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Transcend T.sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

4 GB capacity for about 1000 songs
30 hours of music playback on fully charged battery
1.8-inch TFT LCD screen with 176 x 220 pixel resolution
Plays MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM10, and WAV audio formats; MTV video format (convert using included software); JPG and BMP image files
2-year limited warranty

A short review and basic how-to on the Transcend T.sonic 840 4G player. Good and bad points, plus update suggestions.

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I ALMOST got a bigger iPod, but I didn't feel like spending so much on it. I recently got an 8G card for my camera made by the same company and was super cheap but good. There was an advertisement in the package for their other products, including this mp3 player. I decided to look this up, looked great but had no reviews. I had to search the web like crazy to find a review. All I found was positive, but I didn't find much.

In any case, this thing is GREAT! The sound is great, it's small, pretty user friendly, and it's way cheap for what it does. I only bought it to play songs (for the most part), so that's all I've tested out. I have it connected to a pretty cheap set of travel speakers right now, and it's still great. I am so incredibly impressed so far!

And I do have an iPod shuffle already, but I just use it to run. The sound on this thing is MUCH better than the shuffle.

If I could give it more than 5 stars to factor in the value, I would!

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I consider the deal I got on this MP3 player a pretty good one. I purchased it from one of the Amazon Gold Deals the other day and saved $26 on it. I would not pay full price for this thing.

It plays mp3s so I have yet to figure out if I can get some of my iTunes music on it but I mainly use this to listen to lectures and podcasts and such, which are usually in mp3 format, so it works for me.

It has an FM radio which is nice if you need a portable FM radioit works well and has good reception.

The voice recorder works nice as well.

Converting videos to the format that's compatible takes quite a while but the quality ends up being just finethough the screen is very small.

The controls are fine but not very handy.

This would be a good gift for a child or someone like me who just wants to listen to something while driving and doesn't want a $100 iPod.

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The Transcend T Sonic 840 4 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) is fully loaded with features in an all metal, compact body. Combined with an attractive mirrored finish, this power packed dynamo offers a brilliant multi-line display via a 1.8" high resolution LCD/TFT screen. The image quality is quite vivid and well framed without distortion. Coming out of the box, I would highly recommend immediate laminate protection to keep the front of the device free of scratches.

Navigation is primarily through the on board 3 phase wheel control which easily allows access from one function to the other. As with all MP3 systems and depending totally on the area of reception, the FM radio has been kind of hit and miss. With the help of the customizable equalizer, music downloads are surprisingly crisp.

The T Sonic 840 brings a lot of bang for the buck with these key features;

FM Recorder

Video Player (.mtv)

E Book Reader (txt.)

Digital Voice Recorder

Customizable Equalizer

Preset 20 Station FM Tuner

Photo Album (jpg/bmp format)

Karaoke Style Lyrics Display

Real Time Clock (Displays local & world time)

Music Player (MP3,WMA,WAV,WMA-DRM10) formats

13 Language User Support (For Song/Artist Display)

Whether you're a Linux, Mac OS X, or Windows user, this device is compatible to all three operating systems. For music service subscribers, its a no go with Napster but operates with some hiccups included with Rhapsody. While it does download music files in their entirety, one glaring issue that keeps the Tsonic 840 from receiving a 5 star rating is that it does not download play lists.

The sweetest feature is the voice-activated recorder. It gets high marks on the Cool Meter for it will automatically begin recording when it registers a sound and pause itself when it can't detect noise. In a quiet space it is one gem of a feature.

Powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery, non stop music play logged in at a little over 20 hours. So much for the 30 hour lifespan. Accessories include the industry standard but comfortable earphones, neck lanyard, mini USB type A cable, zip string carrying bag and software CD.

Overall, the Transcend T Sonic 840 4GB MP3 Player is a cornucopia of features that value conscious shoppers will find hard to resist. However, with its inability to format and deliver playlists its three stars at best.

The Transcend T.sonic 840 is an adequate MP3 player, and a decent FM radio tuner. The other functions on the device are pretty much a waste of time and space.

The first thing I did when I turned it on was to start the radio, because I hadn't loaded any files on it yet. It immediately popped up a message requesting me to plug in the headphones. Weird... so I checked the device and the manual, and found that in fact this device does not have a speaker.

Okay, I'm not going to get really great sound out of something like this. But my Zen Stone has a speaker, and I do use it. (Mostly for audio books where sound quality isn't that critical.) So I was disappointed to find that I had to use headphones with the T.sonic.

Once I had the ear buds in (and I really dislike ear buds, but didn't want to spend time digging for headphones), the radio sound was quite adequate. I loaded some MP3 files onto the device, and again the sound was quite good for a device of this type. Navigation through folders was pretty easy.

I really wanted to see how video would look on a screen this small. Then I got another unpleasant surprise. In order to play a video on the device, you have to convert it to their proprietary "MTV" format. Ugh. So I installed their conversion utility and ripped a DVD to my hard drive. I converted one of the VOB files from the DVD and copied it to the T.sonic. The video was pretty blocky, but better than I expected. But... there was no sound. I tried the MP3 and radio to make sure the ear buds were plugged in right, then back to the video. No sound.

So I converted the DVD into a couple of file formats that the T.sonic said it supported and tried to convert them to the MTV format. Whatever format I tried, it popped up a window saying that the import had failed, and that I needed to go find and install some video codecs first.

