Showing posts with label clock radio with alarm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clock radio with alarm. Show all posts

Motorola W408g Prepaid Phone (Net10)

Motorola W408g Prepaid PhoneWant a cheap phone and inexpensive service?

Only use a cell phone for brief conversations?

Then I can recommend this phone with Net10 service.

I've had better phones, like the Samsung Gleam, however, I'm now paying $15.00 per month instead of $44.00 per month for the same type of usage.

The phone itself is very functional and the menus are adequate. My biggest pet peeve with this phone coupled with Net10 service is that the browser button is the same for the back key and exit key. Press it a third time and you get a charge for the Web browser. Seems like a cheap money maker for Net10.

Talking to people seems to be fine. I don't discern any problems with quality or quantity when talking to people.

I had bought the LG620G and hated it as the browser button was getting pressed even when it was in my pocket. I envisioned 3 or 4 hours of browser time without knowing it.

I switched that phone for the Motorola since it is a flip phone and must be opened to be able to get hosed by the browser button.

BTW: A Warning-if you switch phones with Net10 service, be prepared for an hour or two talking to customer service.

So, if you like an inexpensive phone with a cheap plan then I would recommend the Motorola W408g

Cheers,

Hammer

This is the worst phone I've ever owned. I don't know what's more shocking, the quality of the phone, or the fact that Motorola put their name on it and sells it. I have nothing good to say about it. If you're looking for a phone in this price range check out the LG320G. It is much more reliable and has a much better user interface. This motorola phone does have bluetooth and a camera, but with a phone as crappy as this those features are pretty pointless...

1) It has horrible input lag. Press a button and it takes nearly half a second or more to respond.

2) It is poorly made. The battery cover and battery fall off with just a small drop.

3) The user interface is utterly ridiculous. Useful things like alarm clock, calendar, camera and calculator are buried as much as 4 menus deep. This is doubly frustrating because of the horrendous input lag.

4) It has horrible reception. I've had quite a few phones in this price range, but this is the only one I usually have to go outside to use.

5) If you try to send text message but close the phone before the *second* pop up alert appears telling you it has been "sent," (yes, it pops up twice), the text message does not get sent, and the only indication of this is the number of message in your outbox increases by 1. You have to go and manually send it again. This has caused me drama on multiple occasions.

6) Sometimes the phone loses signal and won't get it back until it is turned off and on again. The input lag can make this incredibly challenging if you're in a hurry. You have to press the power button for an extended period of time to turn the phone on or of. It is easy to inadvertently set it to turn off before you receive any indication that it is turning on. Sadly I literally spent a half hour in this cycle trying frantically to get in touch with my girlfriend who was waiting for me.

7) Even when the display shows a strong signal, calls frequently fail to connect.

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We were Verizon customers for many years because of their family plan and good service. We decided to switch to NET10 to save some money. We don't need to access our email or have any of the other services that the big 3 have to offer. We only need a phone to make calls. The Moto w408G phone is just OK. It is adequate for people that only make occasional calls like we do. The phone lacks a lot of features that the expensive phones have, but the quality of the reception is as good as my other phones. If you want to send a lot of text messages don't get this phone. The phones with a QWERTY keyboard is certainly much better. We signed up for the NET10 "Easy Minutes" for $15 month for 200 minutes, just what we need. Saves us about $50-$55 a month for 2 phones.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola W408g Prepaid Phone (Net10) Here

This phone is perfect for my wife, who is unfortunately, scared to use the smart phones that are so popular these days.

The phone is simple to use,has number keys that are easy to read and select. The phone has a fairly good camera and

takes very good video's as well. I would recommend this phone to anyone who does not like all the bells and whistles

that most phones have today.

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drops 25% of calls and the volume is turned up to "7" the highest number and still can barely hear someone talking or the dialtone.this is a crapola phone

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Lenmar R2G802U R2G 2 Hour Charger Includes USB Output and Alarm Clock with 4 R2G 2150mAh NI-MH for A

Lenmar R2G802U R2G 2 Hour Charger Includes USB Output and Alarm Clock with 4 R2G 2150mAh NI-MH for AA/AAA Batteries
  • Includes Ready-2-Go, Four AA 2150mAh Rechargeable Cells
  • 2-Hour Charger with Built-in USB PowerPort, Charges 1-4 AA/AAA NiMH cells
  • Charger also includes Travel Alarm Clock, Day/Date and Temperature functions
  • International compatible voltage - can charge from 100-240VAC, 12VDC, or standard USB power source
  • 2 Year Warranty

I had seen some mention of this charger on other web sites, but never any reviews. I was looking for a new charger that had nice capabilities. Specifically, I wanted something that had separate channels for each cell, some sort of status indicator for each cell, and a charger that didn't take all night to charge, but didn't overheat the batteries charging in 15 minutes. Amazon came through with the best +shipping price as usual, so I took the chance and ordered this.

The Lenmar R2G802U is a nice product. Although not clearly stated, it comes with four pre-charged AA NiMH batteries. The charger itself comes with three power sources: a small wall wart, a cigarette lighter adapter for the car, and a cable to operate it from a USB port. (When operating from the USB port, charge times are increased, as there is a limit of how much current can be drawn from the USB port on a computer.)

Another neat feature about this unit, is that is features a USB charging outlet. Perfect for charging a bluetooth handset or other device that has a USB charging cable. One thing to note is that the USB charging outlet cannot work at the same time as the unit is charging batteries. But, if you plug a device in while you're charging batteries, they charger shuts off power to the batteries when they are complete and then switches on the USB charging outlet. That's a neat design in my opinion.

As for the included AA batteries, I haven't done much testing on them, but they work. I searched the web for some opinion on the Lenmar pre-charged batteries, but didn't find any info. I found less than stellar reviews on the non-pre-charged Lenmar batteries. I'd like to switch all of my NiMH batteries to pre-charged, and would like to find an option besides the much more expensive Sanyo Eneloop batteries.

The charger seems to be pretty smart and partially recharged cells were noted, as their charge level showed on the LCD. Charge times for four dead AAs seems to be less than four hours, but I never really timed it. It accomodates both AA and AAA batteries, but I didn't try any AAAs in it yet.

The charger also has a clock and travel alarm, but I'm not really sure of the usefulness of this feature. To close the unit, you have to flip

the AAA adapter blocks in. Not a big deal, but you have to flip them back out to charge AA batteries.

UPDATE: 11/5/2009 : I still really like this charger. I've used to to charge AAA and AA batteries of all types and it works well. It actually "brought back" some older cells that my other chargers would no longer charge. Also, the R2G AA batteries included with the kit are of good quality. I've used them for quite some time now in my digital camera and have had no problems. They hold a charge when not used for a while, and when used a lot, they last a long time. I'm quite happy with this purchase and may by some separate R2G batteries.

