Showing posts with label am fm radio for iphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label am fm radio for iphone. Show all posts

3V CR2032 BR2032 L2032 5004LC Lithium Button Cell Batteries (20 pcs/1 tray)

3V CR2032 BR2032 L2032 5004LC Lithium Button Cell BatteriesProduct received is GP brand 5 card retail packaging. I use them for PC CMOS replacement OEM batteries in computers and embedded equipment real-time-clocks in industrial applications.

Great price for these batteries. Used several one in a watch, one in a laptop, one in an older desktop, all working well.

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A good value , not the strongest batterys for sure but I guess quanity beats quality at this price point.

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We have battery candles at the holidays and being able to replace these kinds of batteries so cheaply is important . Great deal!!

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i have a lot of battery operated candles and this is the best buy i have ever got thanks so much

Coby MP977-4G 7-Inch 1080p HD Video MP3 Player with 4 GB Flash Memory with HDMI Output (Black)

Coby MP977-4G 7-Inch 1080p HD Video MP3 Player with 4 GB Flash Memory with HDMI Output
  • Experience high-definition video, music, photos, and text on a generous 7 inch LCD screen
  • Advanced processing supports 1080p video in a wide range of popular formats
  • Audio: MP3/WMA/FLAC/APE
  • World/alarm clock, calendar, and gaming apps included
  • FM tuner, integrated stereo speakers and 3.5mm headphone jack

This will be a brief review.

I ordered two for my kids. One had a loose battery--you can hear it moving/bumping around the device's insides when shaking it side-to-side. This one worked without issue but I sent it back since electronics are not supposed to have that "feature" built-in. I will keep the second one for one more week and then plan on sending it back because the fully charged battery completely drained after 3 days of non-use. (Note: lithium batteries are supposed to only drain 5-10% per MONTH.)

I am receptive to chalking up these two experiences as "flukes" because, when it worked, the device worked very, very well for a technology product at this price point.

BATTERY: Fully charged, using headphones, and set at its brightest--I was trying to simulate a long drive or flight environment--the device ran for a little over 5 hours before running out of juice. However, after fully charging it overnight and letting it sit 3 days unplugged from the charging cable and transformer, the battery lasted only 30 minutes before the device shut off.

DISPLAY: During the day, anything other than its brightest setting was not acceptable. At night, watching movies at the midway brightness was fine. Movies played without any pixelation. I used HandBrake to convert the movies; compression setting was H.264. File formats were MP4(MV4) and MKV.

SOUND: Sound through the headphones depended on the quality of the headphones. It sounded fine on inexpensive Sony kid headphones. Sounded great on my Bose headphones. Don't expect too much from the built-in speakers.

FILE TRANSFER: The device installed as an external drive. Simple drag-and-drop of files from my PC. A quirk of the Coby MP977 is that there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to how it organized files. Not alpha-numeric. Not by creation time. So I had to hunt down the title that I wanted to play.

OVERALL: The device appears to be a solidly built device. It's about the size and weight of a nice GPS unit. Movies played very well. Music files played nicely without issue. Menu navigation took about a few minutes to figure out. File management: you can't get any more straight forward than drag-and-drop. At this price point, I would have kept the last device. But the battery fully discharging after 3 days of non-use is simply unacceptable.

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UPDATE: 2011-June 26

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I ended up keeping this video player and I changed my rating to 4 stars and the title of this review from "A novel and ok product" to "A truly family friendly product."

My 3-year old loved this device too much so I kept it longer and now he thinks that it is his "iPad." (This device was purchased for his use so we have his videos on it.) I continued to test the battery life AND I am left with the conclusion that my initial "bad experience" was likely my own fault. Unused, the battery has remained near full for almost two weeks. I suppose it drains a little when I power it up and run through the menus just to see if I can leave a feature hanging. (I suspected that the original bad experience with the drained battery was due to the application not shutting down.)

