however it won't stay locked on to the signal. I live in the San Francisco Bay area, so radio reception should be no issue, yet each time I come back to the car the thing has lost lock again and I have to power it down so it can restart. It will run for a few minutes, or half an hour, before it drops off again. So much for realtime traffic information. The price is ludicrous, this thing should be thirty bucks at the very most. Knowing what I don now I'd think more than twice before I'd buy anything that used this receiver again. Update After several years of using this thing it looks like the software and systems guys have sorted their act out. This seems to have become more reliable. There was a terrible patch where the thing pretty much stopped working, about the same time as there was some discussion of ClearChannel having messed up the traffic reporting, and then it came good. No idea what happened. There was a software update which didn't mention anything that should have affected this. Anyway, it works well enough, just pay the extra five bucks for the lifetime subscription that doesn't include adverts. The traffic information delivered still isn't fantastic though.
	Sennheiser HD-280 Dynamic Collapsible Headphones
	"Very very good for my use"	2009-04-01
I write software for network equipment for a living. So I typically sit less than six feet from a stack of servers, they are louder enough to make conversation impossible at normal levels. With these headphones I can only hear a vague hum from the servers to let me know they are still running. As to the head size... my hat is a 7 3/4, which means that the 'one size fits all' hats don't, not even at their greatest extension. I look like an adult wearing a kids hat. These headphones fit me fine. Compared to shooting muffs or a military radio headset the tension is moderate, they wouldn't stay on as you bounce around an AFV or run through the woods. From that perspective they are comfortable for hours of use. Right now I've been wearing them for most of the last nine hours and the only problem is that my ears will feel the cold from the a/c when I take them off. Audio quality is pretty darned good, way better than the expensive speakers I have at home, and much much better than the car stereo. What that means in practical terms is that if I wear these I don't have to work at picking the words out of Pirates of Penzance.
	Gray's Anatomy: The Classic Collector's Edition
	"Not current, and neither are some of the reviews"	2008-08-24
The current edition (8/08) is the 39th published in 2004, there are British and American versions which differ slightly in terminology. The 40th edition will be published at the end of September 2008. So if you are looking for the current text book then order either the 39th or 40th.
	Norpro Stainless Steel 5-Piece Measuring Cup Set
	"Good measures"	2008-08-08
Convenient shape and good quality, that's about all there is to these measures. The 1/8th is useful and the shape is good for getting in to containers. The snap ring is a good way of securing these in to a set. There's no reason not to buy these.
	Capresso 560 Infinity Burr Grinder
	"Very, very good"	2008-07-29
Even without resorting to the instructions first, unpacking and assembly was simple. I can't imagine how anyone could have trouble unpacking it... and yet some did. We use it for espresso and it is quick and not too noisy, the grind is very even. Not cheap, but very effective.
	Garmin Colorado 400i Handheld GPS Unit with US Inland Lakes Preloaded Maps
	"Mostly good device - let down by very poor base maps"	2008-05-11
First, the pictures above are a collage from all the various base maps. This unit can not show the 3D images and has little detail. First impressions after one day of use. The screen is good and the back-light makes it very readable at night. Fine without the back-light in the day. The menu wheel/push button/rockers are easy to use, After a few minutes of use. It's just a case of pressing one of the menu buttons and selecting the appropriate item. Normally the wheel is the zoom control. Calibrating the compass and altimeter was easy. And easy to find. All the setup seemed easy. The geocaching works well with the built in compass. I checked the navigation marks on Lake Winnipesaukee in NH. They seemed right, from memory, but the map detail is inadequate to be certain. They certainly don't show the whole picture, they miss shoal detail which is absolutely essential if anyone were going to trust this as their main navigation. In general the built in map is poor. It has little detail, few roads, few geographical features. Not enough detail in the lakes to know for sure that you are looking at the right islands. The supplied CD shows even less detail than the preloaded base map. Useless. It's just a questionable tool for managing trips and waypoints, it says. They really should have supplied a better map with a $600 GPS. I expect they hope to rip-off the early adopters and then include the topo maps as a package later. The geocaching site allows you to transfer direct to the connected GPS, including the descriptions if you paid the subscription to the site. Useful. But it would be a lot more useful if the map was any good. All in all, good product badly let down by bad maps. If the maps had been any use I'd have given it 4 or 5 stars. But what's the use of a GPS that can't tell you where the there you are at is on a map? While the GPS is made in Taiwan the case and all else that I ordered with it, all Garmin, are made in China.
	Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser
	"Mostly works, but unforgivable failures"	2008-04-18
The mouse is 99% good. The keyboard sometimes locks up and spews whatever the last keypress was. The media controls keep getting in the way. A company with this much experience should be doing better than this.
	Compactflash Card, 8GB, 45X Speed
	"Too slow for some applications"	2008-03-13
If you do sports photography with something like a Canon EOS40D which can run off 256Mb of images in one burst of a few seconds you are going to be waiting for this card a lot longer than for other cards at the same price. At 45x this is just over 1/6th the speed of 266x cards which sell for a similar price. A pretty picture doesn't make up for a lack of speed.
	INOVA X03-WB X03 Police/Military 3+ Watt White LED Black Finish
	"A better light than most for this price"	2008-02-26
I was tempted to give 5/5 but on absolute value rather than comparative it has to be a 4. This is a much better light than most Maglights and other quality lights. But where they and many others go cheap rate is on the switch. This is a solidly constructed light with a good beam pattern, they don't have anything to improve in that area. However, what most of these lights share is a cheap-to-make momentary action switch. This isn't a good solution on ten bucks worth of parts with an asking price in the fifty buck range. Cheaper Maglights have a vastly better switch, there are even cheaper lights of this configuration with a better switch. But when all is said and done it's a very good light and better value than any alternative I know of. But take a look at a Surefire G2 as an alternative, same type of switch though.
	Canon PSC-55 Soft Leather Compact Case for SD700 IS, SD630, SD550, SD500 & SD430 Cameras
	"Bought for an S500 now used for an SD1000"	2008-02-25
For the S500 this was the perfect case. Robust and exactly the right size. It protected the camera for years and eventually outlived it. When I bought the SD1000 I also bought the matching PSC-1000 case, but it turned out to be a piece of garbage, the thinnest possible leather over cardboard. When the PSC-1000 case failed I looked for something to put the camera in while I ordered a replacement. Instead I found this old PSC-55 and am using that. The PSC-55 is a much higher quality case than recent Canon examples. The leather is of glove quality and thickness. I wore this case every day for several years and it just looks well worn in. The stitching is still tight and it shows no signs of failure.
	Sog S5 Tigershark Survival Knife
	"Good knife but really big."	2007-12-20
Yeah, the sheath is very tight, the design of the top means it snaps shut on the knife and it's very hard to remove. This isn't a knife most people are going to be carrying around on their belt, more something you'd carry on a combat vest or in a truck glovebox or even toolbox. It's hard to get a feel for the size of a knife you haven't handled but let's put it this way, this knife wouldn't look out of place in Commando or Rambo. I got it to use and abuse on the ranch, for that it's fine. You can butcher an animal or cut back brush with this thing, but it isn't handy, it's not something you'd want to fish out to open a package or sharpen a pencil.
	DEWALT DC9096-2 18-Volt XRP 2-Battery Combo Pack
	"Works well enough, but time they moved on"	2007-11-05
These work well enough, for ten years ago they work fine, but technology has moved on and this branch of Black and Decker hasn't. They need to get with the plan and provide a more modern battery technology like other premium priced manufacturers.
	DEWALT DC9096 18-Volt XRP Battery Pack
	"Works well enough, but time they moved on"	2007-11-05
These work well enough, for ten years ago they work fine, but technology has moved on and this branch of Black and Decker hasn't. They need to get with the plan and provide a more modern battery technology like other premium priced manufacturers.
	DEWALT DW908 18-Volt Pivoting Head Flashlight
	"OK for what it is, but seriously flawed by current standards"	2007-11-01
The main flaw with this light would have been trivial in the recent past. Compared to other ways of providing light, even DeWalt ways, this is not an effective solution. I bought this to have a working light that also used the 18v power packs from my various DeWalt 18v tools. So far so good. But it really burns some power, it gets quite warm and the light doesn't last as long and isn't as bright as you would hope. I also have the DeWalt DC527 fluorescent light, it provides a much better working light, lasts longer and is easier to use to get light on your work. By comparison to the DC527 this is an uneven and yellowish light. This is more compact than the DC527 though, and it provides better range, fluorescent provides more white light, but only at limited range.
