Archive for septembre, 2010

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Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Dark Blue PRS300BC Sale-$162.12!

Jeudi, septembre 30th, 2010

Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Dark Blue PRS300BC

Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Dark Blue PRS300BC Sale-$162.12!

Compare & Purchase Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Dark Blue PRS300BC at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $199.99

Amazon Price: $162.12

Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition - Dark Blue PRS300BC Description:

The Reader Pocket Edition features a 5″ display and an elegant, lightweight design that’s easy to slip into a purse or jacket pocket for convenient, on-the-go reading. Not sure which books to bring on your trip? With the Reader Pocket Edition, you will never have to make that choice again. 512MB of onboard memory lets you carry up to 350 of your favorite books3 at a time. Enjoy access to a wider number of books from a wider number of places. By supporting both industry standard formats, ePub and PDF, you can access books at Sony’s eBookstore, check out books from public libraries, access over 500,000 free public domain titles from Google, as well as sharing sites, online aggregators and personal publishers. The Reader Pocket Edition utilizes EInk screen technology to deliver an amazing, paper-like display that’s more like ink on paper and fully readable in direct sunlight. Intuitive eBook Library software makes it easy to download eBooks, manage your collection, and transfer titles to your Reader Pocket Edition. eBook Library software works with both PC and Mac. Enjoy up to two full weeks of reading (7,500 continuous page turns) on a single battery charge. The Reader Pocket Edition offers you the ability to resize text. Choose from three adjustable font sizes to improve readability. Two full weeks of reading on a single battery charge 3 adjustable font sizes to customize your reading experience USB 2.0 data and power connection Read in multiple formats, including ePub and PDF Quick page turns and high contrast ratio Display - Screen Size - Vizplex 5 inches Resolution - 800 x 600 pixels Gray Scale - 8-levels gray scale Power - Battery Type - Rechargeable Lithium-Ion (battery - DC 3.7 V) AC Power - DC 5.2 V Battery Life (Approx) - 7,500 (BBeB Book) Media Formats Supported - Unsecured Text - EPUB file (Non DRM/ Adobe DRM protecte

  • Color: Dark Blue
  • Brand: Sony
  • Model: PRS-300BC
  • Dimensions: 6.00″ h x 4.00″ w x 1.00″ l, 2.00 pounds
  • Memory: 2000MB SDRAM
  • Hard Disk: 1GB
  • Display size: 5

Features

  • Lightweight design with 5″ display
  • Holds up to 350 books at a time
  • Content is accessible from a wide number of online bookstores
  • Paper-look display for natural reading
  • Two full weeks of reading on a single battery charge

Customer Reviews:

Sony PRS-300 “Pocket Edition”: A Truly Excellent, Portable eReader5
I rarely, if ever, write reviews for products, simply because I rarely find a product that dramatically exceeds, or fails to meet, its published description. The PRS-300 “Pocket Edition” ereader is a device that provided a far better than expected experience.

One device with which I was previously as impressed was the iPod Touch, which I’ve found to be simply one of the best consumer goods purchases that I’ve ever made. Funny enough, my principle use for the Touch was as an ebook reader, and it was the Touch’s shortcomings as an ebook reader that eventually prompted me to purchase the Sony PRS-300 “Pocket Edition”.

I read extensively, both on my work commute (1.5 hours each workday on public transit), and in the evenings and on weekends. Conservatively, I probably read upwards of 20 hours each week, both ebooks and downloaded news articles and the like. I previously purchased the Sony PRS-505, in late 2007, and found it to be a good ereader. The PRS-505 provided a sharp, glare-free page image that was easy and relaxing to read. Unfortunately, it was a bit delicate, and within a few weeks of purchasing I had managed to drop it (from only about 2.5 feet) and crush the upper corner, dislodging the power slider. After having it fixed under warranty, I held onto the PRS-505 until mid-2008, when I purchased an iPod Touch. I read on the Touch, and–briefly–on the Amazon Kindle 2, until I purchased the PRS-300.

The new PRS-300 “Pocket Edition” over-comes several of the short-comings of the Sony PRS-505 and Amazon Kindle 2:

1. Great form-factor: The PRS-300 really will fit in a pocket, either a jacket pocket or very comfortably in a pocket of my cargo shorts on the weekend. This is an improvement over the PRS-505, which always seemed either slightly too big (to fit in a jacket pocket, or anything short of backpack or my briefcase), or not quite large enough (to read work PDFs with charts and graphs, or more structured documents, like instruction manuals). The PRS-505 and the Kindle 2 were also awkward to tote by hand (which is why I dropped the PRS-505, while trying to get my mail). While the Pocket Edition won’t display large, structured documents either, you recognize this as a trade-off for this model, in favor of its truly convenient size. It’s perfect for books, news articles, blog posts and the like, and, not having to carry it by hand or in bag, I take it with me more often when I’m out, and use it more than either the PRS-505 or Kindle 2.

2. Excellent ergonomics: The PRS-300 simply feels great in the hand: it has excellent balance, and a really comforting heft that reminds me of the way a solid paperback book just rest in your hand without the need to consciously grasp it, or constantly adjust it. This is a true improvement over both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2: Both of these devices were very, very light, which in consumer electronics is usually the Holy Grail of product design, but neither was particularly well-balanced and I was always conscious of having to exercise control of the device, especially when clicking the page-turn buttons. The Pocket Edition isn’t by any means heavy–it’s actually a lighter than both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2, at about 7.5 ounces–but the smaller form-factor, coupled with its superb balance, allows you to comfortably fade into your reading, without the physicality of the device intruding. While that kind of device transparency was a stated goal of the Kindle, I have to admit that I only rarely was able to read with the Kindle 2 without it intruding in some way (usually to re-balance it in my hand). The Pocket Edition has only one page-turn button–the large round navigation pad in the bottom-center–but the pad is in comfortable reach of your thumb while holding the Reader on the side. The button is firm without being obtrusively difficult to press (which was often a failing I noticed on both the PRS-505 and the Kindle 2). Of all the things that I enjoy about the Pocket Edition, its truly comfortable, unobtrusive physical design is probably the stand-out quality.

3. More durable design: The PRS-300 is, like the iPhone, or iPod Touch, or your laptop, a piece of consumer electronics that you simply don’t want to drop. Electronics are delicate (unless you spend ungodly amounts of money on Toughbooks and the like), and not tolerant of abuse. That said, the casing and design of the Pocket Edition is a very large step up from the PRS-505, which as I mentioned I managed to grievously injure with one (not very far) drop. I have “Whoops”-ed the Pocket Edition a couple of times, and was impressed that the more solid aluminum casing, coupled with the plastic end-caps and power slider, made it a great deal more resilient than its predecessor. In terms of durability, it’s probably about comparable to the Kindle 2; the Kindle 2, though, at least from Amazon’s marketing materials, does seem designed to “bounce back” from drops and falls that the Sony Reader was not made to withstand. In comparison with other ereaders on the market, the Pocket Edition is far sturdier, in terms of its heft, the resilient aluminum front buttons, and the (very) slightly elastic plastic end-caps.

4. Excellent screen image: The screen image of the Pocket Edition is crisp, clear, and CONSISTENTLY easy to read in both high- and medium-light conditions. The screen is non-glare, and there has been only one occasion (under somewhat harsh artificial light) when I needed to shift position slightly to remove a light-diffraction effect from the screen. The screen quality is comparable to the PRS-505, and considerably better than that of the Kindle 2. I’m somewhat puzzled by this, because there’s only one e-ink technology on the market right now, and the manufacturers of the screens all license the same process, with the same quality control parameters (the parameters are part of the license agreement), so I don’t really understand why the Kindle 2 screens seem to perform a notch or two below their competitors. I did read that Amazon made a decision to lighten the font image on the Kindle 2 (which owners of the Kindle 1 noted and complained about), so perhaps it’s simply a software issue. However, I finally decided to ditch the Kindle 2 when I noted the screen image literally fading away in direct sunlight (this issue has been commented on by a number of users, and Amazon will happily provide a replacement Kindle for units that experience this). The Sony Pocket Edition, though, has provided a much crisper screen image, with noticeably darker fonts, a whiter (lighter) screen background, almost no glare, and no funky fades, distortions, or other effects that inhibit reading. The clarity and comfort of reading the screen image is as good as (and sometimes better than) that of a physical book.