I would have given this device 5 stars if the software to run it and the navigation buttons were more intuitive. Again, I would have preferred that the display were brighter (like B&N's Nook and iPad's IPS screen) but, then, the price point for this player wouldn't be where it is currently at. So...the only faults I can find with it are the software which is very basic and not intuitive, and the navigation buttons (power, options, menu, etc.) could also be more intuitive--something as simple as different shaped buttons to indicate the differing functions.

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bought this for my mom to have a small, portable, light, inexpensive tablet to have vacation pics & videos handy for viewing. I set it up for her & have messed with it off & on for a few weeks now. Overall, if you are just looking for a very good, basic multi-media player(mp3s, videos, pics, e-books), this gets the job done as advertised.

the good...

* good screen(box says display is 800x480 with 1080p output via hdmi), seems durable. i'm used to touchscreens so many times i've absent-mindedly touched the screen to get it to do something. it has held up well despite my bone-headedness.

* mp3s & pics play well, no problem. plays videos continuously, no need to start & re-start. plays multi-video formats out of the box. some high-end tablets cant/wont even do that. e-book reader and fm-tuner options as well(haven't used either extensively to be honest)

* haven't tested the hdmi-to-tv option yet, but it includes an hdmi cable for it(along with a usb cable, power adapter, protective pouch, stereo earphones, and a remote). instruction booklet included is thicker than the 1-sheet instructions for the big tablets.

* multiple useful features: micro sd card slot for expandable memory(box says max 16gb support), hdmi out, video out, usb port for easy "drag & drop" to your device.

the 'iffy'...

unintuitive controls. not difficult or complicated, just unintuitive. but you should be able to get used to them.

mp3s displayed by title(and features album art and basic visualizer), pics show up as pics, but videos are just listed with no indication of which is which. maybe there is a way to name them or better identify them but i havent figured it out.

battery life is only a few hrs or so for heavy video use. in fairness, it charges pretty quickly and actually charges while usb connected as you're transferring stuff.

amazon description says "gaming apps". where?

kinda thick, but very light in its defense.

no internet, touchscreen, cameras, or apps. not really a con at all, just clarifying.

(note: i bought mine used/like new on amazon from warehouse deals for $68+free shipping. got it in a week. done business with them before and will do so in the future. the coby 4gb 7" multimedia tablet and 'warehouse deals' vendor both recommended)

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this thing is great. It plays everything i threw at it. If you wanna rip a dvd vob files directly to the device and play it, it will play it. No lag whatsoever. Subtitles, great. I really cant say much bc i'm too suprised at it's versatility. I'd ramble all day about hlw great it is. BATT. LIFE.-----SO far on one charge, i have gotten over 5 hours of play and stil have 22 percent left. 33 percent was four hours of watching. Great product

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The product is good like other reviewers have suggested, and it takes most formats you throw at it, and will play them for you without any hassle. The only problem is, the build feels very cheap, and the buttons look like they will stop working in a day or two. Well, that's exactly what happened with our piece. One of the buttons stopped working, and its just a useless piece of device for us now -even though we loved it while it was working. I missed the return date BY A DAY! Will return it anyway as it is of no use for me in this state. I would go for something higher-end -something that's built to last, not something that lasts just the warranty period.

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I agreee with "Zarifa".

This unit was awesome on specs and on initial use. I purchased this around April 2011 I used this primarily as a player for the kids, bought a mount for the car, loaded up a few mp4 videos, and the kids were happy for long drives.

I was also amazed that this player could decode H.264 MKV format files for playback. (My Motorola Xoom at the time was having trouble with HD content)

However after 4 months of use, the charger / USB port broke, and that was it. Without power, it's just one big piece of paper-weight. I checked the warranty on this, and it's valid for only for 3 months. I originally paid around $100 for this, and spent an additional $50 on accessories like the mount and the Micro SD cards.

I was great at the start, but I feel let down by the the cheap build. I guess it landed up being more like a 4 month rental.