	Puma® Bowie Stag Knife with Leather Sheath
	"Had one of these years ago"	2007-08-21
I got one of these back in about 1979. Though I was in England I thought I was some sort of intrepid mountain man or something. Or in other words it wasn't really the sort of knife I should be using for camping. So in the end it got put to all sorts of uses for which it was not intended, like opening cans, making tent pegs, chopping small branches for shelters and even eating dinner. Eventually it got dull and I eventually found a diamond sharpening steel that worked well enough. The knife was obviously hand made, there was nothing particularly rough and ready about it, just a few places where it wasn't completely uniform. Nothing ever broke or fell off. Eventually, after I had moved to the south of England and thought I'd never get the chance to spend time out in the wilds again, I gave it to a friend who farms in the Scottish borders. Last I saw it was in his toolbox on his tractor and still gets used for things that Puma never intended. 30 years on and going strong, though certainly looking a bit careworn these days.
	DeWalt DC390K 18V Cordless Circular Saw
	"Good portable saw"	2007-08-20
I've only done light work with it, but so far it shows all the signs of working as well as most DeWalt gear. Only one battery, but I already have two other 18v DeWalt tools, so that doesn't really make a difference to me. Yes, it would be nice to have a more substantial blade guard and it wouldn't have added much to the price. In other reviews people have complained about the safety being awkward, but I gfind it natural to push it off with my thumb, no problem. It's about time DeWalt shifted to a more modern battery technology though, NiMH batteries hold much more power and have a much longer and less troublesome service life.
	MIRAGE HEADSET
	"Good, but not the best for all day use"	2007-07-25
This professional headset is way better than anything offered for cell and home phone use, but be aware that it uses a different interface and requires a control unit to connect it to your phone. These look trick, and with the Plantronics interface you can get the volume right so that isn't a problem, but they just don't provide as reliable a speaker to ear connection as the head band types. I could never get the ear piece to sit in the right place on my big old ears and eventually went back to the head band type. If you have long or 'big' hair or can't stand to have anything over your head then this may be for you. If not then maybe a different Plantronics headset will fit your needs.
	Motorola KRZR K1 Cosmic Blue Phone (Unlocked)
	"Pretty good phone with standard Motorola issues"	2007-07-23
I hung on to my old v60i in the hope that Motorola would fix their user interface, this one is substantially different, but the bad features of the v60i remain. The side buttons. But lets do the good first: The voice quality in both directions is good, the talk time is good and the standby time is good enough that I am surprised when it needs recharging. I use it quite a lot and that still only seems to be twice a week. The ring tones are the usual selection but the maximum volume is considerably higher than in my old phone. Signal handling is much better, it holds on to calls that AT&T could previously be relied on to drop, but there are still issues where it fails to roam to the next cell, though I strongly suspect that is due to lame network software rather than the phone (symptoms are that after a dropped call with no signal the signal strength immediately maxes out). For someone who travels to Europe the quad band GSM is indispensable, I keep a spare SIM for UK visits because it gives me calls to the US for about 1/10th of the cost of allowing AT&T to roam to Europe. The music player is fine, but you are going to have to either buy bluetooth headphones, which you can't use on a plane, or buy the USB adapter which should have been included for the trivial cost in such an expensive phone. The not so good: The iTap text entry is slow and not as good as the old version, whatever that was called. I guess I'll eventually get used to iTap, but the old predictive text had some advantages. The Ugly: the joker who came up with these side buttons that can't be disabled should be fired. It's the easiest thing in the world to brush against the phone and fire up the crummy voice entry (below) or, with a bit more of a rubbing motion, switch the ringer from one more to another. So you can silence the phone and drop it in your pocket only to find it ringing in the middle of a movie. Or you eventually notice nobody is talking to you and check the phone only to find you have a couple of missed calls and the phone has been set to silent. Somehow. Then there's the voice entry, the best you could say is that it's not good. If you brush against the voice button it thinks about it for a good while and then some awful woman say "say a command". Now you have to try and convince it to call someone based on the phone's attempt at pronouncing the name you used in the phone book. Since I work with a load of Indians and Chinese that's about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. It was much more useful to be able to program the nicknames. But would I buy it again? Yes. There aren't many neat phones like this and if there's another one with quad band GSM too I didn't find it. But if someone comes out with a quad band GSM phone with good signal handling and no side buttons you'll see my KRZR on Ebay the next day.