Buy Lenmar R2G802U R2G 2 Hour Charger Includes USB Output and Alarm Clock with 4 R2G 2150mAh NI-MH for A Now

This name of this product is a mouthful: "Lenmar R2G802U R2G 2 Hour Charger Includes USB Output and Alarm Clock with 4 R2G 2150mAh NI-MH for AA/AAA Batteries". Here is a breakdown of the components in the package:

The base unit is a 4-cell AA/AAA charger that also functions as an alarm clock _and_ a USB power port. It has a very impressive-looking LCD panel (see the Customer Image I uploaded). In addition to four battery-status indicators, the panel also shows the present Time, Date, and temperature. The alarm clock function even has selectable ring tones.

An AC adapter (input: 100-240V AC, output: 12V DC) to power the charger.

A CLA (cigarette lighter adapter) cable to power the charger form 12V car battery.

An USB cable to power the charger from your computer's USB port.

Four Lenmar R2G (Ready-to-Go) AA NiMH cells, rated at '2150mAh'

So far, this package sounds like a great deal. But there are several issues you have to be aware of:

1. The USB output port only works when the charger is connected to AC adapter or 12V CLA. It cannot be powered by internal rechargeable batteries. (If this function is important to you, consider the Duracell Mobile Charger CEF23 instead)

2. You cannot use the USB port while charging any batteries.

3. The advertised '2-hour' charge time is only applicable when charging 1-2 cells _and_ when the charger is powered by AC adapter or 12V CLA. The charging current is 1200mA per cell in this case, so it takes about 2 hours to fully recharge two 2000-2400mAh cells. When charging 3-4 cells, the charging current drops to 800mA, and so charge time becomes 3 hours. If the charger is powered from an USB port, the charging current is further reduced (560mA each for 1-2 AA cells, 280mA for 3-4 cells).

4. The LCD panel has very poor contrast, so it is difficult to read without the help of its backlight. But the backlight is not available when the base unit is operating in standalone mode, powered by its internal lithium button cell.

5. The top cover housing the LCD panel is very flimsy. Just by pressing the top lightly, I can see the LCD display fading in and out.

6. The four Lenmar R2G AA cells are of decent quality, but not quite as good as Sanyo Eneloop AA. They arrived with only 33% of rated capacity. After several refresh cycles using my La Crosse BC-900, their average capacity improved to 2090mAh, which is about the same as that for Sanyo eneloop AA cells (rated as '2000mAh' but measured close to 2100mAh).

I really wish I could recommend this charger, simply because it is one of very few models left that can recharge each cell individually. Unfortunately, after just one week of light use, the time and date portion of the LCD panel already failed. Finally I have to return the unit for a refund.

Read Best Reviews of Lenmar R2G802U R2G 2 Hour Charger Includes USB Output and Alarm Clock with 4 R2G 2150mAh NI-MH for A Here

When the batteries are inserted into the charger the cover cannot be closed, so it's a pain to carry with the batteries inside.

The USB output for charging phones, etc., is not powered by the NiMH batteries, though this would have been a simple feature to include, since 4 NiMH batteries provide 4.8V to 5V. The packaging does not state that the USB port is only operational when the unit is plugged in, with the batteries fully charged. If you're looking for a combination AA/AAA charger and power bank then this is not the product you want, look at products from Tenergy like the Zap CP4-AA Power Bank, which is less expensive and more functional, though it lacks the alarm clock and temperature functions.

The manual is poorly written, referring to "charging plates" that are not related to AA/AAA chargers, only to Lenmar's chargers that can charge proprietary Li-Ion packs.

The packaging states that the batteries are charged and ready to use (like Sanyo eneloop batteries), but this was not the case. The manual does state that the batteries must be charged prior to use.

The temperature feature on the alarm clock really ends up telling you the temperature of the batteries that are being charged, not the surrounding air temperature.

A poorly designed, poorly documented product. I returned it.

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I hesitated to review this item because the "not so positive" reviews ARE correct.

The LCD is nearly impossible to read.

The alarm is NOT loud.

It MIGHT function as a really LOUSY power back up for your laptop.

You CAN'T charge 4 batteries in 2 hours.

(Does ANYBODY really believe the manufacturer's hype?)

Then why did I give it FIVE STARS?

Because I bought it as a R2G NiMH battery charger.

Not an alarm clock.

Not an LCD clock or temperature gauge.

and

Not as a back up power source for my laptop.

Just a battery charger.

As a battery charger, this compact little unit deserves 5 stars.

Why?

Recharges 4 2+AmpHour batteries in 3-4 hours....

from multiple power sources, 220VAC, 110VAC, 12VDC, and USB....

and.. includes ALL adapters to use these sources.

It's sad that Lenmar had to go overboard on the extras because they really DON'T function as well as the stand alone units designed to fulfill those functions.

However... as a NiMH R2G battery charger for AA and AAA cells... it's hard to beat for the price.

If you need an LCD clock or temperature gauge, buy one.

If you need an alarm clock, buy one.

If you need additional power for your mobile device, buy one.

If you need a great little battery charger, buy this one. :)

Note to my fellow reviewers: I DO understand your frustration and complaints. It's frustrating when a manufacturer makes claims that the product does not live up to... or does so poorly. But, I just believe that something billed as a battery charger should be rated on how well it performs it's major function. Anything beyond that should be considered icing on the cake unless you paid a premium for the additional functions. That is not the case with this charger.

Last note: the R2G batteries are nothing short of awesome. The money you will save over alkaline will amaze you. The reserve power puts alkaline to shame. I love these batteries and have been adding more as my remaining alkalines fail. Try them, you won't regret it.

Best Wishes :)

I've been using this charger for several years and it's the best I've tried. As another reviewer states, it's revived several batteries that other chargers could not. It works well with both AAA and AA cells. For the fastest charge use the wall plug, but I usually charge by plugging it into a USB port, which provides a slower charge rate and thus keeps the batteries cooler. This is IMO a great feature. In several years of use I've had absolutely no problems (except having to replace the easily accessed button battery which powers the alarm clock & temp gauge).

To address some issues that other reviewers mentioned:

1) I feel the variable power rates provided are a nice feature, not a detriment.

2) Someone said it is flimsy. I disagree, it feels very solid and I've been hauling it all over the country for years without a problem.

3) Someone said the cover won't close when batteries are inserted. Of course not, when charging the cover needs to be open to keep the batteries as cool as possible. When not charging, the manual clearly states that the batteries should NOT be left in the charger.