Philips Fidelio SBD7500 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock

Philips Fidelio SBD7500 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock
  • 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
  • Plug and play to enjoy your music at home or on the go
  • Deep, rich bass through the built in wOOx bass radiator and Dynamic Bass Boost technology
  • Advance acoustics
  • Scratch-resistant housing

You get the speaker dock, a very nice carrying case, an 18" long 3.5 mm cable if you want to hook it up to something other than an iPhone/iPod, and an AC adapter with a nice long cord. It can also use 4 AA batteries. The carrying case has a piggy-back case that you can use to hold the A/C adapter, or leave it off to travel light if you plan on just using the batteries; a nice touch. The battery compartment is a little awkward to use, but not too difficult. A tip-out stand holds it at a good angle.

I hooked it up to my PC via the 3.5 mm cable, and tried the bass boost feature, which worked nice. The unit has its own volume control so you can fine-tune the listening level easily. These controls and the on/off switch are recessed, giving a clean appearance, but making it a bit hard to operate the sliding switches. I compared the sound to some PC speakers, and what a difference! These were so much better; no tinniness, just nice rich sound. And the bass boost works well. The manufacturer claims 8 hours of playing using batteries. So far, looks like that is a good estimate. There is a small power light behind the speaker grille that glows when it is on, which is nice; it already reminded me once that I forgot to turn it off!

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Though this unit works well, it has a very bad design flaw that any buyer considering it should be aware of. When using it as a portable getting power from its internal AA batteries, even when you shut the unit OFF with its ON/OFF switch, the four batteries will self discharge to dead in about a week because the unit still draws current from the batteries even when shut OFF.

I considered my unit to be defective because of this problem but when I contacted Philips support to request a exchange unit under warranty, I was informed that this battery drain was normal and that I needed to remove one or more of the batteries when not using the unit to prevent the batteries from going dead. Dumb, dumb, triple dumb design flaw in my opinion!

Why even have an ON/OFF switch if you must remove a battery to really shut it OFF!

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This portable speaker system from Phillips certainly comes in handy. It is extremely easy to use--just plug it in and insert your iPod or iPhone in the very obvious jack, then press "play" and you're good to go. That it charges as you go is of course helpful. And it is small enough you could easily take it with you in a bag or suitcase, with no extra pieces to worry about losing or breaking. However, the sound quality is not that big of a step up from what comes out of my iPhone itself when I simply play it with the headphones detached. It sounds at best like a decent small radio or car radio. Considering that I recently purchased a 5-disc changer stereo system that ALSO interfaces with my iPhone for only less than $100 more, and which has large speakers and superb sound quality, I have to say this little system is somewhat overpriced. Honestly I could not see spending the money on it unless I traveled very frequently and needed a charger with speakers for that purpose.

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I wanted a small unit with decent sound that would be compatible with my 7th gen 160GB iPod classic while it was in its case. That seemed a tall order and I looked at dozens before finding this. Although some other docks might have worked fine with my iPod, it wasn't stated and I didn't want to take a chance. I also didn't want to have to remove the iPod from its Agent18 plastic case for docking. I found this dock on the Apple site and only wish I'd known Amazon carried it since they are traditionally faster and less hassle for me than buying elsewhere.

I was looking for a speaker dock that was a modest size so I could set it in a particular spot in my kitchen where my iPod would be handy either for listening or charging. Although the dock will run on batteries, I appreciate the ability to plug it in. I very much like the small size compared to many other docks and I find the sound quality much above average. I have Bose CD radios and have relatively high expectations, but was willing to settle for somewhat less if my other conditions were met. I am completely satisfied with the sound. I listen to a mix of music but almost none from today's popular recording artists so I can't speak to that, but for classical, opera, vintage things from the 60's through the 80's and jazz, I find the quality extremely good considering that some of the recordings themselves will limit the quality to some degree. I can turn up the volume fairly high and enjoy just as good sound as at a soft level. There is a button to boost the bass, but I don't use that as my music doesn't require it.

The iPod will charge with the dock turned off (as long as it is plugged in). Turn the unit on to play the music. A small light illuminates when it's on to alert you to that status.