5. Very good on-device interface: The on-device interface of the PRS-300 is straight-forward, uncluttered, and relatively easy to navigate. Since the Pocket Edition (unlike the PRS-505, the Kindle 2, and the new Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition) does not include an MP3 player and image viewer, the Pocket Edition’s interface is strictly for book navigation and the better for it. It does take a click or two more than it “seems” like it should to access a book, or navigate to a specific goal, but I’ve decided that this expectation is formed largely from our use of personal computers (and iPod Touches/iPhones), which provide an instantaneous response (unlike e-ink) and the possibility for much more flexible menu designs (a virtue that the PRS-600 Touch Edition captures to some extent with its touch-screen). In comparison with the PRS-505, or the Kindle 2, the on-device interface of the Pocket Edition is at least as simple/easy to use, and perhaps slightly better, since it doesn’t have music, image, browser, text-to-speech, etc. options. The on-device interface is very good, and given the technology, it’s only the adoption of the touch-screen that will likely improve on it.

6. Acceptable Sony Library software: The Sony Library software has always reminded me of Apple iTunes: It’s slower than it should be, less intuitive than it could be, less flexible than its competition, and usually at least slightly frustrating. On the most basic level, as a tool for transferring content from your PC/Mac to the Reader, the Library software meets its goal; the software is, though, always slower than it “seems” like it should be. Like iTunes, it makes you wonder why it takes twice as long to transfer a file than it would through Windows Explorer/Mac Finder, and ask, “Why can’t a large consumer electronics company like Sony (and Apple) do better?” The Library’s short-comings are especially puzzling when you consider that there is a free software program, Calibre, designed by an ardent ebook enthusiast, that does more than the Sony Library, faster, more intuitively, less obtrusively, and without regularly freezing. I use the Sony Library for my Sony-purchased content, and Calibre for my personal content. If you have personal, non-DRM content, I can’t recommend Calibre highly enough (did I mention it’s free?); additionally, Calibre provides extensive, easy-to-use news media feeds, which it will painlessly transfer directly to your Reader, from both newspapers and news magazines. (If you do decide to use Calibre, please consider making a donation; it’s truly a masterful program that is continually up-dated and improved.) The Sony Library itself, however frustrating it can sometimes be, isn’t a reason to reject the PRS-300. The Library software does its job, and is reliable and improving. The local library finder is a great new feature, and one that–finally–has me using my local library for ebooks, rather than continually purchasing them. When I first read the press releases for the new Sony Readers, I discounted this feature, but quickly (as in the course of a weekend) realized that the ability to access library ebooks is a feature that I will frequently use.

It should be said that the Kindle 2, which foregoes a software interface with your PC/Mac in favor or an online library, truly enjoys an advantage over other ereaders; the Whispernet feature of the Kindle 2 (which was mimicked on the iPod Touch by the Touch’s WiFi access) is the only one that I vaguely miss. Of course, I don’t miss Amazon reaching into my Kindle and deleting MY content, from both my device and online library. As internet-based data storage expands in consumer electronics, I have really come to appreciate the advantages of having my personal content available to me off-line and distanced from vendors/service providers. When it comes down to it, I don’t have any need for book content always-on-demand, such as is offered by the Kindle; that’s a nice feature, but one that caters solely to an almost pathological consumerist tendency for instant gratification. I buy fewer books without that feature, and enjoy my books more (and persevere longer with books that don’t immediately engage me).

The Sony PRS-300 “Pocket Edition” is honestly one of perhaps only 2 or 3 consumer electronics purchases that I’ve ever made that make me sit back and say, “Wow, I’m really glad that I bought this.” The Pocket Edition is like one of those books that you begin reading, and after a few chapters pause, smile, and get the slight rush that comes from true enjoyment. As I mentioned, the iPod Touch was one of the very few devices that gave me similar enjoyment, but the eye strain that came from reading from an active LCD screen was simply not worth the convenience of the device’s form factor. I have, too, really begun to appreciate the slightly larger screen on the Pocket Edition, and enjoy the “muscle memory” experience of my eyes scanning across a screen that’s almost the same size as my favorite old paperback books.

Good for the “Everyreader” but Others Should Look Elsewhere.3
The Sony Ebook Reader Pocket edition is a very solid ebook reader for certain types of readers. At a much lesser cost than the kindle, I would strongly reccomend this reader for those who want an easy-to-use, no nonsense, bells, or whistles, ereader. If you are not planning on taking notes, highlighting passages, having a book read to you via text-to-voice, or store 1,000 books at a time, then why pay extra for a kindle 2 with those features when you can pay less for this solid machine?

But, alas, I am not that kind of reader. I do highlight, make “notes in the margins,” and - from time to time - want to turn my book into an audiobook (even if it does sound like a GPS).

Here’s the backstory. I am a kindle user who has become frustrated with several features of the kindle, nonetheleast of which are its lack of page numbers (making it hard to reference passages to others) and its proprietary nature (why can’t it handle PDF’s without a cumbersome conversion process?!). So, I bought a Sony Ebook Reader Pocket edition to play around with.

Immediately, I was struck by its compact design, with a 5” screen perfect for putting in one’s jacket pocket, briefcase, or carry-on bag. I was also VERY impressed with its readability; in my opinion, the resolution and text-to-screen contrast is actually better than the kindle (albeit only barely). It is easy to turn pages, jump from one page to another (this is much easier than on the kindle), and one has the option of text appearing vertically or horizontally on the screen.

Now, the downside: instead of five text sizes, there are only three (sometimes the choice is between just too smal and just too big). AND DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE CLAIM THAT THIS MACHINE HANDLES PDF FILES WELL; it doesn’t. Especially since there are only three text sizes, in order to display with formatting in tact, the text will be very tiny! One can only change text size on some PDF’s and even then the PDF formatting comes completely unglued. Nor can you search for a word that apears in the book like you can on the kindle. [EDIT (12/05/09): Since reviewing this product, kindle has now updated their kindle 2 to accept pdf files. From what I remember about the Sony Pocket, the kindle’s new ability to handle pdfs does a better job displaying them than the Pocket.]

And here are the reasons that I personally could not see this device as a worthy kindle replacement: first, one cannot highlight or make notes in the margins. This is crucial for me, as I am a PhD student who often reads research articles on my ereader. One can bookmark pages, but not make any notes or highlights in the text. Also, to be honest, the software the Sony Ereader works with (ebook library) is quite clumsy. I had it for less than a week, and it crapped out on my twice, and since there is no wireless compatibility, when the software doesn’t work, no new books can be downloaded. Lastly, the book selection isn’t there yet. Every single book that was available for the Sony was available and cheaper on the kindle.

As an aside, I was also looking forward to the Sony Ereader’s ability to download any google book (that is in the public domain) for free. While this was something alleged to be exclusive to the Sony Ereader, it is not. While I cannot get into specifics, there exists freeware online that will allow the kindle to accept public domained google books. (And most are available free via other websites, anyhow.) If this is a selling point for you, rethink.

But, for many readers who don’t need to “write in margins,” highlight, or search a book for words that appear in it, this ereader is every bit as solid in performance as the kindle, costs quite a bit less and is more affordable. (Some even say it is every bit as stylish, but that is a matter of taste.) I can fully see most everyday book readers willing to trade bells and whistles for affordability happily using the Sony Ereader Pocket edition.

But for those who want more advanced features, this ereader doesn’t have them.

A good reader4
Pros: The unit is slightly smaller then a standard paperback and slimmer, so it fits inside a jacket or coat pocket nicely. The unit is light and the screen is easy to read in bright light. It handles the .lrf, .epub and .pdf files

Cons: The page turn button placement is located in the center at the bottom, which makes it awkward to hold and turn the page. The unit ships with a slip cover rather then a book style cover, so you will not be able to use a clip on book light unless you purchase the book style cover from Sony. Also the unit does not ship with a plug in charger, just the USB adapter, so you will have to plug the unit in to your computer to charge it. It does not have an external memory slot for add on memory storage.

Overall, the Sony PRS-300 Pocket Edition Reader is nice and worth the price, even with the cons listed above, the unit does the job, and if you are a person on the go that needs a small compact reader, this one it worth the price.
It is small and easy to use and you can import your own documents with simple ease using either the Sony Reader software or using the opensource software Calibre.

Green 30mw Laser Pointer Pen Style Star Holographic Projector and Laser Pointer-Dual Action Lowest Price!

Jeudi, septembre 30th, 2010

Green 30mw Laser Pointer Pen Style Star Holographic Projector and Laser Pointer-Dual Action

Green 30mw Laser Pointer Pen Style Star Holographic Projector and Laser Pointer-Dual Action Lowest Price!

