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

Elgin 2-in. LED Auto Time Set Alarm Clock

Elgin 2-in. LED Auto Time Set Alarm Clock Material - PlasticI expected that this auto set clock would use the atomic clock to make sure that it's accurate, but it does not seem to do so. I bought 10 of these for a facility and they are different by a couple of minutes so they aren't super accurate. Additionally the LED was out on one of the 10. Overall, I suppose the price is right, but I expected a bit higher quality.

I did not read the description carefully enough. I thought this clock would set itself automatically based on a radio signal. That is not the case. It has a built in clock run by a button battery. When power is returned after an outage, it will use the time from the internal clock (which could just as easily be inaccurate).

Also, the display tends to be a little too bright at night even at the dim setting. The red and blue LEDs and the unnecessary information (I know that I am in the Central time zone, even at 3 in the morning) make this look somewhat like a pinball machine.

Buy Elgin 2-in. LED Auto Time Set Alarm Clock Now

The Elgin 4537 LCD Alarm Clock is simply the best example of horrible design I've ever encountered in my decades in electronics and computers. The sleek front has three buttons: Up, Mode and Down. "Up" and "Down" control setting of the clock (but only when certain switches on the back are set in particular positions); the "Mode" button is a) not connected to anything, b) performs no function, and c) is not mentioned in the laughable "user manual," which is written in a language that vaguely resembles English.

The back of the unit has no less than five different switches, with 17 different settings among them. The "PMCE" switch (with four positions) sets the clock of Pacific, Mountain, Central or Eastern time...but nothing says that; you get to figure it out for yourself.

The setting and enabling of the alarm is confusing to me, and I'm an experienced systems designer. After I set the alarm, it took me hours to figure out you have to set a switch on the back to "TIME SET" to be able to see the current time. Confusing much?

What's good about it? A huge Snooze button on top; I never use the Snooze function. The clock automatically sets itself to current time when plug into A.C., if you're incapable of doing that yourself (and, if you like to run your clock a few minutes fast, as I do, you're not allowed to do that).

Don't waste your time on this good looking clock. The operational features will drive you nuts...if you ever figure them out. There's a reason it's cheap!

Read Best Reviews of Elgin 2-in. LED Auto Time Set Alarm Clock Here

Awesome clock from Elgin. When I received this clock after purchase I took it out of package and plugged it in. The clock set itself. The power has gone off in our house a few times because of storms. I went to check this clock and it had already set itself to the correct time. Thats what I call trouble free. The large numbers are also cool.

Want Elgin 2-in. LED Auto Time Set Alarm Clock Discount?

This clock arrived with the faceplate having fallen out, but it appeared to be undamaged and I snapped it back in. I was disappointed that the numbers weren't as bright as expected, unevenly illuminated, and the colon between the hour and the minutes is a very dim, steady (unblinking) blue.

The biggest problem is that the clock does not wake me up. When the alarm works, it's not very loud. But most of the time, it doesn't work at all. I've set it four times and it has not gone off at all three of those times. Twice, I overslept an hour. The alarm was still set but silent in all three cases when I awoke after the set time. I will have to buy still another alarm clock, because I cannot depend on this one!

Since I wrote the above, several months ago, I have depended upon a different alarm clock to wake me up each morning. The Elgin clock is used only to display the time.

Save 51% Off

iLuv Modern Sound 30-Pin Stereo Speaker Dock

iLuv Modern Sound 30-Pin Stereo Speaker Dock
  • Understated elegance, complements any room.
  • Powerful built-in stereo speakers for incredible depth and clarity.
  • Features clock display options, creative alarm sounds, searchable weather forecasts, Internet Radio and more with the iLuv App (FREE from the App Store).
  • Play and charge your iPhone or iPod with one connection.
  • Auxiliary line input to support any audio device with a 3.5mm jack.
  • LED indicator for ON/OFF and Volume.
  • Built-in stereo speakers allow you to hear your music with depth and clarity
  • Plays and charges your iPhone or iPod
  • Watch YouTube videos, movies, run appsand play games while docked
  • Auxiliary line input for any audio devices with 3.5mm jack
  • Power On/Off and volume buttons with LED indicator

The iMM288-01 is a very basic stereo speaker docking unit for the iPhone and/or iPod. The docking station has only three control buttons: on/off, + and volume control.

The unit worked right out of the box and installed the required app as soon as I plugged in the iPod, but I am moderately disappointed in the sound quality. It sounds a little "tinny" and the bass tones could use improvement.

On the positive side, the iLuv app does include access to Internet Radio, multiple clock displays, alarm sound options and access to some weather information. Since the unit itself is simple and the app installed easily even someone technologically challenged can feel confident that they can buy and operate this dock. Of course there are also tons of other apps that you can use if you prefer to customize your options.

I wanted a docking station that would charge my ipod so that I can listen to podcasts while I'm cooking without running down my battery the way I currently do when connecting to a set of regular stereo speakers and for this purpose the product suits my needs. Still, even at the discounted price of $68.64 it seems a little overpriced considering its mediocre sound quality.

Ease of Use: 5 stars

Sound Quality: 2 stars

Price: 2 stars

Overall Rating: 3 stars

Buy iLuv Modern Sound 30-Pin Stereo Speaker Dock Now

I love the iLuv. I've been using it on my desk with both my iPod and iPad. I especially enjoy using it with my iPad because I can set music image displays while listening to music, or watch videos. The iLuv has a cool slick design, all black, that melts into the background. You simply plug it in and turn it on. Place your ipod on top and operate. It charges the battery while you use it. It's great! And, the sound quality is top-notch. It has a nice even, lush, balance. I'm really enjoying mine and I highly recommend it to all my friends. Cheers!

Read Best Reviews of iLuv Modern Sound 30-Pin Stereo Speaker Dock Here

I'm using this with my 1st generation iPod Touch. I'm not an audiophile, but I can tell that the sound coming from this dock isn't as good as what comes from my iMac computer speakers (it's an iMac I bought in 2007, and its speakers produce a "warmer", more in depth sound, than the iLuv dock's sound). This dock is not as good as what I get from my Sennheiser PX 100 headphones, and it's lower quality than what I get from my stock stereo system in my Honda Element. But this is what I expected, this little dock being what it is. For what it is, it does an alright job. When I crank up the volume, there's no tinny sound or static.

Pretty simple unit: There are 3 buttons along the top (Volume down, Volume up, Power on/off) and there's a 3.5mm jack on the back if you'll be using a 3.5mm male to male cable to connect your MP3 device to this dock like if you wanted to connect an iPod Shuffle to this dock. This 3.5mm male to male cable is not included with this dock, so if you don't already have one you'll have to buy it separately (they're about $7-8).

A little detail: The product photo shows a blue LED in the upper corner to show when the dock is powered on, but the dock I received has a white LED. If you use this dock in your bedroom and prefer a pitch dark room to sleep in, this one white LED is like a spotlight in a dark room. I put a piece of black electrical tape over the LED so it won't bother me at night.

I've only had this dock a week, so far so good, but if there are any longevity problems, I'll be sure to update.