There is no remote, but where I have it that is not an issue. What matters more to me is that I can use the iPod click wheel to make my selections and it feels very sturdy in the dock. The dock's back support 'leg' runs nearly the length of the dock so it doesn't feel like it will tip. Because the connector sits away from the dock by a small amount and is raised as opposed to being down in a cradle, I can connect my iPod while in its case, for which I'm very grateful.

All in all I am completely satisfied and recommend this to others with similar requirements, or who want a small portable unit with a case and good volume.

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One thing to keep in mind when you're buying this speaker system... it's a portable system. This should not be compared to something you would plug into a wall or leave sitting in one room all the time. To compare the two is like comparing a portable TV with a wall TV... yeah the wall TV is better for the price but there are some benefits of having something you can just bring with you wherever you go.

The number one benefit of this product has to be that music just sounds good with it. I've had other portable speakers which buzz when they're plugged in or just don't make enough sound and in this speaker's case I don't have that problem. Yeah, I can't DJ a loud party with it but honestly if you're going to go that route by plug in the wall speakers, for sure.

As mentioned by another reviewer (I wanted to confirm it wasn't just mine so I looked around) there is some weird issue with the battery life and this unit. I think most of the other reviewers probably gave the unit a full run down but didn't test it again in a week or so after use so maybe didn't see it? Either way it eats up batteries even when it's off. So you should definitely remove the batteries between uses to make sure you don't waste a ton when it's not plugged in. I'm not sure of the mechanics of how that all works out but I'm guessing something is still taking some of the charge out.

Either way it's definitely worth buying if you plan to be on the road a lot and don't want to integrate with your car for speakers or if you go camping and want to listen to music with friends. I wouldn't put too much faith in it for any heavy lifting but it's not really made for that use so you're barking up the wrong tree either way if you think that it's not comparable to some heavy duty plug in the wall thing.

RCA PCHSTAB2R USB Charging Dock with Device Cradle

RCA PCHSTAB2R USB Charging Dock with Device CradleBy "it's like the lamp in most hotel rooms these days" I mean it's there to give you somewhere to plug devices into. I actually like the concept. Basically you plug this device into the wall and put the block on your desk and in doing so you turned one outlet at the wall into an outlet on your desk, plus you now have 2 usb charging ports.

First know that this picture, while "nice" is wrong. There is no actual 30 pin Apple device charger on the top as pictured. The only way I can see to make this happen... Drill a hole in the top of this, glue your own connector in place and runt the cord out the bottom then plug it in... Yeah, not build the way it's pictured.

What you DO get is:

1. On the top is a slot, no charging ports, it's just a plastic place to put your device.

2. On the back you get 1 electrical outlet, not grounded it's only 2 prong. This is fine, it' works just fine with my wifes netbook charger. It does NOT however work with my standard size laptop charger as it requires 3 prong outlets.

3. 2 USB ports on the back, one is strong enough for an iPad, or any other USB device, the other is a standard lesser voltage USB that will will charge.

In my application I found that I can put my android phone in upside down in the slot in the top, plug a usb cable into the usb slot on the back and into the phone and let it charge. Is this practical? Nope, because my android then is upside down and while the screen rotates, most apps including the clock app I use don't rotate 180 degrees... I sure wish they made an actual charging port on top. BUT for what I actually use it for it does work. And I like that I have outlets available to me.

I was going to buy one of those outlets you install in your house that converts a 2 wall outlet into a one wall outlet with 2 usb ports, however I decided to go this route as I wanted the usb ports to be easier to get to, and I like the portability of this. I just wish the top of this had a more practical use. For that I give it 3 out of 5 stores. I don't hate it, but I don't love it.

This charging station is a useful addition to either the home office or the office office. I set mine up at my office and it sits beside my computer where I can plug in my phone charger, rest my phone in the cradle and recharge it out of the way of all my other stuff. That makes it useful. There is both a standard plug from the back of the cradle, as well as two usb ports. The fact that it still requires me to lug out and hook up my cell phone charger prompted me to give the product 4 instead of 5 stars. Ideally, I could just place the phone in the cradle and walk away whil it charged. Regardless,this is quite a helpful device.