Okay, that's pretty bad software design. If a conversion programs needs codecs in order to work, I expect it to come with those installed. Better yet, I expect a device that claims to be a video player to be able to use some of the common mobile video formats without an additional conversion.

Overall, this is a pretty disappointing device. I'll probably keep it as an MP3 player, because it has more storage and a better interface than the Zen Stone. But they would have done better to have left the video and other features off. They're just too much trouble for a barely acceptable picture on a tiny screen.

Droid X Desktop OEM Charger Multimedia Docking Station with HDMI technology

Listen to music, see photos or watch HD videos using a standard HDMI cable (sold separately). In desktop-only mode, listen to your music or use as a digital picture frame while charging your DROID X.
The multimedia station for Motorola Droid X charges the Motorola Smartphone and turns it into an alarm clock or digital picture frame.
It displays photos and movies, plays music, and shows weather and time.
And it can sync your phone with a nearby PC

I read reviews on the dock and thought it would make a great addition to my accessory collection, I have the car mount and love it. This mount allows me to have a clock by my side of the bed that I can see without having to put on my glasses. It also doubles as an overnight charger, I often forget to charge and the battery is so low in the morning that I often have to limit use while out for the day. It is solid and well made, almost sexy in it's clean styling. If you are in doubt about purchasing, don't think about it anymore, BUY IT NOW!!!! It will be well worth it.

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I bought this to replace the phone/radio alarm clock on my nightstand. And it is very nice to have this instead!! The dock looks nice and sleek and the phone goes obediently into dock mode as soon as it even touches the magnet. The only trouble is sometimes it is not in the dock completely before this happens. I am hoping it will loosen up a bit from use, because it is a VERY tight fit and struggle to get it in the dock, as it goes in and out of dock mode while trying. Once docked it shows the clock and some pre-loaded widgets. These widgets can be deleted (as I have done), and more added to suit your needs/taste. The screen at first said "Problem loading widget" when it docked. This is the weather widget it is trying to load, and many are having this problem. Just long-press this and drag it over to the trash can on the right of the screen. After you delete it, long-press on your screen and add the Weather widget again from the Dock Widgets in the popup box. It should work/load correctly after that. I did find that the clock was bright (even when dimmed), so I am currently trying an app (from the Market) called NightClock. It is a black screen with red digital clock -and you can even pick the color/hue and font that you want for the clock numbers. I use a very dark red and it is nice. It also allows screen dimming as well, so you may want to give that app a try if you find the stock screen too bright. It is easy to switch back and forth between the Nightclock and the regular screen/clock too. My final comment is on the tight fit of this dock. Motorola must have had their heads up their butts when they designed the fit, because I don't know of ANY protective cases that will fit with this dock. I am very upset that my phone must now go "naked" and I am not able to use a protective case on a $500 phone. :( So for this, my rating drops to 3 stars.

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The stand provides a nice, secure fit and is relatively easy to slip the Droid X in and out. I haven't used the HDMI out on my Droid X, so I can't comment on that, but hardware-wise this is 5 stars.

The software is also pretty solid. Putting the Droid X in the dock activates the dock program, which features a large, easy to read clock, charging indicator, and a widget/app bar at the bottom. It defaults to an Accuweather widget, a calculator, and the calendar, although you can change any of these or slide left or right to access and addition 8 slots. The weather widget is the biggest gripe... it takes up two slots for no real reason and has been very buggy, frequently losing the location, although that seems to be improving in recent Droid X updates. You can just get rid of it if you like by long-pressing it and dragging to the trash, and similarly you can add other widgets/apps by long-pressing on the desired spot on the slider bar.

For whatever reason, the Droid X hangs whenever it's coming out of the dock... takes it about 30 seconds to fully shift back to it's default interface. This is a software issue that may get fixed. You can also use the X button to exit out of the dock screen at any time and use the regular Droid X interface.

At the time of this review (10/2010), this is far superior to any 3rd party options I have seen. Given how much power the Droid X can suck, I highly recommend getting this dock for work or your desk or nightstand at home.

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The HDMI and USB connectors were misaligned. My Droid X would not fit the docking station. It seemed the HDMI connector was at an angle. Had to return for a refund.

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The product works good.....the problem is and I didn't know this at the time I ordered it is you cannot use this charger with a phone cover on your phone.......You have to take your phone cover off every time you want to use it which is a major inconvenience....get a Mikradle for your Droid X instead......it puts your phone into dock mode without taking your phone cover off.......

CS3070 Handheld Bar Code Reader

The CS-3070 is a light industrial batch bar-code scanner. It's basically a scanner, a blue-tooth device and a memory stick shoved in a plastic case. It scans either to memory or directly to bluetooth. It works as advertised. It's easy to get the data out.

The three negatives I have to say about it are:

1. The USB port is available underneath a cover that is not that easy to pop out.

2. Since it is basically a fob, and even has two holes for a lanyard, it would be nice if they included one. My operators carry it around their neck.

3. No full documentation was included. Perhaps this was just my purchase, but I had to find and download 2 manuals. Judging by some of its settings, it appears that the CS-3070 can do more than advertised, but I can't find the documentation.