Compare & Purchase Green 30mw Laser Pointer Pen Style Star Holographic Projector and Laser Pointer-Dual Action at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $169.99

Amazon Price: $13.80

Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Green 30mw Laser Pointer Pen Style Star Holographic Projector and Laser Pointer-Dual Action Description:

You have never seen anything like this …30mw Dual Action Pen Style Green Laser Pointer and Star Pattern Holographic Projector. This is the most exciting green laser pointer and star projector. We can’t describe in words how cool and fun this is. You will be the hit of the party with this star presenter, it creates hundreds of stars with a push of the button. You can adjust the size and shape of the stars by turning the adjustable knob. If you need to use it as a standard green laser pointer simply unscrew the tip and you are set to point out your object in the sky! This is a true 30mw green laser diode so it has a 8 mile range! You have to own this laser. It will not disappoint you! Comes with all you need including batteries and the storage case.* Create a laser party with stars and shapes with a push of a button!* Easy to use and fun to have anytime anywhere!* Comes with Metal carrying case, Two AAA batteries and a 90 day warranty* Stars can be seen mid air at night or in any dark room* This is the newest and greatest laser out there, also can be used as regular laser pointer with a simple twist of the cap!Size: 6.5″ long x 1/2″ wide

  • Brand: Generic
  • Model: PSLS1000

Features

  • Create a laser party with stars and shapes with a push of a button!
  • Easy to use and fun to have anytime anywhere!
  • Comes with Metal carrying case, Two AAA batteries and a 90 day warranty
  • Stars can be seen mid air at night or in any dark room
  • This is the newest and greatest laser out there, also can be used as regular laser pointer!

Customer Reviews:

30mw Holographic projector?4
Outstanding device. It simply fires a 30mw green laser through a kaleidoscope-like prism pattern, and then you rotate the tip and it resembles little explosions of light, (on a ceiling or wall or projector screen, etc.). They emanate from a kind of main pattern. Very cool. I certainly recommend this device but I also recommend that you install brand new lithium batteries instead of the batteries that are supplied with the light. I own 3 different power-level green lasers, (a 20mw, 30mw, and 50mw), and have received far better results with the lithium batteries right from the start.
The light is well made, (certainly for the money), as is the case it comes in. They also supply a microfiber cloth and instructions, (I am truly amazed at what I got for the price I paid, very reasonable). DO NOT POINT THIS AT YOUR PET’S EYES, let alone anyone else’s. It can and will do damage. I have 2 cats that love to play with the ’scampering red light’, (my safer red laser). So if that’s what you want to do, please use a red laser. They’re `a dime a dozen’ and you can find them anywhere. Walmarts, Office Depot’s, etc. Even the reflected intensity of the green lasers are too strong to look at for any duration and your pet, (particularly cats), will focus their full attention on that green point of light on the carpet or floor regardless of how bright or uncomfortable it is . This will permanently damage their vision. Please be responsible with it. This is NOT A CHILDS TOY.

It’s like a rave is in my hand, and everybody’s invited!5
This thing is pretty awesome, yes! Way more power than a 5mw, but way more illegal, as well.

Solid product, good value, no complaints5
I was a little nervous buying this laser because of some of the negative reviews, but the low cost convinced me. I’ll summarize below.

1) Craftsmanship is good. The barrel is rubberized for a good grip. The fittings are solid and well made.
2) The laser is kind of large and heavy. I prefer it that way, but don’t expect a dainty, pen-sized pointer.
3) The beam is very bright. It may be too bright to use as a pointer. There is probably a reason why >5 mw lasers aren’t sold as pointers. It is much brighter than my old 5 mw laser.
4) The prism attachment is more fun than I would have guessed. I didn’t care about the prism, since I bought the laser as a high-power pointer. I had fun anyway.
5) You can see the beam, even indoors with the lights on.

It’s a fun toy, but if you want to use it for presentations and such, I’d suggest a 5 mw laser instead. If you want to point out objects outdoors or on a Factory floor, it will work very well.

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6 Sale-$36.05!

Mercredi, septembre 29th, 2010

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6 Sale-$36.05!

Compare & Purchase Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6 at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $42.99

Amazon Price: $36.05

Click Here To Purchase At Amazon!

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6 Description:

Fully Compatible with SDA 2.0 specification. Suitable for SDHC compliant devices, MLC flash chip with High Speed transfer rate. Perfect for highend digital devices.

  • Size: 16 GB
  • Color: blue
  • Brand: Transcend
  • Model: TS16GSDHC6
  • Format: CD
  • Dimensions: 1.00″ h x 3.20″ w x 5.10″ l, .11 pounds
  • Memory: 16034MB
  • Hard Disk: 16GB

Features

  • Sold Individually

Customer Reviews:

Great affordable SDHC card5
In the past, I bought a Transcend 8GB SDHC card for my Canon SD1000 camera. I recently bought the Transcend 16GB SDHC for my new Canon SX20IS. Both cards work very well and I’ve had no problems with it so far. I wanted to take this opportunity to update my review since my original review was also posted (by Amazon) for the 16GB card. This is because the only difference between these two cards is the different capacity. So, if you’re in the market for an affordable high quality SDHC card, this may be the one for you. Sorry, I kind of sounded like a used car salesman right there, didn’t I? I assure you that I don’t work for Transcend. But, here’s why I think this card is awesome:

Pros:

-Affordable!

-Large capacity

-Class 6 read/write speed (which is very fast… but is no longer the fastest class available)

-Lifetime warranty (at least that’s what the package says :)

-Transcend is a reputable company that’s been making memory products for a very long time. ( I swear to the tech Gods that I don’t work for them!) Other reputable and reliable memory card companies include Kingston and PNY. All three of these companies have been making memory chips for many, many years.

Cons:

- I can’t think of any right now. The closest thing to a “Con” that I can think of is that if you buy this card now, it will definitely become cheaper in the near future :)

IMPORTANT SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT SDHC MEMORY CARDS:

-SDHC cards are not compatible with most older SD cameras, SD devices, or SD card readers.

-SDHC cards are rated by speed using different “classes”. There are currently 4 data transfer speed classes available for SDHC cards. These classes are “class 2, class 4, and class 6, and the new class 10. For example, “Class 2″ would have the slowest read/write speed while “Class 6″ has the fastest read/write speed. So if you have a device in which speed may play a crucial role, make sure you buy a higher “class” SDHC card. Please note that this SDHC card no longer has the fastest read/write speed available. There is now a new class, called “Class 10″. Class 6 has a minimum read/write speed of 6mb/sec… while Class 2 has minimum speed rating of 2mb/sec, and Class 4 is 4mb/sec. Starting to see the pattern?

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SD CARDS” AND “SDHC CARDS?

SDHC is basically an upgrade to the older SD cards. The reason they upgraded it was to achieve greater data transfer speeds AND capacity than previously possible with normal SD cards… and to do this, they had to redesign the card (which is why it’s not compatible with normal SD devices). This was necessary because digital cameras and digital video cameras these days have higher resolutions, which equate to larger file sizes and faster data transfer needs.

Now that many digital cameras also can record HD video, you may consider getting a larger capacity card because video takes much more space than photos. The size of the video varies from camera to camera depending on what resolution and video compression the camera uses. If you plan on taking lots of video (especially HD video), I would consider getting at least a 16GB card. Check your camera specifications to see how many minutes per Gig of memory your camera can capture …to gauge how big of a memory card you’ll want to get to meet your needs.

Special Note on regular SD Cards:
If you primarily take casual photos and don’t need a exceptionally fast read/write capable card, you should know that newer cameras that take “SDHC” cards will also work with older normal “SD” cards. These older cards are cheaper than the new SDHC cards, so this may be something to consider. So the sum things up, newer cameras will take SDHC and regular SD cards, but older cameras that use SD cards may not be able to use SDHC cards. This is because newer technology is usually made to be compatible with older technology… but older technology may not have the hardware necessary to run newer tech.

I hope I haven’t confused everybody by going into this much detail, but I can’t help being the nerd that I am. If you are confused, don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will try my best to answer your questions. Also, any feedback is always welcome!

Conclusion: Buy the card if you have a new device that uses SDHC. It rocks! (This message has been approved by the “Duke of New Mexico”)

Transcend 4 GB Class 6 SDHC Card - Good Card for SDHC Compatible Devices4
UPDATE - March 2, 2010: This review was originally written for the 4 GB class 6 SDHC card, but the reviews have been grouped for all class 6 SDHC cards in the 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB sizes. All the cards should perform similarly since they are all class 6 and all made by Transcend. However, I will have to check which cards I have used hands on. I believe I only own the 4GB and 8GB cards. I will update the review further. If you have concerns regarding the 16GB or 32GB sizes, you should seek out the reviews tagged with the product links from those cards.

The Transcend 4GB SDHC CARD (Class 6) is a great card for the price. I was at first a little skeptical about the brand, but I buy way too many memory cards to ignore a good price when I see one. And I’m happy to report that I’ve experienced decent performance and reliability issues with this card. That’s as compared to other cards I own including SanDisk, PNY and Kingston.