*UPDATE* Using this on an end table next to our bed, my husband and I have noticed that when this dock is turned on and our iPod Touch is in the dock, the dock makes a fluttering heartbeat sound. It's very noticeable in a quiet bedroom and we can even hear it when the dock is playing music.

A note regarding price: When I wrote this review, this dock was priced at $55 (an okay price), and a week later it's at $70. The list price is $89.99. As this dock gets up to the $70 price range, the competition offers a lot more for a little more money. For example, the Panasonic SC-HC20P-K Compact Stereo System is $91 (for a new unit, and it's $77 for used-like new condition) and in addition to an iPod dock, it also has a CD player and FM/AM radio with presets. If you're looking for an iPod dock, you may want to consider the Panasonic unit.

Want iLuv Modern Sound 30-Pin Stereo Speaker Dock Discount?

This was immediately given to my 12 year old to see if he could set it up. You just HAVE to give it 5 stars for "ease of use". He had it set up 1-2-3 and had downloaded the free App for the alarm clock feature which he loves and uses every day. No, it is not the high quality of an expensive sound system. We have Bose speakers in the house, so we do have some perspective on quality! Honestly, I'd give it a 5 star review if it were based on my son's opinion. If you want to spend more money for high quality sound, then yes, you might want to shop around a bit more. I am perfectly happy with this system for our use 12 year old bedroom.

UPDATE: ONE MONTH LATER.....our iLuv no longer charges the iPod. It is only used for speakers only. It's a shame because we really liked the product. I must change my original 5 star to a 2 star now totally based on durabilty. It should have lasted longer than a month. I'm very disappointed.

Save 48% Off

iLuv iMM288 Stereo Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone

This iPod dock is a lower level device in this category. It has mediocre sound quality but maybe for this price range that is to be expected. Still, it would be nice to be surprised that it's better than the price belies. Well, not so much with the iLuv.

It is very basic in its feature set. It has the dock connector up front, a mini jack in the back (for non-iDevices) and three buttons, volume up, down and power. It's simple to deal with, for sure. The instructions steer you towards some iLuv apps in the iTunes App Store. They are very basic but give you an alarm clock the weather and some music/radio like channels. The good news is there are countless other such apps, many free, that perform these functions far better. At least they did provide an app to complete the package. Given the sound quality, I'd stay with talk radio or other less demanding sonic type stations. I tested the iLuv with a first gen iPod Touch. That device has no speaker so this is an opportunity to get some sound out of it. It's an OK device but I really wish the sound quality was better. At the current price point of about seventy dollars it's too high for what it is. If it goes on sale for twenty or so less maybe then it can fill an inexpensive need.

LG 620G Prepaid Phone (Net10)

LG 620G Prepaid PhoneI've read many reviews of this phone, and I used to sell cell phones for a couple of years...so this may (or may not be) considered a well-informed review:

Good:

Clean and stylish looking

Automatic key lock when you close the slider

Largish display

Decent camera

Has a video recorder

Slider is strong, not cheap feeling

Large keypad

The Not-So-Good:

Navigation isn't the best

Changing ringstyles sort of awkward

Call volume control isn't on the side of the phone (can be adjusted using "joy stick" while on a call, however)

Caller groups automatically added to your contact list (not a big deal, I just deleted them...I see little value to caller group id's)

I don't use my cell phone for web services or games, so I don't have an opinion regarding this phone. If you are nit-picky about being able to change features on your phone and customize them, you may not want this phone...the fact I gave it four stars only means it's four stars as far as it meets my expectations.

As noted on other reviews: if you want to use the fm radio and mp3 capabilities of the phone...you should find a different phone...you will be disappointed as you'll need to purchase a special headphone to use the radio, and you can't store much music-wise.

I consider my tech abilities above average, but my cell usage is generally pretty basic.

What I really like about it:

Great looking phone...no one sees it and thinks "hey, he's using a prepaid phone"! Not too small, not too big, and light. I really enjoy the slider feature and that it automatically locks the external buttons once the slider closes. I like the display size, camera, and video recorder. Call quality is good, too.

I'm not basing this review on Net10, however, I've found it to be good service...same as Tracfone's service (obviously, owned by Tracfone), which is what I switched from. Activating and porting your number is simple. Everything is self-service, and intuitive, so I'm glad I have little need for talking to customer service.

After an atrocious experience with T-mobile I moved my family onto several pre-paid phones from different providers so that we would have time to decide exactly what we wanted before signing another contract. I have to say that after 3 months on pre-paid service, we are unlikely to go back to a contract.

I picked up the LG620G after reading several good reviews. It does have some nice features: compatible with micro SD cards (only 2g), an mp3 player and radio (the radio requires external antenna), a decent size screen and a few aps installed, also usable as a data phone. It's a clam shell design, so it is small and easy to carry and the screen is protected.

Net10's plans are pretty reasonable: 10 cents/ minute or Net10 has a $25/ month plan which includes data and text.

The bad:

It is a somewhat cheesy looking plastic phone; not the worst, but not the best either.

Many of the features are clunkly to use. The first time I tried browsing with it I was told I had to log into my phone. I still have not figured out how to read email on an external website with it. The data usability was so bad that I stopped using it after and hour or so of playing around to see what it could do).

It has a usb connection but does not come with a cable (or car charger). The cable can be purchased separately, but I have not yet found a car charger for it.

To use the mp3 player you need to move the music onto your micro sd card using an adapter (also not supplied). Using the card is also awkward, as it sits under the battery inside the phone, not in an external slot.

Regards the service: I read a review of net10 which said that service is great, unless you put "customer" inf front of it. The folks I have spoken with at customer service are nice, but not very capable. Some have good command of English and some, not so. Their customer service is in the Dominican Republic). I have not been able to buy minutes online, over the phone (either cell or land). There's a problem with whoever processes their credit cards, such that I was told it was denied, when the card companies said it was not. I now have hundred of $ "pending" hanging in suspension, and ultimately had to go out and buy a physical card to use the phone. My reception, clarity... is better than T-mobile, but not as good as either what my son gets on his At & T LG Prime Prepaid GoPhone (AT&T) with $50 Airtime Credit or what my daughter gets with Virgin Mobile.

Ultimately I wish I had gotten myself an LG prime. The screen is larger, and it is a touchscreen. it has an external memory card slot and takes up to 16g cards. It has better reception, getting signals where I can't. At&T customer service is much easier to deal with. Most significantly, it cost half as much (or less on one I bought black Friday week). At& T has a plan which is *identical* to net 10s, a straight 10 cents/ minute. Their flat rate is now $2/ day unlimited (which is on the high end).

I would recommend this phone only if you are already on net10, have credit you do not want to lose, and are otherwise happy with their service. The 10 cent /minute plan is great for those of us who do not use a cell much (for others I would recommend Virgin mobile).

I am staying with net10 for the time being because I paid $40 for this phone (which is too much for 2 months worth of use. However, I wish I had bought the LG prime instead and if we stay with pre-paid, I likely will ultimately pick one of those up.

******************************************************************************

I am revisiting my review having purchased yet another cell phone :p (gee I have a lot of phones; one could even say *too many*). While the LG 620g performed OK, the service at net10 was pretty awful. I could seldom actually use the phone. sometimes having to stand in the middle of the street to get a signal... and sometimes not being able to get one no matter what I did!