	Sony MDR-NC6 Over-Ear Noise-Canceling Headphones
	"Adequate but bulky"	2007-07-04
They'd be a lot more user friendly if they were a folding design. In my normal working environment they do a good job of taking out most of the noise of cooling fans, but they don't remove the higher frequency hiss of air and they either leave or add a low frequency thrumming. I tends towards them adding it because I've never been aware of it even when all the air cooling systems are off. Audio quality is OK, I wouldn't go further than that. I have yet to find a consumer offering, including the Bose headsets, that comes anywhere near to the combined active/passive effects of a good aircrew headset. Still searching for a good solution.
	DEWALT DW059K-2 18-Volt 1/2-inch Cordless Impact Wrench Kit
	"Worth every penny"	2007-07-04
I carry this in my emergency truck gear whenever I go away. In the past I have spent hours laboriously removing and replacing the eight nuts on my F250 with the factory tools. With this I was able to spin them off in seconds. Recently I had a flat on US101, I was moving again in under half an hour thanks to this tough tool. It's not just the torque, it's the speed too, it was able to break loose and remove nuts that I could barely move by my 6'3" 270 pound self. Highly recommended for those bruit force tasks like truck lug nuts and lag bolts.
	Pink Floyd - The Final Cut [Bonus Track]
	"Not terrible, but not deserving of the band's name"	2007-06-21
I bought this when it came out and was very disappointed. Maybe he should have slept on it for a few years. The right people playing the wrong thing. There are better ways to put across this emotion and this was ill conceived.
	SanDisk MicroSD 2GB Card
	"It works"	2007-05-16
What else can you ask. If anyone has never seen one of these, it's about the size of a finger nail but it comes with an SD adapter so you can actually plug it in.
	Plantronics H51 H51 Supra Voice Tube
	"Top class, first rate headset"	2007-04-19
This is a professional standard telephone headset. This isn't some gimicked up piece of garbage or a lookalike, this is the real deal. This is the type of headset call centers buy because they need the people on both ends to be able to hear and understand every single word with complete clarity. I used one of these for five years, there's nothing I've found for consumer use which comes close, I have wasted hundreds of dollars on other headsets that claim to do what this does. The down side is that it's a wired setup and needs a control box that that big connector attaches you to. If you need to talk on your phone at your desk and your phone is compatible then this will do the job. It isn't necessarily the only solution but it does work well for year after year.
	Bravo Two Zero
	"The boys own version of the story"	2007-03-27
This is a well known story and there's no point reviewing events. It's pretty well written and does tell the story of a patrol that certainly went wrong. Some other SAS folks disagree with this description of events and especially don't like that two of their friends died avoidably. But stuff happens, the SAS are not gods on earth, though they do have an outstanding reputation. There are details in this book which are probably fabricated, mistaken or overstated but it is one view of the action that occurred and should be read in context with the books of the other patrol members, their disagreements are relatively minor really.
	The One That Got Away
	"Worth a read"	2007-03-27
Not the tale of an inhumanly capable and faultless warrior and all the more compelling for that. Very interesting and informative, a more realistic treatment of events that the McNabb book, or at least more believable.
	Kirsty MacColl - Galore
	"Excellent"	2007-03-13
A wonderful singer and wonderful songs. Careful which version you order though, the import version is twice the price and yet apparently identical in content.
	Kirsty Maccoll - Galore: Best of Kirsty
	"Excellent"	2007-03-13
A wonderful singer and wonderful songs. Careful which version you order though, the import version is twice the price and yet apparently identical in content.
	Holux GPSlim 236 Bluetooth GPS Receiver
	"Excellent, accurate and convenient"	2006-06-08
This is an excellent little receiver. What I wanted was a receiver that could be placed somewhere in my car and would then just work without my needing to be interrested in what it was doing. That's exactly what it does. I put some velcro (the hook side) on the back of the receiver and stuck it on the rear wheel arch of my Passat Wagon, since then it has just sat there and done its thing. This receiver is so small that it's hard to see how they could make it any smaller without it being difficult to find. Accuracy is as good as any. Despite being hidden away the reported signal quality is usually excellent. I leave it switched on and I can just forget all about it until I need it and then it's all ready to go, already locked on and passing out position reports. The Tomtom Navigator 5 software works as well with this as with their receiver. I bought this to replace the Tomtom Bluetooth receiver that came as part of their Navigator 5/Bluetooth package, see my comments there if you want to know why that was a poor initial choice.