As long as your devices are compatible with the SDHC format, this card is a good buy. 4 GB is a nice size though I do prefer 8 GB capacity for high capacity storage.

The class 6 speed is the fastest speed available in mass market SDHC cards. Class 6 guarantees minimum transfer speeds of 6 MBs, but I’ve gotten speeds up to 20Mbs! That makes this card perfect for storing pictures in RAW image formats.

The Class 6 speed is on par with the Sandisk Extreme III cards that on average are about $15 to $20 more per card. If you don’t have an SDHC reader, you may opt to get the package with a reader included to download your pics. If not you can just transfer your pics directly from your camera with your card still inserted. An SDHC card reader can be bought separately if your PC doesn’t have a compatible slot.

General SDHC and SD Card Tips

There are a few tips that I’ve learned the hard way through buying TOO MANY different memory cards.
1. Make sure your device is compatible with the card! Even in regular SD cards, some older electronics aren’t compatible with that large of a size (2 GB). In terms of SDHC cards, make sure your camera or other device is SDHC compatible. SDHC is different from regular SD and only newer devices tend to have built-in compatibility
2. Once you install this in your camera or device, you will generally want to format the card with your compatible device’s interface. That is because the standard formats for certain devices, particularly Canon, are different from the factory installed format
3. Just like your devices, most computer SD card readers are not compatible with the SDHC format. So use a card reader or download the pictures via USB connection to the camera with the card still installed.
4. For some reason, placing the card in the locked position allows some older laptops to still read it. This is just to be used in a pinch however, and it won’t apply to all systems
5. If you did not properly format your card, you may be able to save things to it and then have them “disappear.” If this happens to you, make sure you use the software recovery tools BEFORE you try to save anything else to your card. That way, you can retrieve your images without over-writing them.
6. Make sure you know what you are going to use this card for. Once you have set up everything and ensured it’s all compatible, you still have to decide on speed. If you are using this for storing RAW images instead of JPEGs or HD video, step up to the faster class 6 speed format if you can afford it.
7. If you are going to pay more for a faster speed, make sure your device can benefit from it. I’ve read, for example, that Kodak cameras are set to a fixed voltage and cannot go faster than standard speed. So the extra cash spent on Class 4, 5, or 6 is basically wasted.

Conclusion

It’s great to have several extra cards on hand just in case. This 4 GB card is a nice performer. If you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card is worth it. Or you may want to step up to the larger 16 GB size that is now available.

Enjoy!

Transcend 32 GB SDHC Review4
Before you drop 120~$ for a SD card ask yourself, Do you really need 32GB card? because the card itself with same specs costs only 35$ for the 16GB version, anyway here is info that might help you

Pros :
1- Class 6 Card the(guaranteed minimum Read/write speed of 6MB/s)
2- My Test Results 18.2-18.5MB/S Read - 11.6-11.8 Write (very stable)
3- Faster than average cards and almost close to top speed SDHC cards
4- 32GB in a single small chip is awesome(You can use it as a portable HD once in a while, i share some stuff with my friends with it sometimes

Cons :
1- Expensive
2- You can get two 16GB cards for around only 70$ and save yourself 50$~
3- Slow write speeds for a 32GB card (Takes forever to fill it with DATA from PC, its not the card fault though , its just the SDHC technology is getting old and slow for 2009 standards , time for newer Tech)

* Important Info

Avoid the Sandisk Ultra Series they never reach the true marketed speed “15MB-20MB/S” its just in theory speed like how everybody knows that USB2 is much slower than its specs, and they are only Class 2 for the 32GB version which will drop frames from your HD video (Plus Class 4 is minimum requirement for shooting in HD ) if you plan to get San disk Card then get the Extreme III Series (but again from my own Tests there read speed is about 20MB not 30MB and the write speed is 14MB/s~ instead of the transcend 11MB/s write speed (Unless you spam shooting pictures with your DSLR you don’t “need” faster speed)

I bought This card because i plan to take videos with my HD camcorder that last more 2 Hours, if you do not plan to shoot for longtime then you are better with getting the 16GB card HOWEVER, if you are lazy like my mom and do not plan to transfer DATA from the card to Your computer HD after every trip, then get the 32GB card.or you gonna end up on a trip and a message pops “No memory”

If you plan to shoot for longer time, check your camcorder battery too does it even last that long? so be sure about that before you drop over 100$ for this card

From the Manufacturer


size

Approximately the size of a postage stamp, SDHC cards offer greater capacity than standard SD cards while maintaining the same form factor.

SDHC Class 6 cards offer more capacity and faster transfer rates.

Display thousands of high quality photos on SDHC enabled digital photo frames.

Ideal for expanding storage capabilities of netbooks and mini laptops with SDHC slots.

Store More Photos
With most point and shoot digital cameras quickly climbing the megapixel ladder, 6,8, and even 10 megapixel ratings are beginning to be commonplace. With Transcend SDHC cards, you can keep up with the larger files these high resolution cameras produce. With 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities, you can store more photos without having to delete old photos on the card before you have the chance to save them to a PC or print them out.

Store More of Everything
The larger capacities of SDHC cards make them more versatile than ever. Use them in all your mobile devices that support the SDHC standard. All that is required is an SDHC compatible slot or reader. SDHC is an extension of the original SD standard that enables capacities greater than 2 GB. It uses the same physical form factor as SD, but SDHC cards only work in SDHC compatible devices. Standard SD cards work in both SD and SDHC devices (backward compatible).

Enjoy Faster Transfer Speeds
Basic SD cards transfer data up to six times (6x) the data rate of the standard CD-ROM speed (900 kB/s). Transcend SDHC class 6 cards offer a minimum of 6 MB/s write speeds under the most demanding storage conditions. Some cameras require a high speed card to be able to record video smoothly or capture multiple still photographs in rapid succession. Check your device for maximum compatibility for your intended usage patterns.

Features

  • Fully compatible with SD 2.0 Standards
  • SDHC Class 6 compliant
  • Compatible with all SDHC-labeled host devices (not compatible with standard SD)
  • Easy to use, plug-and-play operation
  • Built-in Error Correcting Code (ECC) to detect and correct transfer errors
  • Complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) portable device requirements
  • Supports Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM)
  • Allows In System Programming (ISP) for updating firmware
  • Supports auto-standby, power-off and sleep modes
  • Mechanical write-protection switch
  • RoHS compliant
  • Lifetime Warranty


Ensure Your Device is SDHC Compatible

SDHC devices can use both older SD cards and SDHC (high capacity) cards. However older cameras and other devices that were released before the SDHC standard may not support the new SDHC cards. Please check your device documentation to verify compatibility before purchase. If your device is fairly new or states support for 4 GB or greater SD cards, then you already have SDHC support.

Digital Camera Storage Capacity Table
Memory cards should be purchased according to how high the resolution or DPI (dots per inch) of your digital camera is (i.e. how many megapixels it has), and how many pictures you plan on taking at a time. Transcend has provided the following graph to assist you in buying an appropriate capacity card for your camera:

Storage Capacity Camera Type / Approximate Number of Pictures
2 MP 3 MP 4 MP 5 MP 6 MP 8 MP 10 MP
8 GB 9100 6824 4096 3276 2560 2096 1632
16 GB 18200 13648 8192 6552 5120 4192 3264

*The “File size” represented here assumes that the highest resolution (DPI) your camera supports is used and that pictures are stored in standard JPEG format. The actual number of pictures you can take will vary depending on your digital camera’s resolution and compression settings, composition (complexity) of the images taken, as well as lighting and exposure factors.

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Sale-$37.72!

Mercredi, septembre 29th, 2010

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging

Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Sale-$37.72!

Compare & Purchase Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $49.99

Amazon Price: $37.72

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Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging Description:

Fully Compatible with SDA 2.0 specification. Suitable for SDHC compliant devices, MLC flash chip with High Speed transfer rate. Perfect for high-end digital devices. Please make sure your device can support SDHC format before you purchase. SDHC host devices can use both SD and SDHC memory cards.

  • Size: 16 GB
  • Brand: Transcend
  • Model: TS16GSDHC6E
  • Dimensions: .31″ h x 1.69″ w x 2.05″ l,

Features

  • Ships in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging
  • Storage Capacity - 16 GB
  • Technology - Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC)
  • Compatible with all SDHC-labeled host devices (not compatible with standard SD)
  • Manufacturer Warranty - 2 Years

Customer Reviews:

Great affordable SDHC card5
In the past, I bought a Transcend 8GB SDHC card for my Canon SD1000 camera. I recently bought the Transcend 16GB SDHC for my new Canon SX20IS. Both cards work very well and I’ve had no problems with it so far. I wanted to take this opportunity to update my review since my original review was also posted (by Amazon) for the 16GB card. This is because the only difference between these two cards is the different capacity. So, if you’re in the market for an affordable high quality SDHC card, this may be the one for you. Sorry, I kind of sounded like a used car salesman right there, didn’t I? I assure you that I don’t work for Transcend. But, here’s why I think this card is awesome:

Pros:

-Affordable!