Beyond that, the price of the LG touch has increased so much I would no longer recommend it (i paid $10-20 for it taking into account the credit AT&T provided. They have since raised the price and reduced the credit to where it has become a pretty expensive phone, and... there are better choices for the money). I recently got a palm pixi plus Palm Pixi Plus Verizon Cell Phone ~ No Contract a pretty basic smart phone (i.e. it is not an android, BUT has *a lot* of features for this price range. It actually cost less than the LG620g (I paid $36 from a marketplace seller), activated on pageplus cellular on advice from several reviewers. and oh my what a change! I can get a good signal anywhere! and, unbelievable, it costs 1/3 as much! In fact, I am so happy with it I have bought 3, replacing all of our phones (but my husband's... who is happy with his LG touch... and has lots of minutes remaining on at&t)... but is still considering a palm pixi.

I still think that if you get a good signal from net 10 wherever you are and are otherwise happy with them, this is an OK phone... but just OK, and with all the new offerings in prepaid phones, is probably not so competitive any more; no way as good as the pixi at the same price.

Buy LG 620G Prepaid Phone (Net10) Now

I very much love this phone, more for the fact that it is on NEt10 rather than the phone itself. The phone works great, got a camera and a multimedia player and all that, very sturdy and reliable. The service is outstanding however. I did a little research and learned that it's because Net10 uses the Verizon and ATT towers to broadcast its service, which means it is truly nationwide. Also, it's darn cheap at 50 a month for unlimtied and 25 a month for 1000 minutes. Woo!

Read Best Reviews of LG 620G Prepaid Phone (Net10) Here

I have used Net10 for several years, as a "back up" phone to compliment my regular service, with a smartphone from Verizon.

The service (leased from AT&T, I think) is fine in my area, and I have had no problems with dropped callsa plus! The phone is very basic, and great as a back-up/emergency phone, or primarly phone for people who do not desire/need all the smartphone features.

To me, the best part of Net10 is the price I do not know of a cheaper way to have a cell phone, particularly if it is not used much. At the moment, I have a rollover minute plan( on their site) that renews for only 15.00 a monthquite a bargain!

I could easily see this as a primary phone for kids, and perhaps for senior parents, who "just want a phone, THAT WORKS!". The camera is nice too!

Nice phone and a VERY affordable range of plans to select from!

Want LG 620G Prepaid Phone (Net10) Discount?

I have been with Net10 for one year and using the LG620G for the last five months. Overall, Net10's service is very good when it comes to connections (no drop calls!), affordability, freedom (no contracts; no hidden fees) and a good variety of calling plans, from the standard 300 Minutes/60 Service Days plan at $30.00 to the Unlimited Monthly Plan at $50.00 (seven different interchangeable plans altogether and they can be purchased online, by phone or at tens of thousands of retailers like Walmart, Target, KMart, RadioShack, Walgreens, Dollar General, and many more).

The customer service is extremely poor, but one has the option of contacting them through their Facebook page (see net10.com) or direct to their corporate office (CorporateOffice@net10.com). My research reveals that those are bettet options to deal with any issues that may arise, although I have not had a need to contact them at all. Just once did I have to contact customer service by phone and the issue was resolved to my satisfaction although after long waiting periods. Another tip: If one speak Spanish it is better to use their Spanish line since it is easier to communicate with them in their native language, usually in Colombia). If not, one will be contacting a rep in India, Pakistan or the Phillipines with very limited knowledge of the English language, although not less polite. By the way, I have experience dealing with them calling for other relatives that use TracFone and SafeLink. TracFone, SafeLink, StraightTalk and Net10 are all operated by TracFone Wireless, Inc., and they all use the same customer service infrastructure.

The LG620G cell phone itself is very good, especially considering the price. It has a nice, sleek look; it is pretty much sturdy, a compact size for easy carrying, but still great size of keyboard and screen. While I don't use the FM radio feature much, I do use the MP3 player alot and am very happy with it. The web is slow, could be expensive if one is using any of the pay as you go plans, as opposed to the unlimited monthly plan, and uses a WAP browser. Personally I stay away from it since I use my laptop anyway, and only use it ocassionally like to check the local weather, if needed, or to check sports scores if away from my laptop. I don't do texting all that much, but when I do it is easy and comfortable to do so.

I certainly would recommend this phone to anyone, especially if in a budget, and I would also recommend the Net10 service. I must confess: Net10 has made me a fan!

Save 83% Off

NAXA Electronics NRC-157 Digital Alarm Clock with Digital Tuning AM/FM Radio and CD Player (Black/Si

NAXA Electronics NRC-157 Digital Alarm Clock with Digital Tuning AM/FM Radio and CD Player
  • Top Loading CD Player
  • Digital LCD Display Alarm Clock
  • AM FM Radio Stereo
  • 20 Track Programmable CD Memory
  • Alarm, Snooze, and Sleep Functions

Very poor tuning. Uses an analog knob to tune the digital display. It has a digital display but appears to not tune in discreet steps as a digital tuner does. Very difficult to settle the digits on a specfic FM station, like 92.1. You hear the station as you approach the correct numbers and well after passing the numbers desired, like an old analog tuner. Appears to be a poor quality receiver, poor selectivity, poor sensitivity. Very tinny sounding. By the time it was given as a gift the "exculsive 30 day return policy" period had expired. Put it back in the box and stuffed it in the closet. Wasn't worth spending more money to return. Will give it to Goodwill. I gave a rating of 4 stars for features, it has what I wanted, but is very poor quality overall. Remember: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!! I "ass-ume" that this seller does sell some better quality am/fm cd player clock radios.

Buy NAXA Electronics NRC-157 Digital Alarm Clock with Digital Tuning AM/FM Radio and CD Player (Black/Si Now

CD player broke within 2 days. Naxa NX-157 DIGITAL ALARM CLOCK WITH DIGITAL TUNING AM/FM RADIO AND CD PLAYER

Read Best Reviews of NAXA Electronics NRC-157 Digital Alarm Clock with Digital Tuning AM/FM Radio and CD Player (Black/Si Here

The light on the front is very bright, it will light up your room at night. My didn't work properly after a week so I returned it and didn't get another.

Want NAXA Electronics NRC-157 Digital Alarm Clock with Digital Tuning AM/FM Radio and CD Player (Black/Si Discount?

The display light is on only when the radio is playing. When radio is off there is no back light. There is no way of seeing the time in the middle of the night. The tuner was hard to set on a channel. The speakers were scratchie as if the dial was off the station. When the radio was on it would display the radio station and not the clock. Strange. Sent it back the same day I recieved it. The radio has pontential, maybe a little more engineering.

I just took it out of the box, read the instructions, put in a known-good CD and pressed play...it didn't work. Got another known-good CD, inserted it, pressed play...nothing. (Yes, the volume is set correctly tested it with the radio function, and yes, I set the switch on the side to use the CD function, and yes, the other CD player buttons work correctly the skip track, random, program, and other buttons seem to work fine.) Everything else seems to work, but I bought it specifically for the CD function and its ability to be programmed to shut off automatically after I go to sleep listening to a CD.