Summary: a versatile charger that evaluates and charges each cell individually, includes wall plug, car cable & USB cable. I don't use any of my other chargers anymore (including my MAHA Powerex 204). BTW, all of of the included R2G batteries are still going strong.

Sharp DKA1 i-Elegance Music System with Alarm Clock for iPod (White)

Sharp DKA1 i-Elegance Music System with Alarm Clock for iPod
  • White iPod audio system with built-in docking station and AM/FM tuner
  • Pair of front-firing, full-range speakers and matching side-firing subwoofers
  • 6-step electronic equalizer with flat, rock, classics, pop, vocal, and jazz modes
  • 32 station presets; built-in alarm wakes to iPod or buzzer; includes remote
  • Measures 15.75 x 5.75 x 9.88 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

The Sharp DK-A1 is a solid choice if looking for a way to play your I-pod externally. The positives include: very good sound. My sister has the Bose sound system for her I-pod which costs over twice as much from what I paid, but does not sound any better. The Sharp casts very deep, full sound, with lots of base for such a small unit. The E-sound button magnifies the bass nicely, but will become distorted, if the sound is too loud with it on. The illuminated blue lights are a nice touch and look great at night. The general design is nicely laid out. The negatives are: Limited range with the remote. I can only use the remote if I am within 6 ft of the console. In addition I am unable to change the play lists from the remote. It will only control the sound level and allow you to change the songs from the same play lists. I would have liked if this system had a handle to carry it from room to room and had a built in antenna, rather than the external wires which are a nuance to disconnect and reconnect when moving the system. The display panel in the front of the unit only says I-pod when the I-pod is in use, rather than display the artist and song playing. You need to look at the display of the I-pod to get this information which isn't nearly as visible as the display on the unit. Also, the AM radio only gets adequate reception. In general, I do recommend the Sharp DK-A1 as it does deliver very good sound at an affordable price but wish it had better thought out features.

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I listened to a lot of docking stations before settling on this one. I started with the one I thought would have no peers the big "B" brand speaker. As I moved along in my search, the Sharp DKA1 had the bass sound that came closest to the big brand name docking station. Most other copycat brands sounded tinny. In addition to the DKA1 having rich, deep tones to complement the highs and mid-range sound, it has a built-in clock and an AM/FM radio with 40 presets. And the price for all of this is much less than the big brand item. It's the most bang-for-the-buck of any docking station available today based on my comparison with nearly 20 competitive products.

Read Best Reviews of Sharp DKA1 i-Elegance Music System with Alarm Clock for iPod (White) Here

For the current price listed on Amazon ($289) you'd be better off getting a BOSE Sound dock in my opinion.

But if you can get this unit for much less like I just did, it's a solid little unit. It looks and sounds great.

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I have had my Sharp DKA1 i-Elegance, for 4 years now, I also have the Bose sound dock and it can't compare to the sound of the Sharp, the sound fills the room, and sounds rich and powerful, the blue lights look great and makes it look sexy at night. I also have the Ihome Dock and a few others but the i-Elegance is my favorite, you can't beat the sound for the Price, it stands out and commands to be played, find a nice corner of the room sit it there and crank it up, and enjoy how music should sound...you can't go wrong with this purchase and you will love it, I Do!!!

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I purchased this for my daughters i-touch, and the sound is truley amazing.It does not however, charge the newest gen itouch, but I would place blame on Apple for that since the Sharp is not a brand new product on the market.

Homedics SS-7000 Sound SPA Sound Machine Clock Radio With iPod Docking Station Black SS-7000B SS-700

Homedics SS-7000 Sound SPA Sound Machine Clock Radio With iPod Docking Station Black SS-7000B SS-7000Maybe the worst clock radio ever purchased. Unreadable display, button are clumsy and in the wrong places. All in all just a bad experience with this product. iPod dock stopped functioning within 6 months of purchase.

I bought two of these for my kids less than two years ago and they have both failed. For one, the time can no longer be read as it is so dim and the other periodically sets itself to 7 o'clock and stays there until it is unplugged. For the cost, I find this completely unacceptable and infuriating. If I could spit on the manufacturer, I would.

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I love this clock! It plays *and charges* my iPod, has six wonderful nature sounds, projects the time on the ceiling (very handy at night!), and has alarm options for radio, nature sounds, iPod, or just plain beep; it also has two separate alarm functions that can be set to different times.

Fabulous! (Too bad Homedics has discontinued this item!)

Read Best Reviews of Homedics SS-7000 Sound SPA Sound Machine Clock Radio With iPod Docking Station Black SS-7000B SS-700 Here

Another reviewer wrote, "For one, the time can no longer be read as it is so dim and the other periodically sets itself to 7 o'clock and stays there until it is unplugged. For the cost, I find this completely unacceptable and infuriating. If I could spit on the manufacturer, I would." This is 100% accurate, and it doesn't even end there.

1) The most commonly-used buttons will inevitably fail. My time-set button is now so far gone that I have to press it with all my might just to get it to the mode where I can set the alarm. Completely unacceptable.

2) The alarm clock does, indeed, periodically set itself at 7:00 am (or 6:00 am if DST is on) and stays there until it is unplugged and the entire alarm is reset.

3) After being unplugged, there is an awful lot you have to remember to do in order to get the alarm clock to go off as expected. Not only do you have to reset the time and alarm time, you also have to cue up the wake station and set the audio mode to the proper setting. The planets have to be perfectly aligned for this alarm clock to reliably wake you up. It is completely unforgiving of even the slightest omission.

4) So, there's this neat little time-saving switch on the back that changes the clock to & from Daylight Savings Time mode. That's nice, but the programmers of this failure of a clock radio forgot to take into account the alarm set-times, so hey, guess what? You switch the clock into Daylight Savings Time, and the clock wakes you up an hour late the following day.

5) iPod dock eventually stopped working.

6) If you let the music play when the alarm goes off, it will play for about 2 hours and then turn itself off automatically. The problem with this is that, when this happens, it disables the alarm for the next day. You need to remember to turn the alarm switch off and then back on, otherwise, "Whoops! I didn't think you wanted to be woken today since you forgot to turn me off yesterday!" Stupid piece of crap.

7) During the day I have no idea what time it is since the blue LEDs on the screen are so dim that you need to be a foot away from the device to read it.