I plan on getting more.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia pro MK16A Android Unlocked Smartphone with 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, Touchscreen, 8

Bought it for my wife, was very pleased with the phone.

hardware keyboard & android experience & AT&T 3G these were a must criteria narrowed down to Motorola milestone 2 / desire Z / xperia pro

milestone 2 rejected as available in US only with Verizon as droid 2 (CDMA)

desire z not available in amazon , available in eBay costly for what it offers and z-hinge sounds terrible (in fact ordered one and then cancelled it)

The Xperia UI is very polished, and doesn't necessarily need to be replaced by stock android AOSP or CM7(CyanogenMod 7). No green android figures here, UI is aesthetically very mature, good for business environment. Looks like Sony borrowed UI elements from CM7. (Update: Lockscreen has limited options, cannot launch apps unlike Sense 3.0 and cannot control default music player from lock screen possible to control music player from lock screen for replacement music apps like 'Cubed')

The keyboard has a nice feel to it the space between the qwerty keys is adequate with just the right amount of travel (press feedback).(Update: Hardware keypad is backlit which switches off even if open after some time of inactivity to save battery)

the body is plastic which Sony rates as scratch resistant, but its a 'fingerprint magnet'; screen is good.

One very nice thing hardware buttons in the front which is gradually disappearing from all touchscreen models. So it helps when you got water on your fingers.

the 'contacts' app list supports full integration with Facebook. overall nicely done. Default number option for a contact is not present.

The battery should be good for an android device(1500 mAh), i have not tested it fully yet. looks like it should hold up full charge for 35-45 hours or so. showing 76% left after 11hours of heavy use (lots of calls mostly, surfing on WiFi if required) have to test on weekday for realistic figures. (Update: My office desk is at basement so VERY poor reception, the battery lasted about 33 hours with heavy usage)

Performance is good, could work with GPS (Google navigation) while playing music. Office editor , virus scanner, pre-installed. Swype can be installed and works just fine. (Update: Quadrant Score of 1447)

Loudspeaker is good (loud too). Music (Sound reproduction) is quite good. (Update: Music player has some limitations (like no repeat option or may be i could not find it; can be replaced by any other android music app)

(Update: StorageComes wth 8GB Class 2 MicroSD card)

Skype has the potential to utilize video calls it starts up but closes when Skype detects that device is not officially supported (i guess software restriction) front camera resolution is ok.

Primary Camera tested only in low light its good day photos should be better, (8MP, HD video).

Curious thing Headset provided looks like Sony proprietary. It did not support my other Phone's headset (Palm Pre)

Customization Supports custom ringtones. did not root it yet (as the phone's for wife).

Rest all features are android standard, android version Gingerbread 2.3.3.

Apps suggested to make the phone complete Extended Controls, QQPlayer, Root Explorer, Swype, Lookout, Dolphin Browser, EasyTube, Skype etc.

Did not test DLNA, only some of the Sony bloatwares can be uninstalled.

Overall verdict -

'must buy' if need unlocked, no contract, android with hardware keyboard with AT&T 3G frequencies. T mobile patrons should go for G2.

I have had this phone for a month now. I can report that I am quite happy with it so far.

Call quality is good, especially the speaker phone, use that feature all the time.

Apps load very fast.

Battery life goes fast if you stream video but that seems to be the case with all Android phones.

I installed Advanced Task Killer and end any applications that I am not using. This has helped tremendously with the battery life. I usually will have 50% left when I plug it in after a normal work day.

Qwerty keyboard is very nice, camera takes good pictures and videos.

This phone does not come with a screen protector so I would recommend buying one with it. I used my phone without a screen protector for the first two weeks and could see faint scratches starting to form.

Buy Sony Ericsson Xperia pro MK16A Android Unlocked Smartphone with 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, Touchscreen, 8 Now

WARNING: If you need to use tethering on this phone (MK16a) don't update the phone to ICS (4.0.x) because it won't work. It seems that there is something wrong with the update for the 2011 Xperia "a" models and tethering doesn't work in any way (USB, WI-FI or Bluetooth).

Having said that... Currently I love this phone becouse the QWERTY keyboard and because the speed with Gingerbread 2.3.4. With ICS the phone ran very slow even when I rooted the phone and used Titanium Backup to remove some of the sofware that came with the phone (e.g. Let's Golf).

Because of the tethering issue on ICS I decided downgrade to Gingerbread 2.3.4, and found that the 4.0.2.A.0.42 build have an exploit that makes it possible root the phone with that version.

Now the phone is running like a charm, very fast and all is working fine.

The screen of this phone isn't as good as the Samsung's but it's ok.

Other thing that I realized is that it doesn't have sensor light to automatically adjust the screen brightness.

Overall this phone in good hands is an amazing phone for less than $300.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Ericsson Xperia pro MK16A Android Unlocked Smartphone with 3G, QWERTY Keyboard, Touchscreen, 8 Here

I promised myself that I would wait until Sony Ericsson came up with a better cell phone than my C702. Until recently, no cell phone had made me drop my C702. Don't get me wrong, I loved my C702; however, I needed a cell phone that was able to get a 3G or faster Internet connection. Enter the Xperia pro! I fell in love with it at first sight! I knew that this was the phone that would satisfy my needs. The phone is aesthetically beautiful and extremely versatile! I love the HDMI connectivity to my Sony Bravia HDTV! I also love the HD camera and the 8.1 mp still camera! I also love the fact that I can connect to the Internet via my Xperia pro wherever and whenever WiFi is not available! I can even create my own Internet hotspot from my Xperia pro! Wow! The QWERTY keyboard is super easy and comfortable to operate! Oh! I almost forgot the voice-operated search using Google! And, if you have the right Bluetooth headset, you can press the earpiece and activate the voice command to call anybody on your contacts list without holding the phone! I can just go on and on! One thing that I hate, though, is the fact that Sony Ericsson does not have a case for it! I have had to settle for inferior-quality products. I will keep checking, though! Overall, the Xperia pro gets my "Two thumbs up!" rating!