-Large capacity

-Class 6 read/write speed (which is very fast… but is no longer the fastest class available)

-Lifetime warranty (at least that’s what the package says :)

-Transcend is a reputable company that’s been making memory products for a very long time. ( I swear to the tech Gods that I don’t work for them!) Other reputable and reliable memory card companies include Kingston and PNY. All three of these companies have been making memory chips for many, many years.

Cons:

- I can’t think of any right now. The closest thing to a “Con” that I can think of is that if you buy this card now, it will definitely become cheaper in the near future :)

IMPORTANT SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT SDHC MEMORY CARDS:

-SDHC cards are not compatible with most older SD cameras, SD devices, or SD card readers.

-SDHC cards are rated by speed using different “classes”. There are currently 4 data transfer speed classes available for SDHC cards. These classes are “class 2, class 4, and class 6, and the new class 10. For example, “Class 2″ would have the slowest read/write speed while “Class 6″ has the fastest read/write speed. So if you have a device in which speed may play a crucial role, make sure you buy a higher “class” SDHC card. Please note that this SDHC card no longer has the fastest read/write speed available. There is now a new class, called “Class 10″. Class 6 has a minimum read/write speed of 6mb/sec… while Class 2 has minimum speed rating of 2mb/sec, and Class 4 is 4mb/sec. Starting to see the pattern?

SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “SD CARDS” AND “SDHC CARDS?

SDHC is basically an upgrade to the older SD cards. The reason they upgraded it was to achieve greater data transfer speeds AND capacity than previously possible with normal SD cards… and to do this, they had to redesign the card (which is why it’s not compatible with normal SD devices). This was necessary because digital cameras and digital video cameras these days have higher resolutions, which equate to larger file sizes and faster data transfer needs.

Now that many digital cameras also can record HD video, you may consider getting a larger capacity card because video takes much more space than photos. The size of the video varies from camera to camera depending on what resolution and video compression the camera uses. If you plan on taking lots of video (especially HD video), I would consider getting at least a 16GB card. Check your camera specifications to see how many minutes per Gig of memory your camera can capture …to gauge how big of a memory card you’ll want to get to meet your needs.

Special Note on regular SD Cards:
If you primarily take casual photos and don’t need a exceptionally fast read/write capable card, you should know that newer cameras that take “SDHC” cards will also work with older normal “SD” cards. These older cards are cheaper than the new SDHC cards, so this may be something to consider. So the sum things up, newer cameras will take SDHC and regular SD cards, but older cameras that use SD cards may not be able to use SDHC cards. This is because newer technology is usually made to be compatible with older technology… but older technology may not have the hardware necessary to run newer tech.

I hope I haven’t confused everybody by going into this much detail, but I can’t help being the nerd that I am. If you are confused, don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will try my best to answer your questions. Also, any feedback is always welcome!

Conclusion: Buy the card if you have a new device that uses SDHC. It rocks! (This message has been approved by the “Duke of New Mexico”)

Transcend 4 GB Class 6 SDHC Card - Good Card for SDHC Compatible Devices4
UPDATE - March 2, 2010: This review was originally written for the 4 GB class 6 SDHC card, but the reviews have been grouped for all class 6 SDHC cards in the 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB sizes. All the cards should perform similarly since they are all class 6 and all made by Transcend. However, I will have to check which cards I have used hands on. I believe I only own the 4GB and 8GB cards. I will update the review further. If you have concerns regarding the 16GB or 32GB sizes, you should seek out the reviews tagged with the product links from those cards.

The Transcend 4GB SDHC CARD (Class 6) is a great card for the price. I was at first a little skeptical about the brand, but I buy way too many memory cards to ignore a good price when I see one. And I’m happy to report that I’ve experienced decent performance and reliability issues with this card. That’s as compared to other cards I own including SanDisk, PNY and Kingston.

As long as your devices are compatible with the SDHC format, this card is a good buy. 4 GB is a nice size though I do prefer 8 GB capacity for high capacity storage.

The class 6 speed is the fastest speed available in mass market SDHC cards. Class 6 guarantees minimum transfer speeds of 6 MBs, but I’ve gotten speeds up to 20Mbs! That makes this card perfect for storing pictures in RAW image formats.

The Class 6 speed is on par with the Sandisk Extreme III cards that on average are about $15 to $20 more per card. If you don’t have an SDHC reader, you may opt to get the package with a reader included to download your pics. If not you can just transfer your pics directly from your camera with your card still inserted. An SDHC card reader can be bought separately if your PC doesn’t have a compatible slot.

General SDHC and SD Card Tips

There are a few tips that I’ve learned the hard way through buying TOO MANY different memory cards.
1. Make sure your device is compatible with the card! Even in regular SD cards, some older electronics aren’t compatible with that large of a size (2 GB). In terms of SDHC cards, make sure your camera or other device is SDHC compatible. SDHC is different from regular SD and only newer devices tend to have built-in compatibility
2. Once you install this in your camera or device, you will generally want to format the card with your compatible device’s interface. That is because the standard formats for certain devices, particularly Canon, are different from the factory installed format
3. Just like your devices, most computer SD card readers are not compatible with the SDHC format. So use a card reader or download the pictures via USB connection to the camera with the card still installed.
4. For some reason, placing the card in the locked position allows some older laptops to still read it. This is just to be used in a pinch however, and it won’t apply to all systems
5. If you did not properly format your card, you may be able to save things to it and then have them “disappear.” If this happens to you, make sure you use the software recovery tools BEFORE you try to save anything else to your card. That way, you can retrieve your images without over-writing them.
6. Make sure you know what you are going to use this card for. Once you have set up everything and ensured it’s all compatible, you still have to decide on speed. If you are using this for storing RAW images instead of JPEGs or HD video, step up to the faster class 6 speed format if you can afford it.
7. If you are going to pay more for a faster speed, make sure your device can benefit from it. I’ve read, for example, that Kodak cameras are set to a fixed voltage and cannot go faster than standard speed. So the extra cash spent on Class 4, 5, or 6 is basically wasted.

Conclusion

It’s great to have several extra cards on hand just in case. This 4 GB card is a nice performer. If you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card is worth it. Or you may want to step up to the larger 16 GB size that is now available.

Enjoy!

Transcend 32 GB SDHC Review4
Before you drop 120~$ for a SD card ask yourself, Do you really need 32GB card? because the card itself with same specs costs only 35$ for the 16GB version, anyway here is info that might help you

Pros :
1- Class 6 Card the(guaranteed minimum Read/write speed of 6MB/s)
2- My Test Results 18.2-18.5MB/S Read - 11.6-11.8 Write (very stable)
3- Faster than average cards and almost close to top speed SDHC cards
4- 32GB in a single small chip is awesome(You can use it as a portable HD once in a while, i share some stuff with my friends with it sometimes

Cons :
1- Expensive
2- You can get two 16GB cards for around only 70$ and save yourself 50$~
3- Slow write speeds for a 32GB card (Takes forever to fill it with DATA from PC, its not the card fault though , its just the SDHC technology is getting old and slow for 2009 standards , time for newer Tech)

* Important Info

Avoid the Sandisk Ultra Series they never reach the true marketed speed “15MB-20MB/S” its just in theory speed like how everybody knows that USB2 is much slower than its specs, and they are only Class 2 for the 32GB version which will drop frames from your HD video (Plus Class 4 is minimum requirement for shooting in HD ) if you plan to get San disk Card then get the Extreme III Series (but again from my own Tests there read speed is about 20MB not 30MB and the write speed is 14MB/s~ instead of the transcend 11MB/s write speed (Unless you spam shooting pictures with your DSLR you don’t “need” faster speed)

I bought This card because i plan to take videos with my HD camcorder that last more 2 Hours, if you do not plan to shoot for longtime then you are better with getting the 16GB card HOWEVER, if you are lazy like my mom and do not plan to transfer DATA from the card to Your computer HD after every trip, then get the 32GB card.or you gonna end up on a trip and a message pops “No memory”

If you plan to shoot for longer time, check your camcorder battery too does it even last that long? so be sure about that before you drop over 100$ for this card

Amazon.com Product Description
Transcend and Amazon.com have teamed up to offer this item in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, a recyclable, easy-to-open alternative to traditional packaging. A Frustration-Free Package comes without excess packaging materials such as wire ties, hard plastic “clamshell” casings, and plastic bindings. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging. This item ships in its own box, without the need for an additional shipping box, and Amazon.com is continuing to work with manufacturers to make the packaging even more streamlined.