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While the picture looks like there is a connector built into the device, that is not the case. You need a separate charging cable and basically just put your device upside down and plug it in on top. That was quite a disappointment, to tell the truth, since I got this for someone who wanted to have their own place to plug in their ipod.

Still, we are using it for an ipod, and I have another charger plugged into the 3 prong plug on back, so I can use it to charge my tablet. But it is not what we thought it was. Caveat Emptor.

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The video pretty much shows it all, but here is a summary for those of you who don't want to watch the video ;)

PROS:

-large enough for the largest phones

-includes pads to put inside the unit, if you have a smaller phone, and you want a snug fit

-has 2 USB charging ports

-has a 2-prong "convenience" electrical port, for ... an alarm clock or lamp or something, I guess?

CONS:

-Cord is too low to the base of the unit, and arrives bent down, which means if you keep it at the edge of a table, moving it around is a bit of a problem

-the port for the phone is a LITTLE shallow, it could be a bit deeper for larger phones, especially since they include the pads for smaller phones

Overall, it is a nice little docking station though, pretty much what I was looking for in a phone dock.

4 stars.

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This item is pretty useless as it takes up desk space. The "cradle space" on top is pretty useless as you cannot charge your device unless you drill a hole thru the bottom of the unit to put your charging cord through there to reach one of the USB slots as there are no charging pins as provided with the other RCA PCHSTAB1R 30-Pin Charging Dock with Device Cradle which has much more functionality but only 1 USB charging port in the back of that unit, but alas you can charge your iPod or iPhone as it comes w/a removeable cradle to support either application when you put either unit in that cradle with the 30 pin plug in that cradle. If I could have given this one zero stars I would have. I was very dissapointed in this. Even though they give you 4 or 5 foam strips to adjust your Galaxy III smartphone in the cradle it still won't allow for any room to allow for you to run your charging cable that plugs in the "bottom" of the phone to run along "outside" the cradle to plug along in the BACK of this charging dock. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS!

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RCA RIR205 Infinite Radio Tabletop Internet Radio with Wi-Fi Enabler (Black)

RCA RIR205 Infinite Radio Tabletop Internet Radio with Wi-Fi Enabler
  • Wi-fi Enabler creates a wireless internet link to the RCA Internet Radio providing a quick and easy wireless setup option
  • Built-in Wi-fi connectivity and Ethernet
  • Slacker Personal Radio features
  • 6 Preset stations per audio source
  • 512MB of built in memory, record approximately 10 hours music

The RIR205 looks good and seems to be well made. It can pickup most internet radio stations from around the world. That includes real radio stations if they are broadcasting live on the internet and also amateur stations being broadcast by individuals. Of course you can do the same thing with a PC but it's harder to do and you have to install different audio player programs, codecs and all sorts of things while the radio just works. It will even play BBC stations that I can't play on the PC because it says I'm not in the U.K. It has stereo speakers that provide good fidelity but they are small and not as loud as some other radios having just one big speaker. The radio will play Slacker Radio which isn't a real radio station but has almost any kind of music sort of like like XM or AOL radio. Slacker will usually work when other internet stations won't. They may have less bandwidth requirements or less overhead to play, I'm not sure. The radio has an alarm clock function but since it gets it's time from the internet I found that although the time is usually accurate it's not always reliable because it won't work if the internet out of service like mine frequently is.