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I LOVE THIS PHONE.

Product was as ordered. I have no complaints.The graphics are AWesome, the 32gb micro I bought was just what it needed even though it came with an 8gb.

OMG... The camera is off the hook, the audio is greaaaatttt.

The front facing camera is okay but whatever. SONY ROCKS

Tecsun PL-390 DSP Digital AM/FM/LW Shortwave Radio with Dual Speakers, Silver

PLL Synthesized AM/FM/LW/SW Radio with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Technology
Dual 2.5" Speakers prvoide FM broadcasting in stereo
Patented ETM Tuning (Easy Tuning Mode) plus 550 memories
12/24 Alarm clock with C/F thermometer + Sleep timer + Built-in battery charger
Earphone jack for private listening & Line-in for MP3 Players

I was very excited to receive this radio after doing a lot of research on reasonably priced but feature rich shortwave radio receivers. Several radio hobby sites metioned this radio in very favorable terms. Indeed when the radio arrived I was pleased by the build quality of the unit, and the feature set that the radio had, especially the DSP chip.

I was able to pull in a slew of shortwave stations in quite clearly (of course a lot depended upon time of day and atmopsheric conditions.) I could routinely receive signals from Asia, Australia, South America and Europe. Most came in very clearly especially considering the 390 is not a high end radio. The 390 pulled in over twice the amount of stations the Sony ICF-SW7600GR I had purchased before this radio.

I was very pleased with this radio in the beginning. So much so that I bought two as gifts and another for work. After having the unit for three days, the 390 started to continually freeze up for no reason. I would have to remove the batteris, wait 20 minutes and put the batteris back in. The day after that the tuning dial went wonky. So before the other radios I ordered arrived I had to send the first one back. My opinion of this radio plummeted shortly thereafter.

The other three radios arrived. I thought it best to test them before I gave two of them as gifts. I ran each of them for a seven day cycle, carefully testing then out. One of the three was bad right out of the box with a defective display and a defective tuner. That one went back to Amazon for a replacement. The second unit had terrible radio reception on all bands and very poor sensitivity. The third froze up continually from the beginning.

So four radios ended up going back to Amazon for replacement. To make a long story short, after several exchanges to try and get four that worked properly, I ended up finally getting two that worked properly. At that point I gave up exchanging the 390's and kept the two I had.

What I found most intersting and aggravating at the same time is that I received several radios that were consecutive serial numbers, and none of them performed the same way even though they came of the line at the same time. I'll use radio reception as a prime example. I set up three of these radios up side by side (all three consecutive serial numbers) and the quality of signals they could pull in were all over the map. One could pull in several stations very clearly, one pulled in almost as many stations in fairly well, and the third could not pull in any sations clearly and had a constant buzz .

So as much as I love the feature set of these little radios, they suffer from the worst QC I've ever encountered in a radio.

What prompted we to write this review, is that one of the two I still have has just started to continually lock up.

Until Tecsun can improve the QC on their radios I suggest you avoid them all together. This is another glaring example of a great product ruin by unforgivably poor Chinese quality control.

Buy Tecsun PL-390 DSP Digital AM/FM/LW Shortwave Radio with Dual Speakers, Silver Now

I've had two of the PL390's, do not install the batteries backwards like I did with the first one... there is a nice clear picture next to the battery compartment that I didn't look at because I didn't want to fish for glasses...

Some sellers include the batteries, earphone, charger, etc. and some don't, check what you are getting before you click the button to purchase..

I've been a radio afficionado for many decades. I first started hearing about Digital Signal Processing a long time ago and was looking forward to the day when somebody would provide the capability in an inexpensive chipset so consumers could have the experience... for FM it's a yawner, nothing gets much better but for AM and Shortwave it's a huge benefit... I had an expensive Sony handheld that would scan for available shortwave stations. It could only detect if there was a signal or not so it would collect all these frequencies that had just some steady noise. The Tecsun 390 detects intelligible signals when it scans, that is a whole 'nother level of scanning... I tossed out the 20' antenna on the beach once and the scanning found 60+ shorwave stations with intelligible signals and not a single noisy carrier one... I was very pleased with that. For Medium Wave [AM stations] it's a fine piece of gear, if there is noise, just narrow the bandwidth and tune off the center of the frequency and many times the noise can be reduced and the otherwise unintelligible AM signal can be understood just fine... The radio does have the two speakers, that probably helps with FM music a little, it all sounds fine to me basically but it sounds a lot better with the supplied earbuds and better yet with some high quality headphones... being able to recharge it with a wall adapter or from a USB computer port is very neat, the included batteries charge in a couple of hours and last me many days with the radio in use an hour or two a day...

Read Best Reviews of Tecsun PL-390 DSP Digital AM/FM/LW Shortwave Radio with Dual Speakers, Silver Here

The Tecsun PL-390 World band Radio is an excellent radio. The radio has multiple band from AM / FM / Short Wave. I live in the Texas Panhandle and

it's hard to get radio stations in the immediate vicinity,however the Tecsun PL-390 easily receives radio stations from distant locations. I'm very

pleased with the qualities of the radio and the price I paid for it. I recommend this radio to anyone who enjoys good radio programs and excellent reception.

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I have just received my new PL390, two days back.