Example of Traditional vs. Frustration-Free Packaging Debris

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST3500418AS Lowest Price!

Mardi, septembre 28th, 2010

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST3500418AS. Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST3500418AS

Product: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST3500418AS Lowest Price!

List Price: $76.99

Amazon Price: $54.99
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Compare Prices on Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500 GB SATA 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST3500418AS

The Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 drive delivers excellent power savings without sacrificing performance, giving customers the ability to manufacture eco-friendly PC systems and external storage systems that meet energysavings requirements. The drive combines proven technology with expert manufacturing to deliver up to 1 TB of desktop storage. With the Barracuda 7200.12 drive, our customers can have the best of both worlds—top hard-drive performance and a high-capacity drive with a very small eco-footprint. Seagate is committed to Minimizing the impact of our products and operations on the environment. We have implemented production efficiency measures, such as replacing or renovating less-efficient equipment, resulting in a 20 percent increase in production efficiency on a per-hard-drive basis. In just six months this delivered a savings of 158.93 million kWh, or enough energy to power nearly 15,000 U.S. homes for one year. Seagate also has deployed aggressive waste minimization and recycling programs in facilities worldwide. The Barracuda product family complies with the Restriction of Hazardous Substance (RoHS) directive that limits the use of hazardous materials in electronic goods.

  • Size: 500 GB
  • Brand: Seagate
  • Model: ST3500418AS
  • Dimensions: 1.02″ h x 4.00″ w x 5.78″ l, 1.40 pounds
  • Hard Disk: 500GB

Features

  • Spindle Speed is 7,200 RPM
  • Delivers 500 GB capacity, 16 MB Cache
  • Interface option is SATA 3Gb/s NCQ
  • Ships with the industry most reliable and proven perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology
  • Best-in-class rotational vibration tolerance ensures unrivalled performance in high spindle-density applications.

Works fine after applying firmware update1
Update: I wrote this review before a firmware update was made available and my comments reflect the situation at the time. When the updates were made available, I flashed my 5 drives and they’ve been working fine ever since. I’d change the rating to a 4 star if the editor allowed.

I and many others have been experiencing serious problems with these drives including:

* dropping out of RAID configurations for no apparent reason
* being ejected from a RAID configuration due to read / write errors
* freezing for up to 30 seconds

These problems have been reported on Linux, Vista, XP, and OS X and appear to be related to how the drives flush their write cache. In many cases, the drives work fine for days or weeks before problems appear. In my case, I bought five of these for my Qnap TS-509 Pro and they worked great for about two weeks under various read / write loads. Since then, I’ve had all three of the problems mentioned above on different drives and they are growing progressively worse. The latest problem was three of the five drives disappearing from the RAID5 volume while I was attempting to copy the files to a different NAS.

A work-around that has been successful for some is to disable the disk write cache. Other than the obvious performance penalty and reduced lifespan this causes, some systems do not provide a means of disabling disk write cache (such as the Qnap).

References to these problems can be found on many forum threads:

Qnap: http://forum.qnap.com/viewtopic.php?f=142&t=8826
Netgear: http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20435&start=60&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
Synology: http://www.synology.com/enu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&p=47101
AVSForum: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1080005
macrumors: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=571843
Ubuntu: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=933053
Slashdot: http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1003109&cid=25458241
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/B00066IJPQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

The most informative thread may be found on Seagate’s own support forum, where it appears Seagate is blaming everyone but themselves for the problem:

http://forums.seagate.com/stx/board/message?board.id=ata_drives&thread.id=2390&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

I believe problems are resolved !5
NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED:
I’ve watched the issue with these drives carefully for about 2 months. It looks like Seagate solved the problem and that a vocal few were ever really affected. By few I mean relative to the thousands sold. And I am not defending Seagate. This whole fiasco was unacceptable.

MY SYSTEM:
I picked up 8 of these drives. I’m running them in 4 separate DLink DNS-321 RAID boxes. I’ve copied about 4TB of data back and forth across them for days. My only firmware update needed was for the DLink so that it could properly handle the new 1.5TB drives.

In the end I believe all is well with both the drives and the DLink DNS-321. I will of course update this review immediately if I see any problems.

PERFORMANCE:
We are able to watch movies from this drive arrangement on 3 computers simultaneously across a 100mb network from the same drive while adding new files to the drive from a 4th computer.

This means I can be adding movies unattended to the system while watching an Epic Man movie on the plasma in the living room… while the kids are watching Monsters Inc in the bedroom… and the wife is off watching some chic flick in the Den. :)

The combination of DLink and these 1.5TB drives is fantastic and seems as stable as the WD 1TBs I was using previously.

PROPER DIAGNOSIS:
Don’t confuse your drive DIEING after a week with the previous firmware problems of this particular drive. Blame the vendor that shipped the drive like it could bounce !

ON A SIDE NOTE:
I will say I am sick of Amazon, Tiger and other vendors shipping hard drives like they are indestructible ROCKS. Even if they arrive working, this inadequate packaging is certainly taking years off the life of our drives. One of my 8 arrived DEAD as a brick thanks to this nonsense. I am furious about this issue !

Will it take a class action to stop this behavior of guaranteeing future drive sales by damaging todays drives through deliberate mishandling of our purchases ?! Wake up AMAZON ! Wake up TIGER !

UPDATE: Dec 14 2009
One year later, I own 22 of these drives now. 12 are running daily in DNS-321 Raid boxes. The other 10 are used as back up drives in a drop in SATA adapter. No failures since 2 in the first few weeks, I believe due to poor packaging. About 6 of my drives came with the BAD firmware. I never had issues with that either. Call me blessed. I just think the DNS-321 and these drives work very well together.

Horrible freezeup problems, no solution for Mac OS X owners1
This hard drive has a well-documented problem with freezing up, sometimes locking up your entire system. There’s a firmware fix available–ONLY IF YOU BOOT INTO DOS. If you run Linux or Mac OS X, you’re out of luck.

Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module Discount.

Mardi, septembre 28th, 2010

Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module

Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module Discount.

Compare & Purchase Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $45.99

Amazon Price: $27.99

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Crucial / 1GB / 240-pin DIMM / DDR2 PC2-5300 memory module Description:

Every day, you rely on your computer to make your life easier. A Crucial DRAM upgrade can help your system run faster, and it’s one of the easiest, most affordable ways to improve system performance. Reap the benefits doing everything from everyday system tasks to mission-critical applications. For over 12 years, Crucial has been recognized as a leader in DRAM upgrades. Our products help people achieve greater system performance through improved productivity, reliability, and speed. As part of one of the world’s largest DRAM manufacturers—Micron Technology—our long tenure of engineering and manufacturing expertise allow us to build high-quality, system-specific memory solutions for customers. We back our products by guaranteeing system compatibility, limited lifetime warranties, and outstanding service and support. At Crucial, we’re the Memory Experts.

  • Brand: Crucial
  • Model: CT12864AA667
  • Dimensions: 1.25″ h x .13″ w x 5.25″ l, .7 pounds

Features

  • 1GB DDR2 PC2-5300, 240-pin DIMM memory module / Model no. CT12864AA667
  • DDR2 PC2-5300, CL=5, Unbuffered, NON-ECC, DDR2-667, 1.8V, 128Meg x 64

Customer Reviews:

Good RAM, lifetime warranty5
What’s not to like? Crucial RAM is good stuff and you can depend on it. If you’re not sure exactly what is the right ram for your computer, check out the crucial ram web site. They make it easy. Keep your receipt, they do offer a lifetime warranty!

Easy Improvement5
Very nice. I replaced the 2 256MB cards I had in my Dell Dimension E310 with 2 of these 1 GB modules and have noticed a great difference.

It used to take several seconds for sub-menus to open on the Start menu, now they open immediately. The whole system feels smoother and cleaner. I wish I had done this upgrade sooner.

Installing them was easy. Someone wrote it took incredible pressure to snap them in.
I suppose it took some extra pressure, but it wasn’t a big deal. Using both hands to grasp the card by its sides, I dropped the card in place. The first ’snap’ seated it in the slot, but wasn’t enough to lock the clips. I positioned myself directly over the top of the card, using my thumb I applied downward pressure on one end, then the other. Click,click both ends were secured by the clips and the memory was recognized on the first try.