This device clearly prides itself on being a sound-spa more than it cares about being a reliable alarm clock. It hates you and it wants nothing more than to see you get fired from your job. I too would spit on the manufacturers. There is nothing that HoMedics can offer that would make me ever buy another one of their spectacularly poorly-made products, ESPECIALLY if I had to depend on it to wake me up in time for work. I wonder if HoMedics even HAS a quality assurance department, and if so, if they're just asleep at the wheel when they should be testing to ensure that it meets basic usability requirements. I can't even believe I've put up with this clock for as long as I have.

The only cool features are the ceiling projection and the DST switch, if it worked properly. Other than that, well, I think I've said enough. Save yourself the trouble and keep your job. Don't buy this alarm clock.

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Oregon Scientific BAR339PA Projection Atomic Clock with Weather Forecaster

Oregon Scientific BAR339PA Projection Atomic Clock with Weather ForecasterI had an older Oregon Scientific clock (atomic, projection, weather) that works perfectly. It projects the time in crisp red which is the right brightness you can clearly see it at night, and it does not illuminate the whole room. Also one can rotate the displayed image 360 degrees. My only complaints with that clock were the lack of temperature display on the ceiling and the hard to read clock face (old style LED dark gray on light gray). One can illuminate the clock face by pressing a button but cannot permanently turn illumination on.

I needed another clock so I decided that this one should be much better, especially with the temperature being shown on the ceiling. That new clock was a huge disappointment. First it is indeed too bright it is like a projector that illuminates the whole room, although one can get used to it. The image cannot be focused very well, and it has only two positions at 180 degrees from each other. Because of that I can either have the image on the ceiling right (but cannot see well the clock face), or have the clock turned so that I can see it (but the image on the ceiling is at an angle). Another huge problem is the illumination of the clock face. When turned off it is difficult to read but unlike the old model you can turn it on. And there the problems begin. Some designer kid has had fun designing the display with animations and color changes that are supposed to track better the weather changes. So at night, while you are trying to sleep and get used to the bright bluish light from the projector, suddenly color flashes start playing around. My wife almost got a heart attack when this happened for the first time.

The verdict just returned it.

Great product. A bit of a learning curve to get the World Time Zone set, but the remote temperature sensor is on my back porch and sends in a good clear signal upstairs through our two-story home. The only funky thing about it (projector works great) is the projector sleep/lock. If the projector is set to ON it is very bright and lights up the darkened room almost too much. So I turned it off, to touch-on only mode, which strangely goes into lock mode if left inactive for a bit and makes you hold down snooze for many seconds until the display projects again. I mostly have it off now which defeats the cool purpose of hitting snooze to temporarily show the display. Even the main display is really bright and can be like a night light -but so close to the bed is too bright I found. Still geeking out with it though and love it overall.

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I like all the features of this clock, except that the projection image can only be rotated 180 degrees. It projects both the time and temperature at the same time, which is a feature I wanted most. I like the alarm symbol that is also projected to let you know the alarm is set. When the snooze is activated the alarm symbol (a bell) flashes. It has an AC adapter and a battery backup. The reviews I read said the projection was too bright. I agree that it is rather bright, but it doesn't keep myself or my spouse from loosing any ZZZZZZZs and functions as a nice night light.

Read Best Reviews of Oregon Scientific BAR339PA Projection Atomic Clock with Weather Forecaster Here

I decided after my original Oregon projection alarm clock finally died (after the projector went out after 7+ years) I would give this one a shot. I read the reviews and alot of people think the projector is too bright. I was shocked at first because it was bright, but then I thought how my old clock got more dim as time went on so I was OK with it. If you've never had a projection clock, you've got to try this. I like the fact that both the LED screen and projector are able to be shut off at night. The projector has a light sensor so if you turn your room lights on it will automatically shut off. Also the weather forecast is nice. I've only noticed once the forecast was not accurate, but again if it's as accurate as the weathermen it's pretty good. Overall I would give this clock 5 stars. It does what it's advertised to do. I also would say if your worried about the projector being bright, you will get used to it.

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I hesitated with buying this clock even though it seemed to have everything I wanted because of the critiques of it being too bright. Those must have been written by very light sleepers. It is a bit bright, but I think that's just fine. I want to be able to see it in the dark and it's never bothered me! The crescendo beeping alarm is wonderful and sure beats those loud, irritating ones. It took a while for it to lock on to the sensor outside...I had to move it where it could see it. But once locked in, I moved it back to my desired spot and it works fine. The different colors are nice, but since I live in San Diego, I will worry if it ever turns green (snow). At 1 AM it does rotate and flash through the colors as it recalibrates the signal from Boulder, Colorado, but that's never disturbed me. I don't think any alarm clock is perfect but this is close. I had a marvelous but expensive chiming clock from Now & Zen but it died after about a year and a half and the time light was too dim to see at night. I had a Honeywell projection clock, too, but it also died. Maybe they all have a limited life expectancy, but here's hoping with this one.

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Creative ZEN Style M300 8 GB MP3 and Video Player with Bluetooth and FM Radio Playback (Black)

Creative ZEN Style M300 8 GB MP3 and Video Player with Bluetooth and FM Radio Playback
  • 8 GB internal memory with additional 32 GB available through microSD card slot
  • 1.45" TFT screen
  • Up to 20 hours of battery life
  • Bluetooth 2.1 wireless connectivity for headphones or speaker use
  • FM radio with 32 preset stations

I have read many of the reviews here before purchasing the player and despite being warned of all the cons, i decided to take a gamble for its price and Creative's brand name. I had some initial problems with the Bluetooth feature with the M300 but these were resolved when I upgraded the firmware to the latest one (1.00.16) from the Creative website. There are some things that this player cannot do but for those that it can, it does it pretty well.

The main selling feature of this player is of course Bluetooth streaming. Pairing the player to my bluetooth headphones and car stereo (you need to key in your 4-digit code) were relatively simple (it takes seconds) and the audio quality is excellent. This is my first Bluetooth-compatible player, and i am surprised by how much i like this wireless thing. Not having to worry about wires dangling around your dashboard is awesome. Also, the ability to automatically connect back to the last paired device when turned on again is a thoughtful feature. One feature i miss on this player that was on the older zen players is the option to create playlists on the go. But if you do use windows media player or winamp to organize your song library, you can also easily sync your playlist to this player. What I really like most about this player is the ability to drag and drop files even on a mac. It just appears as an external harddisk and you just drop your songs or photos in it no proprietary software required.

As far as i am concerned, i am happy with my purchase of the M300. It performed well as a music player and the bluetooth function is really useful if you have other bluetooth enabled devices. And for this, i would say that the M300 is of great value for something so small yet feature-rich.