While playing with it sitting near my laptop in India, I was thrilled to note that on SW 9870 KHz this radio played flawlessly. I am sure that all other radios would have caught RF noise so near to the computer. :-)

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After reading many glowing reviews for the Tecsun PL-390 I picked one up at Amazon. I was particularly looking forward to connecting it to my iPod. What a a cool little radio this is! I love the digital tuning, the ability to set up to 550 station presets, the very compact size for a dual-speaker configuration, the ability to pick up AM,FM and SW broadcasts. The manual is OK, but it's a tad complicated to figure out the tuning at first. Once over that tiny hurdle tuning is really simple. Hooking it up to an iPod is easy. All you need is a stereo connect cable. The bass response is a bit weak, but what do you expect from a radio this small? Included in the box are the radio, a set of cheap earphones, a small extension antenna, the manual and a cool carrying case that holds everything. Install a set of three AAA batteries and you're all set. I'm enjoying my Tecsun PL-390 and if you're looking for a small, battery-operated, stereo radio that you can connect to your iPod, I think you ought to check this baby out.

Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather

Emergency radio with all 10 NOAA weather channels and an alert override function
Features AM/FM radio reception, a clock with an alarm function, and a 3-LED flashlight
Rechargeable battery can be powered by dynamo hand crank, or included AC power adapter
Constructed to be water resistant, and backed by a manufacturer's 1-year warranty

I hope I can give you some useful information about this radio and give you new ideas on simplifying your emergency items. I have been reviewing emergency radios for too many days, I think for most of us we want something portable for emergency AM or FM weather information and NOAA information and alerts during a loss of power that might last for a few hours or several days, I'm not looking for equipment to survive without power for months in the wilderness, just keep in touch and out of the dark during the emergency. I was considering the Eton RH500 (cool factor) but after reading about all the Eton radio models, I could not help but notice one serious concern with all of them, most reviewers said the Eton radio reception was not very good indoors... which is where I'm going to be during bad weather; an emergency radio without excellent radio reception has little value in my opinion. I opted for the Midland ER102 and I am very pleased. I like having the Dynamo feature, but I do not put a lot of value in it as my thinking is that all the emergency products I purchase must use AA batteries; they have a shelf life for 6+ years and they are cheap... aprox. $10 for 24 name brand batteries at W. Mart... The idea; one battery that fits everything! As for this radio; I live outside of the city and the AM and FM reception inside my house is excellent even without extending the antenna it picks up well, I can pick up 3 NOAA weather channels, two of them loud and clear, and one NOAA channel loud and clear without extending the antenna. Some reviewers complain about sensitive tuning; as for the tuning... the tuner is an analog (not digital) tuner with a digital display and it scrolls very smoothly (all the emergency radios that I have found use analog tuners.) To get clear reception it is not necessary to hit your station exactly (but is easy to do), as with analog tuners we have always tuned into the general area of the station then moved the knob back and forth until the station is clear, you never thought about it being sensitive since you just listened for the best spot without observing a digital display. Is the dial sensitive... no more than any other analog tuner, it might seem that way if you are looking at the digit to the right of the decimal point while rapidly scrolling, however a light touch when fine tuning and I find the tuner actually easier and much quicker to tune than if the display was the old analog type display other emergency radios have. The 3 LED flashlight is surprising bright, the backlit LCD display is very bright, AC adapter is included, the alarm is easy to use and it's kind of neat to look at the display and see the current temperature constantly displayed. I will note that I have a newer Nokia cell phone and although the radio comes with several adapters mine was not in the mix. Again this is not important to me as I don't want to crank the Dynamo for 5 minutes to make a very brief call.... Better idea; buy a portable emergency cell phone charger that fits your phone. This $5-$20 device (you guessed it.... works on AA batteries) will allow you to start using your phone within 30 seconds of plugging it into a dead cell phone and talk say 2 hours on one AA. If you want to go all out you can purchase Lithium batteries which last longer than Alkaline and have about a 15 year shelf life. Storms and power outages are stressful enough and lots of work, I say keep it as simple as possible... and a bonus, all my stuff fits easily in a small drawer in the kitchen.

My 3 watt LED flashlight (about 80 lumens) lasts 2 hours on high, my Sylvania LED Mini Lanterns (L562) last up to 200 hours on 4 AA's and they are as bright as many large lanterns, and this Midland Radio all use the same cheap AA batteries.... $20 buys 48 AA batteries and will last me a long time, how about 72 AA's on hand at a cost of $30.... I can go for weeks.

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Excellent AM/FM and NOAA weather radio reception. Decent sound for a small unit. Easy to use.

Some of the items in the Technical Details section on Amazon are incorrect:

1. There are only 7 NOAA weather channels.

2. The cable for the cell phone charger is not USB, it is a 3.5mm 2-pole connector with standard in-line plug adaptors for some cell phones.

The manual states that to charge the internal battery pack from the AC line or hand crank the "Power Selector" has to be in the "AC/DYNAMO ON". You need to either turn the volume all the way down or put the "Alert Type Selector" in "Alert" in the WX mode. The power has to be in the "OFF" position to charge a cell phone from the AC adaptor or hand crank.

The LCD display "Backlight" switch is in a funky place on top under the carrying strap so you tend to turn it on inadvertently. It shuts off after 3-4 seconds.