When I received the product itself from 4AlarmClocks, it was packed in its own box and shipped inside a larger cardboard box with packing materials. However, the product box was badly dented on one corner, though the shipping box had no damage. I suspect it was dropped or crushed in the distributor's location before they repackaged it to send it to me, and that may have something to do with the defect. In other words, the manufacturer may have shipped a working product to 4AlarmClocks, but the distributor may have damaged the product before it reached me.

Performance Teknique ICBM-9723 6.2-In TFT Touch Screen,Double Din,Dvd Player ...

Performance Teknique ICBM-9723 6.2-In TFT Touch Screen,Double Din,Dvd Player ...
  • 6.2-Inch TFT Touch Screen DVD and Monitor
  • Front USB And SD Card Slot
  • DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW/SVCD/VCDCD-R/CD-RW Compatible
  • Wide View Angle
  • Touch Screen Control

The company, Performance Tekniques, seems to be out of business since their email bounces and a different company is answering the phones. This unit seems to be one of the few in-dash, double din DVD player Performance Teknique made but they have a ton of amplifiers. It seems to be very good quality for only $175 and looks as good as other units that cost $1600 or more. It seems to be well made, every bit as good as a JVC, Pioneer or Kenwood and better than a Sony or Alpine. All the buttons and controls work well and the display has a very good picture, bright and clear. It doesn't have Bluetooth, steering wheel control or GPS but it does have external inputs for audio and video such as from satellite radio tuners, TV tuners, a rear view camera, SD card slot, USB and control for an iPod. Lack of GPS isn't a big deal these days since everyone is using their cell phone anyway but Bluetooth would have been nice. There is an odd thing going on with screen brightness. The car's light switch dims the screen like it is supposed to but only around the outside and the background image while the text on the screen, such as radio station frequencies that are bright white, stay the same brightness. Also, when listening to an external input like satellite radio there is no display on the screen and it's black except for a message saying there's no input. It should have some way to display photos or something in that case. I've also noticed that reflections on the screen make it hard to read sometimes due to the shiny surface. It isn't really shiny like new TV screens are now and has some anti-reflection coating but it's not enough to eliminate reflections completely. Playing AVI copies of movies and TV shows from an SSD works very well.

It remains to be seen how well it holds up but the main problem so far is the lack of a user manual. Most of the functions are obvious and the wiring diagram is printed on the top of the unit but instructions for using it would be nice and email to the company bounced and I haven't been able to find a manual online either.

Sound Storm Laboratories SD354 In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver with 3.6-Inch Widescreen TFT Monito

Sound Storm Laboratories SD354 In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver with 3.6-Inch Widescreen TFT Monitor with USB, SD/MMC Card Ports and Front AV Input
  • Resolution: 960 x 234 pixels
  • Brightness: 400 NITS
  • Digital PLL Tuning Radio
  • 30 Station presets 18 FM/12 AM
  • Output power: 80w x 4 channels
  • Single DIN mounting Full detachable flip down front panel DVD/VCD/JPEG/MP4/MP3/WMA and CD compatible USB portSD/MMC Card PortFront Audio/Video input Compatible with audio output of iPod and other MP3 players
  • Built-in 3.6" widescreen TFT monitor Resolution: 960 x 234 pixels Brightness: 400 NITS NTSC/PAL/PAL-N/AUTO compatible On screen display menu Digital PLL Tuning Radio30 Station presets 18 FM/12 AM
  • Illuminated controls Preset EQ response curves Separate bass and treble Balance and fader controls Loudness Stereo/mono switch Local/distance switch
  • Mute function Digital clock display Last position memory Repeat/intro/random 1-Bit D/A converter ESP (anti-skip mechanism)
  • Rear view camera RCA input with trigger wire Dual Audio (front and rear)/Video RCA outputs Subwoofer RCA output Wireless remote control Output power: 80w x 4 channels

Pros: Good picture quality, fairly large screen. Supports USB, SD card, DVD, CD, and MP3/Ipod connections. Contains everything needed to install. Remote Control. You can connect multiple tvs to this dvd player, if you have multiple televisions.

Cons: If you have multiple subwoofers, consider purchasing a RCA splitter, as this has only one output for amp. The SD card is inserted under the face, between the hinges, this requires you to remove the faceplate to remove SD card. When closing the faceplate, you have to use a little bit more force than I like, but it does open and close properly.

Other Thoughts: Consider purchasing an SD card for extra storage. Remember when formatting video for SD and USB, to use MP4 or WMA formats. Overall good dvd/cd player for the price.

Buy Sound Storm Laboratories SD354 In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver with 3.6-Inch Widescreen TFT Monito Now

I really wanted to like this stereo, simply because it has an LCD which should mean it is (supposedly) easier to find MP3s on a USB drive, DVD, SD card, etc. Well, while this device has its Pros (incl working with a 32Gb SD card), overall it falls short (well, rather slams on its face) on all the promises.

So here are the Cons which made me award 1-star rating and return the unit.

Plugging USB stick cuts off the DVD disk, so forget about having a USB drive and a DVD full of MP3s loaded. No swapping between those sources if USB is plugged.

slow operation (switching sources, reading media, etc).

overall operations logic and less-than-intuitive layout of the buttons.

Very small (almost unreadable) font for MP3 names.

no rear USB port.

non-detachable bulky wire bundle on the back of the unit (see picture).

But the real deal breakers were:

No easy way of navigating folder by folder using the buttons on the unit. I learnt that I have to scroll all the MP3 names in the folder and I have no way to jump between folders. Genius! So you can imagine the frustration if you have say 10 folders of 50 songs in each. Supposedly (maybe!) folders can be flipped via the included remote, but I never use those anyway. Besides the documentation is weak and only hints on how this whole folder thing works.

the unit TURNS ITSELF ON every 30 seconds if my 4Gb USB stick is inserted. Pop the USB drive out of the USB port and the unit stays off. Very strange!

My short verdict: AVOID.

Read Best Reviews of Sound Storm Laboratories SD354 In-Dash DVD/MP3/CD AM/FM Receiver with 3.6-Inch Widescreen TFT Monito Here

I was really impressed with the timing of the delivery. I got it at 2pm and had it installed by 5 from the radio dealer. But when he came to say it was finished he told me the tuner on the radio didnt work but the dvd player works great. Now if i wanted a cd player i could have bought a walkman only.

Olympia OL 3000 Infoglobe Digital Caller ID with Real-Time Clock

Olympia OL 3000 Infoglobe Digital Caller ID with Real-Time Clock
  • Combination clock and voice message center
  • Stores up to 76 caller ID records
  • 100 Year calendar
  • 3 Programmable alert messages
  • 1-Year warranty

I liked this concept so much, however the actually function was not as good as I expected. The machine uses a spinning electrode to display information. This make a fairly audible humming sound that bothered me.

My biggest complaint is that the globe displays information all the time. I was hoping the unit would have a "sleep mode", and would only display a incoming call, but it doesn't. Thus if the unit is turned on, the unit displays date and time, or other messages 24-hrs a day. This was distracting, we sent the unit back for a refund.

Buy Olympia OL 3000 Infoglobe Digital Caller ID with Real-Time Clock Now

I consider myself lucky after what I have been reading. I do have the version that takes the 3 aaa batteries and for a week have not had a problem. A little noise but when you normally set things up, it is quiet and you have to understand how it works. It is bound to make a little noise....hey, it is a toy! Have fun and enjoy.