BUY this player if:

you are budget conscious, this is one of the most affordable feature packed branded bluetooth mp3 player

you listen mainly to music and radio

you prefer doing without additional music softwares like itunes, and rather drag and drop your music into your player

you need a microsd slot

you have a bluetooth headphones or speakers, it's more convenient than you think

DON'T buy this player if:

movie playback is an important feature to you

you use DRM or subscription services

most of your music are in .FLAC and .M4A

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FIRST THINGS FIRST / TIPS:

1. Download the latest firmware from Creative's support webpage. What I got was probably the middle batch at 1.00.09. The latest firmware is 1.00.16 and relatively easy to update.

2. Don't press the so-called "buttons" with brute force. Just make sure your finger taps the markings gently and you'll be fine.

POSITIVES:

1. Very easy Bluetooth pairing process (enter the universal default code of 0000). It remembers your paired devices after switching off and auto connects to the last paired device (it does take between 5 and 10 seconds to reconnect and start streaming your music via BT)

2. Commands (play/pause/track selection/volume) don't lag via Bluetooth and overall, the player works perfectly with my car speaker and headphones

3. Drag-and-drop songs into the "Music" folder. I hate itunes style syncing so this is really really useful.

4. Good battery life for my commutes and long/medium haul flights

5. Mac support (officially it only supports Windows but I could drag-and-drop songs from my Macbook Air into the player, as well as from my Windows PC of course)

6. Simple, easy-to-use interface even without needing the manual

7. FM Radio but only with a wired headphones connection

8. Value for money

NEGATIVES:

1. Short USB cable (ok to charge via your PC's USB but not too practical from a wall socket)

2. Average quality included earphones but I guess nobody really uses stock earphones anyway so this might not bother you that much

3. Mediocre video but on such a tiny screen nothing's going to look good. Probably the screen's only meant for album art (there's a video included with a presentation of some Creative products but it's so tiny.. why do they even include it??).

4. No FM Radio over Bluetooth (this function requires an antenna, which are your wired earphones... so you can't stream radio wirelessly)

EVALUATION:

It's not a perfect product but at this price point it does deliver what I need (Bluetooth and drag-and-drop capabilities). Obviously there are flaws but are generally those that I won't lose sleep over. If you're looking to stretch your dollar (nothing to be ashamed of in this economy!) and don't like to get ripped off, this is the product for you. If you like to splurge, you'll know that there are other more glamorous options.

Read Best Reviews of Creative ZEN Style M300 8 GB MP3 and Video Player with Bluetooth and FM Radio Playback (Black) Here

So I have had a few Creative products in the past, but this one has to be one of the worst of them. Takes several attempts to power on, I first thought it was just that I received a defective unit. But another reviewer is reporting the same issue, so I have to take that as poor design. The navigation of the menu makes no sense. They are not in alphabetical order and you cannot turn any of them off (like you could with some of the previous Zen models). The touch controls respond about 80% of the time, which is really frustrating. My reasoning for purchasing this device was the Bluetooth streaming. Once you get the devices to pair together (takes a bit of coaxing for the initial setup) I haven't had an issue pairing back up. I have noticed that every once and a while the music will have about a .25 sec blank space in the middle of playback. I was thinking it was the device I was pairing to, but when I tried streaming from another device it works fine, so I have to think it's the Zen M300 unit.

Another feature is that you can change the color of the text, red/yellow/white. I initially set it to white but during play back the screen shows music art and then the title/artist over the album art. I could not see most of the text due to the white text so I changed it. The menu changes color but the color during playback is still white. So I really don't get the purpose of changing the font color. The red is too dark to see against the black menu background, and the yellow and white are so similar that it really doesn't show any real benefit.

I'm hoping the next firmware revision will resolve most the issues. So if you are on the fence about purchasing this unit, don't set your expectations too high. It is still functional, the price is good for (considering the Apple unit is almost twice the price) what you're getting.

Having access to Audible is a nice to have, but so far I've been using another unit. You cannot "fast forward / fast back" with this device, so if you wind up missing the last few sentences of what someone has just said you cannot just scan back a few lines, it returns back to the chapter beginning.

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The Creative Zen Style M300 is a decent small MP3 player with ambitions to become a low-cost alternative to the iPod. Out of the box, you get the player (which is nicely styled), a USB cable, and some headphones. Truthfully, I didn't try the headphones, as they're basic, cheap in-ear headphones. For comparison sake, I used my Koss PortaPros which I've listened with for years and they gave me a basis for comparing it to my collection of mp3 players.

The packaging promises a lot: in addition to MP3 music, you get Bluetooth connectivity, videos, pictures, audiobooks, and FM radio. A great feature set, and for the money, packs quite a punch.

The touch screen is simple, intuitive, and reasonably sharp and bright for its size, its one of the best features of the player. Most people will find their way around this player in under 30 seconds, its that intuitive.

As you connect the M300 to a Windows 7 PC, the player looks like a portable drive, and indeed it acts that way. If you want, you can just drag and drop songs. The instructions say you can use WinAmp if you want; I like using MediaMonkey as it will automatically convert songs to the appropriate format (MP3). The players instructions claim it will support the old-style Windows DRM formatted music; as I have any copy-protect music, I didn't have an opportunity to test that feature.

The sound was satisfying with sufficient volume, and good clarity. The touch screen gives you the ability to adjust the EQ to suit your music and listening tastes.

However, be careful if you fill the player completely; while it will not lock up, it will not boot up, claiming you have it too full. I had to use Windows Explorer to delete a few songs. From then on, I used the Micro-SD slot to add to the capacity.

The FM radio is reasonably sensitive; I use it mainly to access the in-gym broadcasts of the TV sound, and it worked fine for that purpose.

Audio books work fine, provided they're MP3 format.

Video works okay provided: (a) You don't mind watching low-res video on the tiny screen (b) you have an avi file that you would like to use that (c) can be converted to a format I'd never heard of, SVN. In fact, the converter Creative supplies on their website would charitably described as "in development"

Bluetooth is a puzzle to me, and one that left me most disappointed. I assumed that Bluetooth would let me connect with a computer and transfer files. To put it simply: it does not work that way. In fact, the computer will only occasionally see the M300, and when I connected, I couldn't actually do anything with it. After digging through the instructions a bit, Bluetooth is only for connecting speakers to it, or in the case of your car, if you support streaming stereo music through your car's stereo, it works great.

Battery life is great (I got 9 hours listening to music), and it charges quickly.

So what can you say about this player? If you compare it to an iPod, you're really not being fair. This player is 1/3 the price, and while it lacks the polish of the Apple product, it does everything you need it to. In fact, its become my favorite player for taking to the gym. The combination of low price, good feature set, wireless connectivity to cars with Bluetooth, great sound and long battery life make this worth a look if you're more concerned with usable features than style.