Read Best Reviews of Midland ER102 Emergency Radio with NOAA Weather Here

I have done a good bit of searching before getting this emergency radio. There are many choices out there for this type of radio. After reading many reveiws I picked the Midland 102. "Features" prevailed over weight. I will also be using this radio for backpacking/camping trips. The reception is great. Even indoors with the antena down it gets great reception. It's not the smallest radio. It is small enough to fit in my backpacks upper cover pocket. The LCD display is great. Along with the other many features it has. Tells Temp, alarm clock, weather alarm that can be set to silent flash warning. Light is small but ideal for searhing for something in a pinch. Three differnt ways too power the radio is great. I tested the lentgh of life with power on board before having to use the crank. It was atleast two days of near constant use. Or close to eight to ten hours. After cranking for three minutes. The radio played for close to an hour. The sound quality was exceptional for the speakers size. When holding the unit in your hands it won't feel like a cheesey piece of plastic. So far I am quiet pleased with the Midland 102. The only reason for four star rating is I can not attest to it's durabillity since I have only had the radio just over a week. If you get this unit you will have made a decent educated purchase, that was worth the effort in finding an emergency radio for your family. Hope my reveiw helps you out.

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I have a cabin in the mountains and don't have TV or Internet access. I was up there not too long ago and found about about a snow storm just a few hours before it hit. I happened to be driving and heard the emergency broadcast system alert go off in my car radio. That's when I thought it would be a good idea to have a weather alert radio in the cabin.

I went with this one because I liked the multiple power source options: battery, charged up from the plug, and the crank. I also liked that you can use it to listen to a regular AM or FM station and it will switch over to weather should an alert become active. It can also be off and in a stand-by mode but will activate if there is severe weather.

I recently went to my cabin and had this radio up there for the first time. I was able to find a clear weather channel (several, actually)as well as a favorite FM station even though the cabin is a bit isolated I barely get a cell phone signal.

That evening I was listening to the FM radio when it went into alert mode and started providing weather information. It had been raining and apparently there were now some flash flood warnings, watches, etc. as well as high wind issues in the area. It worked just great.

I didn't bring the charging plug and had not got any batteries for it yet, so I was using it just off the charged up internal battery. I estimate, on the conservative side, that I got about 10 hours of listening time before the battery ran down. I thought that was pretty good.

I also did some work in the crawl space of my cabin while I was up there. Again I was able to bring this radio with me to listed to FM. By the time I had emerged from my work, it had gotten dark. Used the flashlight to get back up into the cabin. Handy.

This radio is small enough to move around easily. I put it in a medium size duffle bag that I pack my clothes in when going away for a couple of days.

The sound quality is not fantastic, but I didn't expect it to be. Remember car radios that had that one speaker up in the dashboard. Gets the job done, but don't look for the bass and treble adjustments!

I think this radio deserves a strong consideration if you want to be sure you are alerted to severe weather at home or a vacation spot. The clock, alarm, temperature display, freeze alert, etc. are all icing on the cake.

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I bought this radio to have on hand for an emergency if the power fails, disaster etc. It does what it says and I pulled it out of the box to give it a try.

It does have a USB port in the back under the rubber flap that the AC charger plugs into. I did try and use it to charge my iPhone to see how it worked. It will only charge while you are cranking the handle at a fairly vigorous pace, I guess if the power was out and you wanted your cell phone to work you could charge it, I just hope you have a few people with you that can also crank as it gets tiring pretty fast.

The Crank handle seems a like it is a litle on the flimsy side and may not last very long if used a lot.

The radio dial is a bit touchy but stations can be tuned in, you just have to be light on the knob.

M901 4GB 4.3" H.264 Touch Screen MP5 Player with TV-Out, eBooks Read aloud, Full HD 1080P and 8GB TF

4.3" touch screen with 480x272 high resolution.
Built-in 4GB memory, Supports TF card up to 16GB.
Supports H.264 and full HD 1080P video playing.
Supports TV out and USB port, eBooks Read aloud, and voice recorder.
Supports FM radio, alarm clock, Games, Dictionary.

I must say I don't really like this product. I am having troubles already with downloading music onto the sd card and having them play onto the product. It keeps telling that they are not appropriate files? I have tried formatting it and it doesn't work. I may have to return it?

SimplyVibe SV-X6U1-Black Rechargeable FM, MP3 Player and Portable Speakers w/ DSP Bass for iPad 2, i

LED Display shows the name of song, singer and support 20 kind of language
FM radio: Auto search stations and support FM recorder that can play back FM songs/programs
Turbo bass Technology w/ DSP subwoofer bass blaster, High fidelity sound!
Plays FM radio, MP3 from a USB Flash Drive or a SD Card! Need to format to FAT32 for all USB and Memory Cards, up to 32 GB
Headphone output jack and 3.5 mm input cable: works with and amplifies all Android/iPod/iPad/BB devices

I was looking for a clock radio with good sound and some other features. I didn't notice the teeny tiny size measurements, 6.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches. Fits in your pocket. There's no on/off switch --you need to read the manual and have a good memory to know how to do that. There's no plug -it charges off your computer, and doesn't keep its charge for very long, even when not in use. I wanted something to entertain me as I fall asleep and then turn off on it's own. Apparently, if I were to turn on a bright light and grab a magnifying glass, for the teeny print instructions and teenier print on the unit, I could re-set the turn-off mode every night, and then return it to the computer every morning to recharge it. The time dislpay is too small to see a couple feet away with just-woke-up eyes but can be seen from close-up with reading glasses. The sound is good. It takes re-setting with the teeny buttons and display for every function desired.