Highly recommend this RAM, especially if windows and menus are sluggish.

a must for HP Slimline PC’s4
I bought one of these when I first upgraded my HP Slimline PC last year ‘08. It was very expensive back then ($40+), maybe I got took by HP. Nowadays, purchasing one of these is a lot cheaper than I expected. My HP Slimline came with a factory RAM of 1.0 GB but in overall of .5 GB (due to installed programs used), the PC was a bit slow when I stored some pictures, videos & games. I decided to upgrade & purchase one of these Crucial 1GB’s & installed it myself. It went well with a 1.5 GB overall & My PC ran a better performance on a DSL. Now, currently it has 2.0 GB when I purchased another 1GB here in amazon with a very low price tag. I wish someday these memory module will be available in 2GB models.

Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras Discount.

Lundi, septembre 27th, 2010

Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras. Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras

Product: Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras Discount.

List Price: $54.95

Amazon Price: $35.03
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Compare Prices on Joby GP3 Gorillapod SLR-Zoom Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras

The Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM is designed with the serious photographer in mind. Its sturdy prehensile legs help achieve a steady shot with your SLR and zoom lenses. It attaches to any standard SLR cameras, video cameras, or even your own tripod head. The Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM can support a whopping six pounds, while still maintaining its compact size.Whether you’re using your SLR camera to shoot time-lapse photos, get up close with a macro lens, capture your daughter’s winning goal from the sidelines, or snap images for the local newspaper, Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM is the perfect companion for your next adventure. Throw one in your bag and start shooting like a pro!

  • Color: Gray
  • Brand: Joby
  • Model: GP3-01EN
  • Released on: 2006-12-08
  • Dimensions: 2.40″ h x 2.40″ w x 9.80″ l, .53 pounds

Features

  • Flexible tripod designed for digital SLRs or camcorders weighing up to 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms)
  • Fits into your purse, backpack, or roomy jacket pocket
  • Innovative segmented leg design to ensure secure mounting
  • Standard universal 1/4-20 screw for attaching your camera to the tripod mount (or use your own tripod head); 1/4-to-3/8-inch adapter included
  • Expands creative options, or lets everyone get into self-timer shots

What seemed like a good lightweight solution is more gimic than useful2
I bought this small tripod to take on a backpacking trip across glacier. Having read reviews of the smaller versions of this tripod I opted for the biggest one since I have a rather solid D200 with 18-200mm lens that I intended to use with this product.

First, the joints are quite firm, yes it will support the camera fairly well, however when the legs are bent too far from a straight tripod style the leverage will over come the joints and your camera will sag in frustrating ways.

Second, forget framing a shot in a reasonable amount of time. Horizen line off a little bit? Be prepared to fight the above slops and sags while trying to make precision adjustments.

Third, make sure when you buy this that you are not expecting small tripod style behavior. You can’t throw this thing down, make a couple of quick leg adjustments and go. You will be screwing around for a good 5 to 10 minutes trying to force it to do what you could have done in less than a minute with a real tripod.

Bonus - the screw that attaches to your camera is a pain to use. It is not fixed to the tripod; it spins freely. Who has a screw driver around all the time to take it on and off? I ended up lightly screwing it on and off by spinning the whole tripod while holding the screw with my thumbnail. This sort of works as you fight the non-slip rubber on the camera and the tripod top. After the frustrations of using it and not getting what I wanted in the shots, fighting to take it on and off the camera can be enough to evoke choice words from the most patient…

Overall this product might be easier to use with a tiny ball-head. Points two and three could hopefully be resolved for the most part but it would cause even more leverage on the legs compounding the observations in point one above. Since I own it I will probably go this route to give it one more shot and update my review if it helps out a lot.

Over all this product works as described, you can hang it off random posts (upto about 2.5″ in diameter) and entertain small children. I probably won’t use it more than 2 or 3 times in the next couple years for the type of work I do though.

Caution: you get full use only with a light dSLR3
This version of the Gorillapod is supposed to hold up to a 6.3lb combination of lens and camera but… it doesn’t. If you use it as a regular tabletop tripod, the top knuckles buckle under a medium weight dSLR (Canon 50D or 5D) equipped with a solid lens. It would probably hold a lighter camera and mostly-plastic “kit lens” — a Canon 500, 1000 or XT series or a Nikon D40 or D60 series.

Even then, it’s a very springy platform and it will vibrate to the slightest touch, so if you’re in a low light situation and need to use a stable platform, you’ll need to use a cable release or use the 10-second delayed release timer. (Two seconds is too short a time — the Gorillapod vibrates for longer than that if you exert enough pressure to trip the shutter.

There are two places where where I can use it with a mid-weight dSLR: (1) when I wrap the legs around, say, the top rail of a chair, or a two to three inch thick tree branch and get the platform close to the horizontal support and (2) if I want to get very close to the ground for a shot and can bend out the bottom half of the legs so they’re horizontal. That makes it less likely that the knuckles just below the platform will buckle under the weight of the camera.

So: OK for a light SLR; limited use for a medium one (Canon 20D-40D-50D & 5D series or a Nikon D700); don’t even think about it for a pro camera (Nikon D3 or Canon ID series). I’m sure this would work well for just about any camera lighter than an SLR. But even with a light camera, you need a delayed shutter release to let the considerable vibration from tripping the shutter to die down.

Flexible Accessory for Travel Photog5
When traveling, less is more. This is especially true for the serious photo enthusiast. When I travel, I want to carry as little as possible. However, I also want to have at hand everything I need to deal with the variety of situations I might encounter. In other words, my equipment choices need to be relatively compact, lightweight and flexible. I don’t want to carry multiple single-purpose items. Instead, I look for single multi-purpose items.

That said, the Gorillapod is ideal. It’s clever design and lightweight materials make it easy to carry and useful for a variety of photo situations. The SLR-Zoom Gorillapod is sturdy enough to support my Nikon D200 with 18mm-200mm Nikor zoom lens, and at the same time compact and light enough to attach to my camera bag with a hook and loop strap. All ‘n all, a clever, useful and travel-friendly photo accessory.

Linksys by Cisco Refurbished Wireless-G Print Server Sale-$19.99!

Lundi, septembre 27th, 2010

Linksys by Cisco Refurbished Wireless-G Print Server

Linksys by Cisco Refurbished Wireless-G Print Server Sale-$19.99!

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List Price: $65.99

Amazon Price: $19.99

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Linksys by Cisco Refurbished Wireless-G Print Server Description:

The Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer with Multifunction Printer Support lets you connect a multifunction USB printer directly to your network, eliminating the need to dedicate a PC to print sharing chores. Using a PrintServer frees up your “print share PC” so you don’t have to leave it on all the time. It also removes the printing bottleneck, and sets your PC free to do more useful work.The PrintServer is compatible with most USB multifunction printers, and allows full access to printing, faxing, scanning, and copying functions. Like any print server, users on the network can print anytime. The other functions are treated a little differently - any user can request access to one of the other functions, and get exclusive use of that function until his task is complete.Connect the PrintServer directly to your network by 10/100 Ethernet cable, or wirelessly at up to 54Mbps via Wireless-G. The wireless option lets you put your printer wherever you want to, without having to run cables. Whichever way the PrintServer is attached to your network, both your wireless and wired PCs will have access to it, and the printer it’s connected to. And if you don’t use wireless for general networking in your office, you can still use the Wireless-G connection in ad-hoc mode to print from visiting Wireless-G and Wireless-B PCs.Your wireless data is protected by up to 128-bit WPA-PSK encryption. A user-friendly Setup Wizard makes installation easy, the compact case fits anywhere, and the big print buffer handles even large graphics-intensive print jobs. Let the Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer with Multifunction Printer Support bring efficiency to all your home office tasks.

  • Brand: Cisco
  • Model: WPSM54G-RM
  • Dimensions: 5.50 pounds
  • Networking: Hi-Speed USB

Features

  • Linksys WPSM54G-RM 802.11g Wireless Print Server w/Multifunction Printer Support General Features:
  • One (1) 10/100 auto sensing Fast Ethernet port with auto MDI/MDIX support
  • One (1) USB 2.0 port (backward compatible with USB 1.1)
  • Connects your multifunction printer to your network Supports printing, faxing, scanning and copying
  • Supports most major All-in-One USB printers

Customer Reviews:

Great Print Server5
This server was easy to install, works great. I have my Epsom CX7800 printer connected to it. I can print and scan from my both my xp and my vista pc. I recommend this product.

Does work with Windows 7 x644
I gave it 4 stars due to it being so not intuitive to set up. It will work bidirectionally with windows 7 x64, but you have to search the linksys forums to find out how. You must upgrade the firmware from the linksys site and download the new drivers. Then you need only to run the setup program found in the utilities folder. Follow the prompts and you will be done in 5 minutes. It took me several days to figure this out. Now it works perfectly.