Provided your expectations are reasonable, you'll like this player.

NOTE: I had to upgrade the firmware of the player to improve the stability of Bluetooth. Your version may come with the newest firmware, but if it doesn't, you can go to the Creative website. Upgrading is trivial.

I got this for my wife to replace her ZEN V-Plus with which she was quite happy, and I thought M300 would be an improved version of that. Oh boy, was I wrong... I just cannot believe Creative released M300 in its current state! It keeps freezing, use of the microSD card is not well implemented at all (files on it are NOT indexed), refuses to turn on, there is no bookmarking, and you cannot even create playlists on the device, and creating them on your PC is a pain (you cannot use Windows Media Player or Creative's own Media Source Player/Organizer). I would NOT recommend this product in its current state. If Creative picks up the ball and releases a firmware update to make this at least as good as a ZEN V-Plus, then it'd a very different story.

Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White)

Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker
  • Signature sound profile crafted for natural bass response, vocal clarity and full stereo separation.
  • Docking Apple 30-Pin Connector supports docking iPhone and iPod devices
  • Aux in 3.5mm line in jack accepts input from any device with standard headphone jack
  • Custom engineered, Kevlar-reinforced 2x4ohm, 2.75" full range drivers balanced drivers, acoustically tuned dual-port chamber or UQ3 processor.
  • Bluetooth Wireless Pair and Play to wirelessly stream audio from any compatible A2DP Bluetooth device including .

I was looking for a dock for my wife's iPhone4 and my Blackberry. I had 2 mandatory requirements other than good sound quality:

1. It should work with an iPhone 4 in a bumper case.

2: I should be able to use it with non-Apple devices using the AUX input.

I first purchased the Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver) (Note: I have posted of review there as well) based on the good reviews on Amazon but returned it because it wouldn't allow the iPhone4 to dock with the bumper case and there was an omnipresent hum when I used the AUX input. The sound quality however was excellent. I then purchased the Soundfreaq and was able able to compare it with the Phillips before I shipped the Phillips. Here are my conclusions:

1. Sound: Phillips wins hands down. The bass is fuller and it can be played at a higher volume. Having said that, the Soundfreaq is no laggard. The bass isn't as deep but the sound over all is excellent. My wife listens mostly to older Indian songs and podcasts, neither of which requires big thumping bass. Both genres are more vocal oriented and the Soundfreaq does a good job. I have a different system for my periodic dose of classic rock/metal and any sound dock in this price range will most likely not do the trick anyways.

2. Connectivity and convenience: The Soundfreaq is the outright winner. The iPhone4 connects without any adapters even with the bumper case. No problems! Even better, I don't even need to actually mount the iPhone on the dock because of Bluetooth connectivity. It took 5 7 minutes from the moment I signed the UPS receipt for the box to having a song from the iPhone 4 playing through this dock via bluetooth. It works like a charm. Setup is a breeze and the convenience of Bluetooth is a HUGE plus. Similarly, I was able to connect my Blackberry via Bluetooth, so I no longer need to use the AUX input for my BB. The device can stay in your pocket or you can do something else on it while the music plays through the dock. Also, the AUX input works perfectly with no background hum like the Phillips.

3. FM radio: Works fine on the Soundfreaq. Not present on the Phillips. This isn't a very big differentiator but since I'm spending more for the Soundfreaq, its nice to get more too.

4. Looks/aesthetics: both systems look pretty good. I liked the Phillips but the retro, vacuum-tube radio like design of the Soundfreaq is very nice.

5. iPhone app: Phillips' app is buggy, clunky and is more of a hindrance. Soundfreq app does what it is supposed to and stays out of the way. Neither app needs to be used but the Soundfreq app doesn't irritate like the Phillips.

Conclusions:

1. If you want deeper bass and all round richer sound, go with the Phillips. I am however very satisfied with the Soundfreaq in this department.

2. The convenience of the Soundfreaq cannot be matched by the Phillips. I really like the fact that I can switch on bluetooth on my phone (I don't have it running all the time to conserve battery), connect and I'm in business from anywhere in the room. No wires. No need to even get close to the actual dock.

3. Soundfreaq is more expensive, and more than what I was planning to spend but I think I'm getting decent value for the extra money.

I'm happy with my purchase of the Soundfreaq and more important, the wife loves it. I'm keeping it and will ship back the Phillips.

Buy Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White) Now

After laboring in the satanic mills of Amazon's customer reviews for some five years, I finally have a product that makes me want to sing with joy. So, this is not the technical type review you have probably already seen about the Sound Freaq bluetooth music player.

A little confession here: I got this beauty on a one day Amazon special for about one hundred and fifty dollars (trying to avoid the Amazon bot that erases prices and URLs gratuitously supplied by customers) and am I ever happy! Unboxing revealed a well designed package with a really big power brick which was at least as big as the one my laptop uses. I think it's three amps at about eighteen volts with a reasonably long cord. I straightened out the wire antenna, and plugged it in the back to see how it got my local FM. It starts off by scanning from low to high. Got my local classical station, turned up the volume to about 20 out of 30, and listened to some of the best FM I've heard for a while. FM scrunches the dynamic range a bit normally but it looks like the engineers at Sound Freaq have its number: the dynamic range was the best I've heard from FM, so it looks like I'll be able to enjoy my local stations much more now.

I didn't test the external sound input feature nor the iPhone input either. But the bluetooth got my attention right away. I bought this unit to use it with my iPad so after reading the handy quick use guide on the top of the box inside I went online and downloaded the Soundfreaq remote app in the iTunes app store. It's fairly basic as a remote. It has a drop down menu of your iTunes songs. But you don't need the app. After you are paired, just go into the ipod music app and make a selection. You should get the sound immediately.

First, though, set the Sound Freaq unit to bluetooth mode, duh!, a little nicety I forgot it won't pair up unless you do. Next go into your iPad/iPhone/iPod system management (you should know where that is) to make sure bluetooth is ON.

Next, if they are now pairing successfully, all you have to do is touch the SOUND DEVICE bar on the same page to tell the iThingee to pair up. Voilà!

As you are pairing devices, an orange bar in the center of the lower part of your Sound Freaq starts blinking every three seconds and keeps doing so until you turn one of the devices off. Keeps you from wondering if your bluetooth connection is up; it's hard not to notice.

If the Sound Freaq wide dispersion mode is on, you will not be able to adjust the bass and treble. Get out of that feature if you want to adjust manually. Don't know why anyone would want to do that, though. The sound dispersion, base down to one hundred cycles (hertz), and fantastic mids and treble amounts to the best you are ever going to get from a unit this size and price.