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For many of you "bitrate" is not interesting, for you: the unit has respectable bass for a portable unit, but it is a portable unit. It is not a stereo. However, a stereo won't fit into a suitcase, or fit in your hand. The radio has a nice clear sound. It works well if you hook up an external mp3 player, useful for "lossless" encoding fans.

Now my real review: (for people who know what "lossy" and "lossless" encoding are.

For mp3 encoding, pretty much any player will play any mp3 you create. A nice encoder is included with windows media player (no, i'm not kidding!), media player uses the frauhofer encoder which, if set to 320 kbps, is the best overall encoder for mp3, and honors their patent.

Where the simplyvibe speaker shines is that, for me, I have had no problems playing quality 98 Vbr files, also obtainable using media player. The 98 quality files sound almost as good as the cd, and since you are using an sd card, file size should be less of a problem. Not too many mp3 players will play the higher bitrate vbr wma files, this player has for me.

a note about the display, it doesn't seem to display the last few characters of the filename, but usually enough to identify the file.

also, i cannot find a way to randomize playback, though someone else may.

the filename window is useful for finding your place in an mp3 audiobook, also if listenning to an audiobook, if you want the unit to shut off after , say, 30 min. do the following

1. hold down menu (the clock will come on)

2. click menu again briefly

3. use the left hand toggle, just under the screen, to go to sys settings

4. click menu briefly

5. left hand toggle, to light up "tool"

6. click menu briefly again

7. power off set is lit, click menu briefly

8. adjust setting with the right hand toggle, setting is # of minutes till shutoff

9. CLICK MENU TO SET TIME

10. wait for screen to go to clock

11. click mode to sd card mode.

Anyway, that's what I know so far.

ADDENDUM: note addition of bold type step 9.

Also, you can think of the menu button as an enter key and the play button as a cancel button.

I have discovered that you click menu briefly while your music is playing, a menu option cycle mode comes up wherein you can change to random playback.

Also, a thought, for people (Re: Parents) who want an mp3 player which has a speaker instead of headphones, this is an excellent solution. It is a good idea to avoid headphones when you can, because headphones are not really good for the longevity of your hearing. (especially in the ear canal headphones). The simplyvibe has excellent sound, and a very good speaker.

One sad note, there is a little distortion at high volume levels, so to correct this you may have to reduce the volume slightly. For personal use, or in a moderate sized room, it works very well. It has excellent tone.

I'll post any additional thoughts as they occur.

PPS. I had a realization tonight about encoders, the best encoder for a player is probably the one that corresponds to the decoder which is in your hardware. For physical mp3 players this is probably the fraunhofer encoder/decoder because they have the patent and an mp3 manufacturer has to buy their decoder from the patent holder. For pc software that is downloaded, you may have to experiment. Also, there are different fraunhofer encoders available. There are fraunhofer encoders in media player and itunes, and I believe there are some command-line encoders available. To determine the best encoder, you may have to use the empirical method and see what works. Try everything you can, use what works.

Read Best Reviews of SimplyVibe SV-X6U1-Black Rechargeable FM, MP3 Player and Portable Speakers w/ DSP Bass for iPad 2, i Here

My laptop speakers are pretty crappy, so I was looking for some portable, compact speakers that had decent sound quality. Well, this one has all that and more! The sound quality is really fantastic, much better than I was expecting even after reading all the good reviews on Amazon. It sounds nice and clear and doesn't distort at high volumes and as for volume, it can get loud enough to fill a medium room.

I also really like the radio mode, which is useful, even though I admittedly don't use it that much. I primarily employ it as a laptop speaker, and the connection and setup is quite simple and takes up minimal port space just the audio line, in fact. I love that the battery is USB chargeable. I just charge it with my wall socket ipod usb charger and it's ready to go, no need to take up usb ports on my laptop.

The screen is really useful too, and just a nice thing to have.

And lastly, the design it looks great and complements my samsung 9 series very nicely. I also like the slightly rubberized bottom, which helps keep it stable.

All in all, a freakin awesome product! I would definitely recommend it for college dorms, which are short on desk space and often in need of some music. :)

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I bought this product on August 29th and at the beginning of December it quit working. The deadline to return it has passed and now I am stuck with it. Don't waste your money.

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This thing took a lil bit to figure out, but once I read the instructions THOROUGHLY> It was easy! Everything you need to know is in the instructions, I just had to read them a few times before it all sunk in...lol This small speaker/radio does so much & the sound is just AMAZING! > Loud, clear and full of bass, just unbelievable for such a tiny speaker.. And the FM radio was easy to use to scan for channels & it picks up many more stations than my home stereo, and they are crisp and clear. I inserted a 16 GB SD card and connected it to my PC and easily transferd music files to my device. I am so happy & impressed with this small speaker/radio that I am going to buy a few more for gift and one for the garage... This thing is just amazing.

Degen DE1127 AM/FM/SW Pocket Radio with 4GB MP3 Player, Voice Recorder & E-book Reader

4 GB flash memory MP3 player for music, radio program, e-book (TXT file only) & voice recording for up to 215 hours (40 kbps)
248 preset memories + built-in charger + LED back-lit display
Digital clock + Sleep timer + Key lock + Numeric volume indicator
Pocket-size world-band radio with built-in speaker & earphone jack for private listening
30-day money back guarantee & 1-year Manufacturer's warranty

I have only had this a few weeks but it seems to do everything I wanted it to do. It arrived safe and sound.