The only thing I agree with is the setup is somewhat confusing. Read the instructions a few times and you will figure out how to do it but there are still a lot of "clicks" to enter your 6 messages.

I do want one at work too.

Read Best Reviews of Olympia OL 3000 Infoglobe Digital Caller ID with Real-Time Clock Here

I've had mine for almost 2 years now and love it. I've noticed a few people complaining about an EEPROM ERROR after a lightning storm. i recently experienced that as well. just unplug it and take the batteries out for 10 minutes, plug it back in, put the batteries back in and reset the memory per the manual and all should be fine!

Want Olympia OL 3000 Infoglobe Digital Caller ID with Real-Time Clock Discount?

I never used caller ID because I never made it to the phone before it kicked over to take a message. But this Globe thing has changed that. A half second after the phone rings the caller's name is circling the globe in bright letters I can see across the room. It also tells you how many caller ID's are stored so if you come back from lunch and that number has ticked up then you know you misssed a call without having to check the phone.

The kids love it because I program the globe to say hello to them. These messages randomly come up in between the time and date. It even tells the dog that she is a good girl.

I got this for my parents for Christmas after their other caller ID died after an electrical storm.

My mother called to tell me that it was working and quite entertaining to watch. She said it made an audible noise, but since neither of my parents hear too well AND since they sleep with the TV on, it doesn't bother them.

My less than perfect rating is that the thing shipped with almost dead batteries. Batteries are included, but after my mom hooked it up, the message it read out was "Batt Low."

Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver)

Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone
  • Compatible with all iPod products with a 30-pin connector (except iPod shuffle)--this includes the newest iPod nano and touch models; also compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G and 3GS, and iPhone 4
  • Advanced PureDigital sound processing technology offers vastly superior sound performance; higher signal-to-noise ratio
  • Smart sound design brings you the best bass reproduction possible
  • Acoustic volume allocated to each mid-range driver perfectly matches its acoustic requirements; low tones come out deep and tight, delivering strong and rich bass
  • Most top-grade audiophile appliances allow the display to be turned off for absolute enjoyment of music, and for power to be focused on sound reproduction; with the proximity sensor feature, you can enjoy that, too

So this is my first video review I have ever done so please excuse the "ummms" LOL.

----Side by Side sound comparison -----

I thought I would give a video review a shot to present the sound quality of the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock as well as compare it to the BOSE sound dock which I already own.

From what I understand the quality of BOSE is considered to be one of the best so someone out there might find value from a side by side comparison between the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock against a BOSE sound dock.

Over all the sound is very, very good to even great. In the video I am playing a song ("Space Lord" by Monster Magnet) which has a good amount of bass in the song. At the volume I am playing the song on the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock the bass notes end slightly distorted. The best way I can explain "notes end slightly distorted" is if one note of bass is 2 seconds long the sound doesn't start with a distortion but rather when the sound of the bass ends you can hear a bit of static or distortion.

In the video review I say "You are not going to be able to compare this to a BOSE" .

And what I am referring to is the bass sound between the BOSE and the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock. The bass produced by the BOSE is cleaner and BOSE is able to handle bass at a greater volume.

To be fair the base static/distortion is slight and nothing I may have noticed easily if I wasn't looking for problems and comparing the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock to another quality sound dock. This may not bother the average user but someone who is connoisseur of sound, bass and /or music and is critical of these faults may not be able to easily look over this.

The PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock has great projection and full sound which can be heard across the house. The sound quality comes extremely close to the quality of my BOSE sound dock which cost about $200.00 -$300.00 more.

Good Points:

* Sound quality is closely comparable to a unit which costs $200.00 $300.00 or more

* Great sound projection

* Full sound

Bad Points:

Nothing really "Bad" but a few note worthy.. not "perfect" items to list are

* Bass notes end with a slight static/distortion

----USE WITH APPLE IPHONE -------

I own the Apple Iphone 3G.

Good Points:

* No static / feedback when playing music on the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock

* Able to still receive phone calls when Iphone is docked and playing music

* PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock remote is able to control (Volume, Rewind, FastForward, Pause/Play ) using both the Iphone's Ipod application and Fidelio application

* Fidelio application is NOT required

Bad Points:

* Fidelio application is NOT required but must be installed to resolve the message "Application Not Installed ...."

* Incoming and exiting phone calls cause music to strongly distort.

When I first docked my Apple Iphone I received the error message

"Application Not Installed

This application requires an application you do not have installed. Would you like to install it from the App store?"

I chose "No" and it played just fine using the Iphone's Ipod application.

I found until you install the application "Fidelio" you will receive this message but it does not interfere with the Iphone's ability to play music through the Ipod application and the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock remote is able to control the Ipod application (rewind, fastforward, play and pause).

So if you have a guest using your PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock there is no need for them to install this application on their Iphone.

Incoming and exiting phone calls caused some problems for the Iphone. When the call first comes in and after the call hangs up the music becomes distorted for a few seconds. This distortion occurred 8 out of 10 different phone calls using both the Iphone's Ipod application and the Fidelios application.

Just a note I was making these calls a good 15 feet away from the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock so the distortion shouldn't come from the phone I was using to make the calls with.

--- Regarding the PHILIPS Fidelio Application ------

This is a free application which you will be asked if you want to install when you dock your Iphone.

Without the PHILIPS Fidelio Application the error message about "Application Not Installed" came up each time I docked my Iphone.

After installing the application "Fidelio" I received another error message that went something like

"This accessory is not optimized for this iPhone"

After I installed the application "Fidelio" I clicked on it and found it to be a player similar to the Ipod player except with a picture of a blue note against a background which changes colors (I uploaded a photo if you are curious). I did test whether the Iphone's Ipod application still worked with the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock and it does so the Fidelio application in my opinion is optional and only if you get tired of seeing the error "Application Not Installed".

The Fidelio application is described as

"Fidelio is a suite of applications that brings cool, new features to your Philips Fidelio docking speaker. With Fidelio, you can easily browse and play your music collection, control your speakers acoustic properties, and check your docking speakers battery health from your iPhone or iPod.

Fidelio also has a clock feature with multiple music alarms. Now you can set your docking speaker to wake you up playing your favorite music and displaying your favorite photo.

Fidelio is a free app created by Philips exclusively for use with Philips Fidelio docking speakers and the iPhone or iPod. It is not compatible with any other docking speakers.

FEATURES

Playback mode:

-Album/ Music navigation

-Playback controls

-Sound setting controls* (e.g. DBB, Treble, Bass)

-5-Band equaliser

"

Source: CNET Downloads

The clock feature on the Fidelio application can be found at the bottom of the screen where there are two little dots, similar to when your Iphone has multiple pages. Click on the dots and the next "page" is your clock option.

Sound setting controls can be found by touching the little "i" (as in info) found on the bottom right hand corner.

--- Physical Attributes ------

Physical specs of the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock here on the Amazon product page says it is 9 x 6 x 19 inches but I measured it to be 16.5" in length x 7" height and about 3.5" in depth. Perhaps they are referring to the box it comes in.

The PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock package came with a remote, CR2032 3v lithium battery for the remote, power cord, brick, instruction book and a line in cord so you can connect the PHILIPS Fidelio Sound Dock to other music sources.

In the video I reference the CR2032 3v lithium battery which is a type of battery I have only found to be purchasable over the internet or occasionally in stores which carry specialty battery types such as battery displays for hearing aids.

--Remote Control ---

After I created this review I noticed a few people here say the remote does not work with the Iphone which worked for me.

So I tested the remote out again to be sure I did not miss something. This time when I used the remote it moved back and forth between two songs. I checked the playlist and placed it on "Shuffle" and was able to FastForward and Rewind between different songs.

Buy Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver) Now

I had been looking for a iPod docking station/speaker for some time before I finally settled on the Philips Fidelio DS8500, mainly because I no longer use CDs (I buy music as downloads or copy the CDs onto my computer) and that I didn't (and still do not) wish to have a big hi-fi system with massive speakers and so on in my (not so terribly large) living room.

I tried out different speakers side by side, and I came to the conclusion that the Fidelio 8500 is the best overall speaker for the money. The Zeppelin, the Bose Sounddock 10, and the Fidelio 9500 are all better speakers, but they are more expensive. Quite a lot more. The Sounddock 10 (which I had originally wanted to buy) is 400 dollars more expensive, but to my ears, it is only between 50 and 100 dollars better as a speaker. The same could be said about the other speakers. The Fidelio 8500 has pleasant, full bass tones (which makes sure you don't get that 'tinny' sound so often found in small speakers), good mid and high tones, and it can play quite loudly distortion-free. Even at low volume levels it fills small rooms rather nicely, and if need be, it can fill larger rooms quite easily. I, for one, was surprised at the sound quality of this little speaker. In addition to its capabilities as a speaker, it also looks very smartly. It is definitely well-designed, and quite pleasing to the eye, making it a good alternative to massive speakers, which so often seem unattractive (if mostly to girlfriends or wives).

The speaker also comes with an aux cable, so you can hook up other devices as well, which is nice.

There is, however, a small thing, which I find rather odd and a bit annoying. I have a Samsung TV and DVD-player, and for some odd reason, Philips and Samsung have chosen the same wavelength to control their devices remotely, which means that whenever I adjust the volume on my TV or pause my DVD-player, it wakes up my Philips speaker (when an iPod or iPhone is connected, that is). To fix this, I only have to turn off the speakers (pull the plug), which makes it easily fixable, but still a bit annoying.

4.5 stars, with .5 subtracted for the remote interference. The best speakers you can buy for your iPod in that pricerange, and in fact very good speakers, period. Highly recommendable.

Read Best Reviews of Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver) Here

Let's get to the point

PROS

Awesome design

Great sound/bass quality

Not too expensive

Nice remote

CONS

It says it's "Compatible with all iPod products with a 30-pin connector" but it's not.

I have a 4th gen Ipod touch. At first, there was some noise from time to time when playing music, sounded like some kind of interference, I contacted the Philips people and said my ipod wasnt compatible.

I don't know why or how, but it stopped, and now it sounds perfect. The only thing is the remote functions doesn't work with my 4th gen, just the basics; play/pause, control the volume and move to the next or last song. But the menu button doesn't work so, I cant use many features.

If you have an previous compatible model I highly recommend it. If you have a 4th gen ipod touch like me.... keep looking

Want Philips Fidelio DS8500 Speaker Dock with Remote for iPod/iPhone (White/Silver) Discount?

Please scroll down for my original review.

**********************************UPDATE: Jan 29, 2011*********************************

Although I have returned this dock, I have yet to ship it back because I purchased the Soundfreaq Sound Platform last week. (Details Soundfreaq Sound Platform for iPad and Smart Mobiles). I decided to compare the 2 systems 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 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. 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 better sound, go with the Phillips.

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.

******************************Original Review from Jan 24, 2011**********************************

I was pretty excited about this product. It looked good and the reviews were positive. I did however, have 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 decided to check it out at the Apple store before buying it on Amazon to make sure it works with the iPhone 4 with a bumper case. The sales clerk at the Apple store mounted an iPhone 4 in a bumper case and it seemed to fit fine. For some reason they refused to plug it in and actually play it with the iPhone 4. They said that I'd have to purchase it, test it and could return it if it didn't work. Strange! I couldn't do that then because I was buying this for my wife who has an iPhone 4 and I didn't have her phone with me. Well, now I think I know the reason why they wouldn't let me try it out. It doesn't work with an iPhone 4 in a bumper case! The input prongs do not go all the way into the iPhone 4 because of the bumper case. Remove the bumper case and it works fine, but I don't want to have to do that every time. I don't profess to be an audiophile, so to my lay ears, it sounded great. But the reality is that after the whole antenna thing, a bumper case is almost mandatory on an iPhone 4, and in any case, I use a bumper case for added protection. Phillips should've designed this system taking that into account.

My other issue was that I decided to plug in my non-Apple MP3 player using the AUX input and I kept getting a hum. I moved the set away from possible electronic interference but the hum wouldn't go away.

Net, net: much as I liked the sound quality and the aesthetics, I had to return it because both my 2 mandatory requirements weren't met. I could maybe excuse Phillips for the bumper case thing but the hum with the AUX input is inexcusable.

Very disappointing.

Save 51% Off

I have been purchasing from Amazon for years with many pleasant experiences but have never felt compelled to leave a review before now. This unit so thoroughly filled all of my expectations that I just have to let others know. I purchased a refurbished unit that arrived in two days (two days!) and that was just the beginning of my love affair with this unit. I adore the sound and kick that comes out of this small, elegant egg. this unit is not to be confused with all those cheap, tinny sounding units out there posing as Ipod speakers. The speakers may be too close to get good stereophonic sound, but there is no compromise in fidelity. I read a review that suggested the Bose might be better for classical music and the Fidelio for Rock and there may be some truth in that but as far as I am concerned that is just splitting hairs. This unit sounds great! Plus, I always have a fully charged Touch 4gen when I leave the house.

Motorola W260g Prepaid Phone (Tracfone)

Motorola W260g Prepaid PhoneThis is a slim flip style phone that you get the basic description up above. I will concentrate reviewing what may help you decide if it's right for you.

First go to the Tracfone website to do several things. You will input your zip code to see what phones are available in your area (on the buy phone tab). After confirming your city, carefully check the web address page that will appear in your browser. Somewhere in the string of characters there will be either a GSM5AT (ATT and Tmobile), GSM5 (Tmobile), or GSM4 (ATT). Those are the two providers that Tracfone currently uses. This code will tell you who is in your area. If you are lucky to be in a dual provider area, select your W260g (or actually any other) carefully by looking at the white label on the bottom of the box (if shopping in a store). The phones (and sim cards) are specific to only one provider. The top line of the white label will have a string that will contain either TFMTW260SP5PSDM (Tmobile) or TFMTW260SP4SDM (ATT). Pick a phone for a provider that you have better coverage with in the area that you will be using the phone most often. You cannot swap a P4 sim into a P5 phone and vice versa. They are sold married to each other only.