As a matter of fact, I placed this on top of my two Polk tower speakers side by side: a good use for them since I never was really happy with their performance coupled with my Onkyo 50 watt receiver. Can you imagine being happier with the Sound Freaq than with a dedicated receiver and tower speakers?

And I don't mean to disparage that fine brand of small radios and CD players made in Framingham, Massachusetts either, but frankly this is a much better deal. My advice is don't pass it up. I'm thinking of getting another for the patio ...

UPDATE:

Have to remember that when attempting to link a bluetooth device such as my cell phone music function or my iPad, set your bluetooth enabled device to searching function, then set the Soundreaq to bluetooth and REMEMBER to press the tiny LINK button on the extreme right side. I haven't had any problem since I started remembering to do that!!

Read Best Reviews of Soundfreaq SFQ-01W Sound Platform Bluetooth Wireless Speaker (White) Here

Great sound, huge base. Clear and sharp. The wireless feature makes it even better. in our home we have Bose wave, bose dock, two diff Sony dock, and tivoli. Tivoi sound is the best, this unit is on the level of bose. Very good buy for around 150.

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What a great sounding piece of equipment!

I compared it to a Bose SoundDock and it sounds better than the Bose unit. The Bose unit demo music sounded muddy compared to the SFQ-01 unit playing my own music from my iPhone 4.

The SFQ-1 definitely sounds better than the smaller SFQ-02, with fuller range, richer sound.

In the store I listened to some Dubstep (Swagga by Excision & Datsik) just to see how it would perform and it sounded awesome. The bass reproduction is surprising. I then tried Barbara Hendricks singing Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and it sounded great too. The vocals were crisp and beautiful. Somehow it wound up in my shopping cart and I brought it home.

I'm listening to Vladimir Horowitz playing Beethoven Piano Sonata #14 "Moonlight" and the sound is amazing.

I also listened to Selena Gomez' Love You Like a Love Song and it sounded great too. Janine Jansen's violin work on "15 Two-part inventions" sounded amazing too.

Incidentally, My MacBook Pro is paired with the SFQ-01 via Bluetooth (i.e. wirelessly). This is going to be so awesome to have the SFQ-01 in my bedroom, the laptop in the living room where it lives, and I have the Apple Remote app on my phone so I can control iTunes on the laptop. Of course I could pair the SFQ-01 with my phone, or just dock the phone in the SFQ-01 and use the SFQ-01 remote to control it. So many great wireless possibilities!

My one complaint: the orange bar blinks on for 3 seconds, then off for 3 seconds and repeats. That's one of my idiosyncrasies, I don't like blinky things. I'm going to contact their tech support to see if there is a way to make it stop doing that.

To summarize:

Great sound.

Great connectivity.

Great styling.

Priced lower than any AirPlay device with many more connectivity options.

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Read numerous favorable reviews of the Soundfreaq Sound Platform and decided to give it a try. I was looking for a speaker that could be used with my iPhone as well as my computer and was intrigued by the Bluetooth connectivity. The FM radio was a nice bonus as well. After listening for a week, however, I decided to return the unit.

The sound quality, while good, was not great. The speaker has more low end than you'd expect given its size but the highs were not clearly distinguishable to my ear. Tweaking EQ settings in iTunes helped some but not enough for me. At this price point, I'd hoped for better sound.

Additionally, when using Bluetooth, the quality suffers even more. Perhaps Bluetooth simply doesn't have the bandwidth to pass hifi audio but I noticed that cymbals and other high-frequency sounds often "sizzled" in an irritating way.

Lastly, the dock will not accept an iPhone 3GS with a case. My phone has the minimalist Incipio Feather case but even this was too bulky to allow the phone to be docked. Though a minor annoyance, it's still an annoyance nonetheless to remove the case each time you want to dock the phone.

While I loved the aesthetics of the Sound Platform and the principle behind some features (Bluetooth wireless, FM radio), the sound quality wasn't good enough for me to justify the price tag.

Uniden TCX440 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset with Color LCD (Silver)

Uniden TCX440 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset with Color LCD
  • 5.8 GHz digital signal; for use with Uniden CLX, T8, ELT, and VoIP systems
  • Full-color LCD, supports downloadable images
  • Handset and base speakerphones; recordable ringtones
  • Caller ID/call waiting, 100-call memory; 100-name and 400-number phone directory
  • Directly accesses many of your base unit's key features

I left a full review of the system under the Uniden CLX485, but I wanted to rate the handset as a standalone item. It would be a 4.5 if that was possible. It is a very slick handset with lots of great features. Plus, you can update much of the info on the base model and have it transfer to the handset, which is very convenient. The battery life is also fantastic so far (although I've only had it 1 month). It is easy to get your messages off of each handset and it is easy to page each handset as you can individually label it (basement, kids room, etc). The biggest drawbacks are the ring tones (1990 cell phones come to mind) and the range. The sound quality is fine but the range is not as good as the 2.4 GHZ. We used to be able to be down our block a decent distance without a problem, now we can barely leave the house and the phone becomes only static. Not a huge drawback as we don't take the phone outside, but it is a concern to some people. Overall, we like the handsets quite bit. 4.5 out of 5.

Buy Uniden TCX440 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset with Color LCD (Silver) Now

I threw my Panasonic system in the trash when after 4 years I tried to replace a handset only to find out it was no longer available. The Uniden systems have handsets that will work with current and older Uniden systems, so if I need a replacement handset 4 years from now they will have a handset that will work with my system. That is good customer service.

The 5.8 ghz does not interfere with our high speed wireless internet access, the phonebook memory is large, the individual handsets can be named to facilitate transferring and intercom use. The intercom feature between the handsets is very handy. The battery life is very good, the range works out into our yard, which is fine for me, and the phones look good. As to the computer link programing features, we have Mac computers which the Uniden system cannot com with, so I have no idea how much extra you get with the additional ring tones and photos. I am impressed with the system.

Read Best Reviews of Uniden TCX440 5.8 GHz Accessory Handset with Color LCD (Silver) Here

I previously had a pair of 900 MHz phones but wanted a multihandset system using one base/phone jack when we bought our new house. I bought the Uniden mostly because I could get 3 handsets and a base for $130 after all the rebates. Next closest with a decent feature set would have been $200+.

The range of this 5.8 GHz system can't compare to the 900 MHz setup I had, plus it's a little pickier about base station placement. Our base is upstairs in the bedroom and it drops signal in the basement if there's too much metal ductwork between the base and phone, which is a real pain. We have steel siding and the outdoor range is about 100 ft.