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The DE1127 is much smaller than I expected. The performance of both AM and FM is better than I expected. Changing batteries is a challenge as has been documented by others. Often, the radio will come back to life with menus set to Chinese only. In order to set the unit back to English, or your preferred language, if different than Chinese, you must carefully count the menu steps through two levels of menus to arrive back at your preferred language setting. Not difficult, but genuinely a pain to do, until after you've done it a few times.

The sensitivity of the voice recorder is poor, so I would not judge this unit suitable for recording classes or meetings, but it's fine for verbal personal note taking. When recording from the radio, it sets the volume of the radio to a rather loud fixed level, which cannot be altered while recording. Also, while recording radio programs, additional digital hash/noise is occasionally introduced into the recording that is not present while listening to the radio alone.

Don't buy this unit for the recorder, buy it for the radio. (It's nice and small, and sounds good and performs well for its diminutive size.) Just remember this radio is as delicate as it is small. It will not survive rough treatment, but should be fine if you treat it with care.

Oregon Scientific FSW301A-K Modena Ferrari Speedometer Line Weather Station

WILL NOT pick up central time no matter how many times I reset it. Always 2 hours behind. Other then that problem, it keeps time and the rest seem to work fine. And the engine sound will definitely shock you awake.

This is a nice product for every Ferrari fan. It's still a little complicated to use = would be nice to have a simple "Alarm ON/OFF switch"

Still my husband liked it a lot.

BUT... unfortunately the tiny plastic cover that holds the batteries in broke. Without this little piece of plastic the batteries won't stay in.

After contacting the manufacturer I just got the simple answer:

"..We are sorry to hear that you are having issues with your Oregon Scientific product.

We apologize but the battery cover is not sold separately. Please be advised that we don't sell parts and we don't have repair sites for our units.

Hope this information helps...."

No, it did not help at all, so I wrote back asking very politely why it is too difficult to sell a little piece of plastic to a customer.

They never got back to me.

I definitely cannot recommend buying Oregon Scientific products!

Buy Oregon Scientific FSW301A-K Modena Ferrari Speedometer Line Weather Station Now

Fun but informative product with the Ferrari name. Seems pretty accurate and the system was easy to set up, program and get running. It doesn't offer a whole bunch of data but enough to know from the basics. Ideal for the office desk. The outdoor sender unit is best placed where it cannot be affected by too much weather. The sender unit is not that weatherproof. Overall a good product and it makes an ideal gift.

Read Best Reviews of Oregon Scientific FSW301A-K Modena Ferrari Speedometer Line Weather Station Here

This is an awesome weather station. The temp is precise. It's full of features. You are sure to love this station, if you choose to purchase it. The only problem that I am currently experiencing is that the atomic clock seems to be picking up Pacific time rather than Central. I will surely get this figured out though.

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It lasted a month, until it fell off a low table and the battery compartment door broke. There're two tiny little pieces that holds the door in. One of them broke off when the clock fell, which rendered the unit unusable, because it was the only thing keeping the door in, thus keeping the batteries in. The clock looked great and we were very happy with it. But the design is flawed when it comes to the battery compartment. Now it's just a box and useless.

Sprint Flash 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

This was given to me as a company phone and I am so glad that we got rid of it. When on business, the key things I need are good call quality and fast internet speeds. I've been on Sprint all my life and this phone does not give Sprint's fast 4g network any justice. It is at least 50% slower then my current Samsung Galaxy. Despite that, the Android software is pretty nice since it is taken down to its minimalist roots, and has some pretty neat photo-editing features.

What I like:

-4G (despite it being slower then my current Samsung Galaxy)

-Photo editing features

-Android 4.0 is taken to its roots

-Price is okay (although the HTC Evo & Galaxy Nexus cost the same and are much better)

What I don't like:

-Bulky design

-Photo quality is terrible

-Slow internet

-Terrible Call Quality

Overall, 3/5, I am grateful that my company got rid of this and upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy

Motorola - 89563N - HD Dock for Droid Razr Maxx

Be careful when purchasing items for Motorola RAZR. Read description carefully. Product good and what I ordered but ta the time I purchased item the "HD !Razr" was not even on the market yet. My error no complaint with company. Item was described properly.

Portable Mini AM FM MP3 4 Band Weather Radio w/USB & SD Input & Torch Light

AM/FM/SW 1-2 Band Receiver & MP3 Playback
High Sensitivity Receiver
Built-in USB Input
Built-in SD Card Slot
Built-in Flash Light

I was looking for a portable radio with USB and SD ports to play mp3 music. This one fills the bill nicely. The radio has AM and FM and two SW bands which are great to listen to late at night. The bonus feature is the flashlight. Now I have a radio that I can listen to my mp3 music on and if there's a power failure due to a storm or other factors at night, I also have a flashlight handy. A great radio for twenty bucks. Update: Two hours after I wrote the original review, the SD port stopped working. I got a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) from One Stop Shop/Outlet (Apparently they are the same company, and returned the radio. Shipping cost me $12.84. This was well over a month ago. To this date, I have heard nothing from One Stop Shop/Outlet and the money has not been returned to my bank account. I keep getting the run around from their customer service. My advice is to steer clear of this company.

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I wanted something cheap which does the trick and this fits the bill. What's more, it has a slot for an SD card, together with another for a USB connection, and that's not to mention the powerful torch. In truth it's a little plasticky, but, hey, you're hardly laying down big money here. A good purchase.

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