Second, select this phone in a "Bonus Pack" package only. It is only a couple of bucks more and includes car and home charger, a case, earphone and most important "Free Double Minutes For Life" (FDML). That is what the last two digits in the code above stand for. This means when you buy a 60 minute card, you will get 120 minutes, etc.

Third, always Google "bonus codes" and Tracfone when buying air time for current offers that will add even more minutes to your card/phone. I typically buy a 60 minute card, get double minutes up to 120, then get 60 additional bonus code minutes. So a 60 minute card can get you 180 minutes.

Fourth, activate on line on Tracfone website. You will get 10 minutes free.

Fifth, when you first get assigned a new phone number, be aware that someone may have had it before you. They may have had a "history", such as bad credit. If you don't want to load up your voice mail with unwanted messages, do not set up the voice mail for a couple of weeks, or have Tracfone "unset it" up for you. You can also set the unwanted caller numbers up as "ignore a, b, c, d etc" in the directory. You then hit "ignore" soft button (the one on the right of select circle)when they call, and not lose any minutes.

Now the rest of the review. The phone looks nice and modern with a sleek shiny black surface. Feels good in the hand. The charging and earphone openings have plastic covers that swing out of the way when needed. Unfortunately when you unplug the charger you tend to grab the both the plug and the cover, and the plug feels like it does not want to come out, or worse it does come out with the plastic cover.

The battery life seems optimistic at 6.5 hours talk time and 18 days standby. While futzing with the phone and all its features (not on the air, but with screen on all the time) I managed to run down the battery in about 3 hours. Not using the phone much at all I had to recharge it in 4 days. That is still good for a GSM phone.

Keypad is just OK, the circular pad is a bit small and I wind up occasionally hitting one of the arrows rather than the center circle.

The screen quality is good. You can only set the contrast, not the brightness. The various W260s I saw, had a good degree of variation between them some bright with a bluish tinge, some dimmer and yellowish. Both are very acceptable.

The reception and voice quality are good to very good (not excellent). I had both the Tmobile and ATT versions, and in my case the ATT had much better signal strength.

The supplied earphone (bonus pack) is single ear, pretty good quality, the clip on holster is very good, and both home and car chargers fully recharge the batteries in about three hours (updated information).

PS Tracfone customer support has been excellent. They answer on the first ring, sometimes are a bit difficult to understand, but get the job done.

I purchased this phone from another site. I have had it about 3 weeks. So far, it is a good basic phone, and the battery life seems pretty good. The Tracphone pre-paid rate is good if you have the double minutes, and they offer promotions that give you extra minutes when you purchase time.

The main problem I had with it is that the instructions in the manual for selecting a different ringtone were poor. Neither I nor a friend could figure out how to get to the advertised 35 pre-loaded ringtones. (Both of us have owned cell phones before.) After several failed attempts, Tracfone's customer service (both a tech rep and his supervisor) said it didn't have different ringtones. (They also said that feature wasn't advertised for the phone on their website, although it is.) I called back a second time to complain that the features listed for the phone on Tracfone's website were misleading. This time, the technical rep led me through several different series of steps, similar to what I had tried before and, finally, after several different attempts and conferences with her supervisor, it worked, and the ringtones were displayed for me to select from. I don't know why it was so hard to do at first, but I have never before had this much of a problem setting this on a cell phone. I am pleased with it now that the ringtone is set--you can set the volume for the loud ring so that it is fairly loud. The customer service has always been courteous.

(If you have a problem with the ringtones, here is what you do:

from main menu select Ring Styles -> Style -> Loud Ring -> Select.

The phone will display "changed style", then return to Ring Styles with "Loud Ring Detail" on 2nd line.

Select Loud Ring Detail -> Alarms, and an "Alarms" menu will be diplayed, begiining with "Silent". If you continue to scroll down, you can see (and hear) the ringtones. Seems straight-forward, but like I said, I made numerous tries with no success. Repeat for "Soft ring". Ringtones will not display if phone is set to vibrate.)

I haven't noticed any other problems. My needs are relatively basic, and I don't talk on the phone frequently, although I keep it on during the daytime. I don't text, so I can't comment on that.

btw This is my first experience with Tracfone. I activated the phone after purchase, was given a number, then started the process to transfer my phone number from my previous cell phone carrier. They said they would send me a new sim card for my new number. I assumed I would have use of the cell phone using the number assigned on activation, but instead I was without cell phone service until my new sim card arrived. They did FedEx the sim card to me, but in the past I have not had a disruption in cell phone service to transfer my old number. I don't know if this is their standard procedure, but it was unexpected and somewhat inconvenient.

Buy Motorola W260g Prepaid Phone (Tracfone) Now

We got rid of our land line, we hardly ever used it anymore and long distance was too expensive in our area. We chose the Motorola W260g Prepaid Phone (Tracfone) because it was affordable, and came with the proper accessories and it also came with a plan that everytime we bought minutes it doubled them. The minutes are easy to buy, either you go to the store and purchase them, purchase them online, or you can buy a plan that adds them every month. Its super easy to set up and use, adding phone numbers is a cinch, and its display is simple and direct. I didnt want any bells and whistles on this phone, we didnt want a camera, or internet capability, or whatever else all the more expensive phones have to offer. I wanted to be able to make calls, send texts, and recieve both. I also didnt care about different ringtones because to me thats not what is important in this product.

The battery lasts a long time, charging is easy also.

I would recommend this phone for anyone who just wants a plain, simple, product that works!

Read Best Reviews of Motorola W260g Prepaid Phone (Tracfone) Here

DO NOT BUY A TRACFONE! I recently bought a year and 800 minutes service for my tracphone. This past week I received a text message from them that said they were canceling coverage in my area and I need to find another provider. No offer to pay for my remaining service. The wife called their help line in Asia and they had no idea what was going on. After some time they talked with someone that knew and we were told that our service would be shut off on the 25th. They had to have known this was coming but they took my $120 and never said a word. What a bunch of crooks!

Want Motorola W260g Prepaid Phone (Tracfone) Discount?

I have had cell phones since the 80's. I always had phones from the big carriers. They would die/break etc. They came packed with features i never bothered with. After getting completely aggravated with my last service provided I did not renew my contract and I picked this phone up. It is very simple, it seems flimsy but it's actually worked better than some of my higher end phones. I use my phone for the occasional phone call home or to a friend. I don't live on it. I have also used it to text a few times. My son has dropped it a couple of times and it's fine (not so with my last 3g phone) If you just need something basic without the hassle of a contract I would not hesitate to recommend this phone.