I'll echo some of the other Caller ID gripes, but not a big deal personally. The ability to monitor other handsets or the base is handy for use as a baby monitor. I haven't used the USB configuration software much, but it should be handy for "cloning" once I get one handset the way I want it.

If you can put up with some of the range deficiencies and other idiosyncracies, it's a good multihandset system. But if not, you may want to spend more money on another system.

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Bought two of these to go with the CLX 485 in our house. Works great as a total system. The middle-aged adults in our house love the simple and large buttons, as well as the color display (easier to see). Great to be able to both get alerted to messages on the answering machine (alert light) and to check the messages from this unit without having to walk to the base station where the message machine is... Sound quality is superior and we like being able to set up distinct ringers for different callers.

I gave a detailed review of the base system, but the handset merits comments separately. I have purchased handsets for every room in the house, and because I don't like using the clip to carry it with me everywhere, I use them. They're easily customizable through the PC interface, although they can be customized without it as well. Each handset gets its out name, so transferring calls or paging a handset is simple. (No more trying to remember which room has the "fifth" handset.) I've been impressed with both the battery life and the range of each handset; I've read reviews that criticized the range or sound quality, but I've had no trouble with either despite a few different usage scenarios. If you're shopping for one of these, then you've already got the base unit or are considering purchasing it, so you know the quality to expect. I think the Uniden CLX485 is the best residential phone system I've ever experienced; the handset lives up to that standard, too.

Coby CDRA147 Digital AM/FM Dual Alarm Clock Radio / CD Player

Coby CDRA147 Digital AM/FM Dual Alarm Clock Radio / CD Player
  • Digital clock with large 4-digit LED display
  • Top-loading CD player with programmable track memory
  • Sensitive AM/FM analog tuner. Dual alarm clock with sleep/snooze timers
  • Wake to CD, radio, or buzzer. Full-range stereo speaker system
  • 3.5mm headphone jack, Clock backup with 9V battery (battery not included)

I wanted an alarm clock that I could use for playing relaxation cd's to fall asleep with. I needed one with a headphone jack so as not to disturb my wife. I assumed on buying this clock that the cd would also play cd/rw's since almost all cd players have that capability. Not so with this guy.

In addition the display is extremely bright and the controls are difficult to use, especially in the dark. Numbers do not appear completely on the clock and only one channel of the headphone jack works even with pre recorded cd's. Better to spend your money on just about anything else or give it away to someone who needs it more than Coby.

Leviton VRCPG-0SG Vizia RF + Handheld Remote Controller Programmer/Timer, Gray

Leviton VRCPG-0SG Vizia RF + Handheld Remote Controller Programmer/Timer, Gray
  • Primary device for creating and programming a Vizia RF + system
  • Astronomical clock to program lights on a schedule to turn on and off automatically
  • Creates up to 64 timed events
  • AC adapter and rechargeable batteries included
  • Creates up to 255 scenes and 128 areas

This is a solidly built controller for Leviton's Vizia components. There is a short, small-format, detailed User Guide, but it skips many of the basics. Leviton has an extensive web-based tutorial on its website. Viewing this is a must for anyone considering or deploying a Vizia system. Note: this is not the generic video about how great Vizia is. It's the detailed information on planning and implementing it. Look for the "ez-Learn" tutorials about Vizia.

While this controller has a lot going for it, its most used button (OK) is by far the most difficult to use. (I have average size fingers.) This is the reason I dinged it one star. It is too small and it is sandwiched between FOUR other buttons. It is very easy to push one of these other buttons (direction control) instead of Select. I don't see how this got past any sort of usability testing.

Programming this controller is a lot easier once you've seen the ez-Learn Vizia tutorial. Keep in mind that Vizia is mostly about lighting, but the Z-Wave system from other manufacturers goes far beyond that.

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Belkin 6 Outlet Surge Protector with 8ft Power Cord and 360 Swivel Plug

Belkin 6 Outlet Surge Protector with 8ft Power Cord and 360 Swivel Plug
  • The Essential Surge Protector safeguards your home electronics against harmful power fluctuations and secures your everyday power needs.
  • Get complete protection for cell-phone chargers, radios, answering machines, and other home essentials.
  • 630 Joule energy rating provides superior power protection for all your general electronic devices
  • 6 Surge-protected outlets supply complete, 2-line AC protection
  • 360° swivel plug accommodates inconvenient outlet locations

it works fine the switch just is to loose cant tell if it on or off . there are no lights which isnt a bad thing just make it harder to tell if it is powered on or not.nice thick cord with low profile plug.

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The unit is great and has a pliable 8 foot "gray" cord which works great in my office that also has gray carpeting. The swivel adapter proved to be very beneficial as I needed to run the cord in the opposite direction. This allowed for the other outlet to be used for other electrical needs.

And, the price was certainly right.

Sony DSX-MS60 /DSXMS60 Marine In-Dash MP3/WMA/AAC Digital Media Receiver w/ Internal USB and Front A

Sony DSX-MS60 /DSXMS60 Marine In-Dash MP3/WMA/AAC Digital Media Receiver w/ Internal USB and Front Aux
  • Detachable faceplate with 2-line display and front aux / Dimensions: 9.5 x 4.4 x 10.2 inches
  • Integrated Tune Tray with USB 1-wire input
  • MP3/WMA/AAC playback1 with DM+ enhancement technology
  • Intuitive Quick-BrowZer and ZAPPIN search features
  • Satellite radio/HD Radio ready using Sony Bus

This is a fantastic stereo. It was an easy installation to replace my 10 year old marine CD/AM/FM. Incredible sound, and it works great with my iPod Quick delivery and terrific price.

TECSUN PL-660 Portable Radio FM/LW/MW/SW/SSB/AIRBAND PLL World Band Synthesized Receiver, LCD Displa

TECSUN PL-660 Portable Radio FM/LW/MW/SW/SSB/AIRBAND PLL World Band Synthesized Receiver, LCD Display, Dual Conversion PL660
  • Dual Conversion, AM, SW-SSB, AIR Band reception
  • SYNC detector for AM with selectable sideband reduces adjacent channel interference and fading distortion at night
  • Convenient rotary dial or Auto Tuning Storage Function (ATS) For FM, MW, LW & SW Band; six tuning modes in all
  • Built In Dc 5v USB Jack, Earphone Jack, FM & SW Antenna Jack, Built-In Charging System To Charge the supplied Ni-Mh Rechargeable batteries

very nice radio, it will pick stations that some of my other radios will not. The sound quality is excellent for a small radio, I am very well satisfied with this radio

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Great radio. It is a Small easy to use size and has every band you would ever neeed to use.