Works Great, Easy Set-Up5
I ordered two of these print servers, one for home, one for the office. They both work fine. The set-up is nearly idiot-proof. The included CD gives step by step instructions on setting the server up.

My only complaint is that the server insists on being the default printer and it will not allow another printer to be default without manually changing settings. On reboot the print server returns back to being default.

Buy Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor At Amazon!

Dimanche, septembre 26th, 2010

Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor. Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor

Product: Buy Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor At Amazon!

List Price: $59.99

Amazon Price: $37.71
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Compare Prices on Garmin GSC 10 Speed/Cadence Bike Sensor

The Garmin 010-10644-00 Speed/Cadence sensor (GSC 10) can monitor your pedaling cadence as you ride with this self-calibrating, wireless speed/cadence sensor. It measures and reports your pedaling strokes per minute, providing feedback for optimal performance. Use with the Edge 305 or Edge 305CAD, Included With The Edge 305CAD GPS Plus

  • Size: Garmin Part #010-10644-00
  • Brand: Garmin
  • Model: 010-10644-00
  • Dimensions: 2.74″ h x 2.15″ w x 3.00″ l, .2 pounds

Features

  • Cycling speed sensor for select Garmin wrist-mounted personal trainers and cycling computers
  • Self-calibrating, wireless design measures both cycle speed and cadence in pedaling strokes per minute
  • Provides up-to-the-minute feedback or captures results for later workout analysis
  • Compatible with Garmin Edge 305, Edge 305CAD, and Forerunner 305
  • Attaches easily to any bicycle; 1-year warranty

Excellent compact lightweight wireless cadence sensor5
Another handy piece of equipment from Garmin!

This kit comes in three basic parts; a sensor unit, which is about the size of a matchbox, and two magnets about the size of your pinky nail. Several zip-ties are included for mounting purposes; the entire kit weighs at most a couple of ounces.

Installation is pretty straightforward, but do follow the directions carefully and don’t snug down the zip-ties until you’re sure you’ve got all three components just where you want them and have tested the system!

The sensor mounts to the left chain stay with a pair of zip-ties. Garmin thoughtfully added a piece of rubber padding to the bottom of the sensor unit, so it won’t rough up your fancy carbon frame or your paint job :)

A single zip-tie attaches the crank magnet to the crank, although I had to use a large (3/4″) shim on my FSA crank (which has a curved profile and a hollow back) to place the crank magnet in the proper position for the sensor to “see” it. The spoke magnet clamp has both a round hole and a square hole; make sure you use the right hole for your spoke profile! I mounted mine on a spoke directly opposite the tire valve, just to help keep the wheel in balance.

The sensor unit must be positioned along the chain stay such that it can “see” both the crank magnet as it passes by the cadence sensor (the round part on the side of the sensor unit), and the spoke magnet as it passes the speed sensor (the part that looks like a lever in the picture).

Testing is accomplished by pressing a small button on the sensor unit, which prompts it to flash a red LED, then a green one to indicate that testing is started. As pointed out by another reviewer, the LEDs are hard to see in bright ambient light; I’d recommend testing in a garage if possible. Hi-intensity LEDs would have solved this problem, although I suspect these LEDs were chosen for their low power consumption, so maybe it’s a smart design decision after all.

Once the test button is pressed, the next 60 revolutions of the crank should cause the red LED to flash when the crank magnet passes the sensor, while the spoke magnet passing the sensor should generate a green LED flash. If you saw the red/green flash when the button was pressed, but don’t see a flash as each magnet passes the sensor, chances are one or both magnets are not properly aligned with the sensor (there are alignment lines on the sensor and both magnets), or the magnets are passing too far from the sensor (this is the problem I encountered and solved with a shim).

When you’re sure everything is in the right places, snug the zip-ties and cut them flush. Then set up a screen (typically the Biking screen) on your 305 to display Cadence in one of the data fields, and go ride!

Great product, confusing packaging if you have a Forerunner 3054
The handlebar mount and cadence and speed sensors went on quickly and worked flawlessly. However, when I first received the package in the mail, I was concerned I had ordered the wrong item. I have a Forerunner 305 wrist-mounted GPS, and all of the packaging for this product references the Edge GPS sensor, so I didn’t know whether or not this would even work with the Forerunner. There are very slight differences in navigating the menus to set up the cadence sensor between the Forerunner and the Edge, but the cadence sensor does indeed work very well with the Forerunner, so Forerunner owners order without fear!

Design could be improved3
The design could be improved upon as you need to have a magnet on both the crank arm and the spoke within 5mm of the sensor. This makes id difficult and may require some minor modifications on some bicycles (I needed to add a spacer between the crank arm and the magnet). Too much tilt towards the crank, risks having the arm of the sensor being caught in the spokes after a large bump on the trails or raod. I have known of other people being able to purchase a larger magnet to the inside of the pedal screw which allows the sensor to be farther appart. Other than that, it works great with the Edge.

Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder-Retail $169.98! Sale Only $80.25!

Dimanche, septembre 26th, 2010

Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder

Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder-Retail $169.98! Sale Only $80.25!

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List Price: $169.98

Amazon Price: $80.25

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Fellowes Powershred DS-2 Safe Sense 8 sheet Confetti Cut Shredder Description:

Fellowes DS-2 Shredder, Durable and reliable, shreds up to 8 sheets at a time, staples, envelopes and credit cards. Features Safe Sense Technology with Smart Sensor Protection that stops shredding when hands are too close to the paper entry. Maximum security confetti cut shredder turns documents into unreadable particles for added peace of mind. Shredder features an easy to empty handle and bin full flap for hassle-free waste disposal without the mess. It has a contemporary design that compliments your home decor and fits seamlessly into your office. Shredder features a 5 year Cutter Warranty.

  • Brand: Fellowes
  • Model: DS-2
  • Released on: 2006-09-01
  • Dimensions: 17.08 pounds

Features

  • Basket Capacity, 4.8 gallon
  • 8 sheet capacity confetti cut.
  • Speed (Feet per Minute) 18
  • Warranty 2 year / 5 year
  • Shreds Paper, Staples, Credit Cards, Small Paper Clips

Customer Reviews:

Definitely better than my last shredder…4
I went from a super cheap shredder, to cheap, to this one…so far so good. Certainly worth the extra few dollars for the extra page capacity and power. Also, I like the safety feature. My biggest disappointment is in the actual cut…to me, confetti cut should look like tiny pieces and not long strips of paper.

I like the design…can see how full bin is…has a nice handle…easy to empty. A tad bit disappointed in the run time…seems like it’s better for people who shred as they go as opposed to our family who does massive piles of stuff at once. We’re hoping that makes us convert to a shred-as-you-go habit…hmmm…perhaps a New Years’ resolution in the making :-)

Good value and solid performer in the home4
I bought this to replace an aging Fellowes entry level shredder. I wasn’t a fan of the old shredder as it would only shred one page at a time and didn’t make very fine pieces. It also jammed frequently, was noisy and recently burned out permanently after being fed a couple of dozen pages in a single session.

What a nice difference in the DS-2. It consistently shreds into very fine strips that would be impossible to piece together. It can handle a maximum of 6 sheets at time but won’t handle the advertised 8 sheets. I also feed it unopened junk mail and the resulting shreds are indistinguishable from any other shredded paper. It does bog down (motor slows significantly) when more than 4 sheets are fed at a time but even when it has bogged down the resulting shreds are consistent with the results from a single page.

The DS-2 is much quieter than my older shredder and I would rate the noise level as low (good). I did test a couple of machines in the store that were quieter but they were also much more expensive.

I like the look of the shredder overall. The can that comes with it has a good capacity. The shredder portion lifts off the can very nicely with the attached handle that gracefully tucks away when the can is in use. I can find no major flaws in the design.

There are some nice safety features that temporarily shut off the shredding if your hand comes near the paper throat. This would be ideal for anyone with young kids. It also has a safety switch that temporarily turns the shredder off if the shredder is lifted off the basket. While this is a nice safety feature it means the shredder can only be used on the included can. I have also found the switch to occasionally be temperamental. I can see this as a potential cause of problems with some units. In fact I returned a unit to the store for exchange as I couldn’t get it to work. I suspect this may have been the culprit.

I would definitely buy this unit again at the $60 price I paid. It offers good value for the money and appears to be a solid performer. Time will tell.

Perfect for My Home Business!5
This is our 3rd shredder purchased over the past few years & it is the best one to date! The convenience of the front window to know how full it is really helps. I am also tired of struggling to pull out a ‘drawer’ that is overfilled and making a huge mess every time you empty it. Being able to LIFT the blade up instead is terrific! A great value for the money!