Unique 185 Hours Back-up Battery Life Time (Standby), Reecom R-1650 S.A.M.E Weather Alert Radio with

Unique 185 Hours Back-up Battery Life Time, Reecom R-1650 S.A.M.E Weather Alert Radio with AM/FM Radio, Alert Message and Effective Time Count Down Display At a Glance, 25 Event Memories
  • S.A.M.E. Technology, 7 NOAA Weather Channels, 90 dB siren, voice alert, and flashing LED
  • Easy Programming, Effective Time Display and Accurate Auto-Count Down (from 15 mins to 6 hours issued by NOAA) for Up To 25 Active Alerts Simultaneously
  • E.O.M (End Of Message) Detection - Automatically go back to the state immediately before alert receiving (radio previous state)
  • Defeat Siren Function, selectable up to 48 individual alert messages
  • Digital AM/FM Clock Radio, Auto Station Search, 24 Station Memories (12 for AM and 12 for FM), Sleep Function

My husband and I live in the southern U.S., which is starting to get tornadoes on the scale of what you might expect in Oklahoma and Kansas (we don't get the big F-4s and F-5s, but in one recent year our state had 36 funnel clouds in the month of April alone). In the springtime it can seem like you get a tornado watch or warning every other day. Since all the houses around here are built on limestone and we don't have a basement, it's prudent to pay attention to the weather so you can start getting your gear together to build up a bunker in your bathroom or inner hallway if it's looking like your house may get hit by the big one.

We bought one of these radios three years ago b/c we live right on the edge between two big counties, and it seemed a good idea to be able to receive weather warnings from both of them. We liked the radio so much we came back right away and bought another one....Then a third one after one of the first two suffered an acid leak from one of the AA batteries we put in it and quit working without A/C power. We get A LOT of power outages, so we needed to get another battery-op radio, now I'm back here buying another one to give my mom....

Things I like about this radio:

* It is LOUD. When the siren goes off, you can hear it on the other end of the house, and the volume telling you what's going on is loud too. You don't want to have to be fooling around with the volume switch if the message is 'TORNADO WARNING FOR YOUR AREA, GET IN THE CLOSET NOW.'

* You can modify the alerts. I set the weekly alarm not to sound the siren, and we really don't need to get waked up at 3 AM to be told there's a "thunderstorm watch". I keep the radio in the kitchen set to go off for all the alerts, but the one that will wake us up only sounds an alarm for a tornado warning.

* It gets a good, strong signal. We're pretty far from the NOAA station but you can hear that thing broad as day and with no fiddling around trying to tune in the station.

* The sound on it is pretty good. I listen to plain old FM radio on the Reecom I keep in the kitchen and it's got a pretty good tone on it.

* It's sturdy. Unfortunately my Reecom has hit the concrete floor a couple of times thanks to my cats knocking it off the counter. It's still going strong.

* It's pretty easy to operate. There's a big "RADIO" button and a "STOP," so you don't keep restoring to defaults or erasing your weather radio settings by accident.

The price on these is lower than it once was and I've had good luck getting my radios shipped from Reecom right away. I'm just glad they make a really robust radio for those of us who live in real danger from tornadoes, at least you know what's going on while you're cowering in the closet with your lights out. I also had tried the Midland and not been very happy with it I'll be back buying another Reecom if one of these goes out on me.

EDIT: I ordered two of these radios recently and had a problem with the order not only did Reecom call me before it even arrived to give me a heads up, they priority-mailed a new radio to me after I got the wrong order. Two thumbs up for their customer service, which is outstanding.

Buy Unique 185 Hours Back-up Battery Life Time (Standby), Reecom R-1650 S.A.M.E Weather Alert Radio with Now

I originally bought the Midland WR300 Weather Radio, and was so disappointed in its performance, that I went and read more of the 500+ reviews on that product. Based upon a few of the reviews, I ended up purchasing this item from Reecom, and returning the Midland.

Much better backlight (green vs the Midland's blue), and the biggest and most important difference is its simple setup and programming compared to the Midland.

Don't be fooled by the Midland's high ratings.

The Reecom costs a little more, but well worth the money.

Read Best Reviews of Unique 185 Hours Back-up Battery Life Time (Standby), Reecom R-1650 S.A.M.E Weather Alert Radio with Here

This is a very good weather radio with S.A.M.E. It's not perfect, but as close as any will come. Programming is cumbersome, performance is excellent. My wife and I sleep on a different level of our home than our children and I trust my family's life with this product. I have tried many and wouldn't use any other product on the market right now. Would get five stars if programming were a little more user-friendly.

Want Unique 185 Hours Back-up Battery Life Time (Standby), Reecom R-1650 S.A.M.E Weather Alert Radio with Discount?

Great radio packed with features.

This is my second purchase. The first one was given as a gift to my father.

The only item I do not like about the radio is the digital volume control. I like to set the music soft when going to bed and it seems the adjustment is too soft or too loud, unable to fine adjust.

Don't lose the owner's manual. You will not be able to program the radio without it. I suggest putting the manual in a zip top bag and taping it to the bottom of the radio.

5-30-2008. I have purchased four of these units for my family and recommended it to many friends. I did extensive research on current products and the Reecom unit is by far the best inexpensive radio (under $100) of its type on the market. If you want great service, reliable performance and the comfort of knowing that you will recieve available weather alerts during emergencies, then this unit is the one you want. I have no complaints after two years of service. My wife relies on it. It is so flexible that you can turn off alerts you do not want and it has a lot of useful features.

10-7-2012. I'm still very pleased with the Reecom R-1650 Weather Alert All Hazard Alert Radio with S.A.M.E and AM/FM Clock Radio after 4.5 years and am buying more as gifts. The warranty is only for one year, but my experience has been flawless for these 4.5 years, so I have NO complaints. There still isn't another radio that performs like this one at this price (which is lower than it used to be).

GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout (Silver)

GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout
  • Slim drawer-load programmable CD/CDR/CDRW player
  • AM/FM radio with blue backlit LCD display and rotary tuning
  • Adjustable kitchen timer
  • Dual front-firing speakers
  • Battery back-up remembers time during power outage (uses 3-"AAA" batteries, not included)

I love the fact that it is nice and compact but there is a lot of static and it is somewhat difficult to change from one function to another.The station finding dial has to be played with alot before you can get the station you want. Probably would have purchased a little more expensive radio if I had known. But it does serve it's purpose.

Buy GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout (Silver) Now

I bought this as a gift for my mom. I have an older version of this product at home and I have had no problems with it so I was confident it would be a great present for my mom. When she used it the first time the CD player made a constant humming sound that could easily be heard over the music. So....I sent it back and a new one was sent...it was the same. I know there are lemons for all products but I didn't expect there to be 2 in a row. I do not recommend this product.

Read Best Reviews of GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout (Silver) Here

I bought this for signficantly less at ALDI, but that doesn't make up for the fact that it is a piece of junk. The first one I got made a rapid thump/thump/thump sound when I played a CD. It seemed to be worse on higher tracks. I exchanged it, and the new one did the same thing. I see here that this is actually a common problem with these units. The radio is OK, but unless you turn up the volume to drown out the CD motor, the CD playing is pointless.

Want GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout (Silver) Discount?

the gpx under cabinet radio that i purchased didnt work properly, the cd player broke the second i went to use it. the sound was harible and the preset buttons didnt work. i do not recomend this.

YIKES! I've heard distortion guitar effects pedals that had less background hiss than this thing. Too bad I found that out AFTER I drilled four 1/4" holes in my cabinet. THREE CHEERS FOR WOOD FILLER!

This thing is a stinker. If CD players sounded like this in the 80s people would have stuck with cassette tapes. GPX how can you even put out something like this with a serious face? This is not some new technology... it's a CD PLAYER!

The good news is that it yanks out faster than it went in. GPX should reimburse me for my gas and time for selling such a pitiful excuse for a CD player.