Originally I purchased an RIR200 from J&R through Amazon but when I got it couldn't get it to work at all so I only gave it 1 star. I sent it back and it was replaced with an RIR205. Audiovox was good about replacing it and are more helpful than most other companies. The two radios seem to be identical except the 205 comes with it's own wireless router but I never got that. The new RIR205 wouldn't work at first either and even though I already had 3 older routers I had to buy a new WRT54G then the radio worked just fine. A lot of owners report having wifi connectivity problems with the RIR200 and that must be the reason why. The radio uses vtuner.com and rcainfiniteradio.com to get it's list of stations, not Reciva like a lot of other radios use. Vtuner doesn't quite have all the stations that Reciva does but generally works well and new stations can be added. You can go to Vtuner.com and try it out for free if you want to see if it gets your favorite stations or the kinds of music you like. You can also store Favorites that you listen to frequently but they go to the RCA website so the radio depends on being able to access a third party website everytime it does anything unlike some other models that store favorites locally in the radio's memory. This generally works well but can be a problem if the RCA or Vtuner websites are down for maintenance or unreachable. Also, since RCA sees everything you listen to they could possibly spy on you and keep a list of your radio listening habits. That could be a problem for owners who live in areas where the government considers some stations to be subversive.

This radio is made by Audiovox and sold as the Audiovox in Europe and as the Acoustic Research ARIRC200 in Canada. There is a Google Group for the Canadian version called "Acoustic Research ARIRC200 Internet Radio" that has discussions of that version. There are a lot more reviews of the RIR200 on Amazon listed as product B0016OK5O0. If you search for B0016OK5O0 you can find them.

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The RIR205-A installed fine. I picked desired stations on website and many work over radio. I placed the radio 22 feet and one wall from the WiFi enabler. Sometimes it will work...but more often than not it loses signal and kicks out. It may come back in 20 seconds....or 5-10 minutes. Re-buffering or `lost connection` indicated on radio display. I installed a homemade parabolic antenna signal direction strengthener (aluminium foil as indicated on freeantennas.com) and it seems to help a bit, but still many signal losses. Antenna on WiFi enabler does not seem replaceable. So overall, very disappointing. I tried it 2 meters from WiFi enabler and seems to work OK however if it will not work in my remote location, what is the point in having it...I might as well listen to internet radio over my computer which is more flexible and has more stations. Metal mesh is loose on bottom of unit. I wish I had not bought this. Not sure if there is any better out there after reading reviews. Again..technology does not deliver.

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I bought the RCA RIR205 Infinite Radio from J&R, and it was worth every cent (I paid $86 which includes shipping). The features are impressive it has an AM and FM radio that works very well, Slacker Radio, can play MP3 tunes from a USB device like an MP3 player, an alarm clock, Weatherbug local temperature and forecasts. But I am most impressed with its ability to receive radio stations that stream over the internet. It has such a large variety of stations that you can choose according to format and location that it provides nonstop entertainment, whether you listen to radio stations broadcasting any type of music, talk, news, sports, and many other formats. You can preset radio stations and add stations from the internet, all with crystal clear audio. The radio allows you to record up to 20 hours of programming with its 1Mb of built in memory, with its audio output jack you can connect it to headphones and a home speaker system. You can use the radio wirelessly with its wifi enabler connections for CAT 5 network wire, or plug in the CAT 5 wire directly in the back of the radio to use a wired connection. It's a great bargain overall!

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WARNING! Do not buy this radio! It was a half decent radio but the radio is discontinued and the worst thing is that the company no longer supports it. You will not be able to set up this radio if you get one. It would be virtually worthless to you. Internet radio stations were added to the radio via an internet portal. The portal currently shows the following statement:

"From its inception, the Personal Portal for Acoustic Research Infinite Radio Systems was managed by a 3rd Party Partner.

Unfortunately the Personal Portal has experienced problems that are beyond our ability to repair.

We understand and want to assist you in fixing any issues you are experiencing."

Obviously, the statement neither is true nor does it make sense broken and can't be fixed?

Note: The reference to Acoustic Research is due to the fact that this radio has been sold under the brand name RCA and Acoustic Research. The radios are identical.

In September 2011, I purchased a Mutant MIG-PIR-5 M-Wavio Portable Pocket-Sized WiFi Internet Radio so I could listen to talk radio and music Internet streams while away from my computer. Press its power button and you're listening to your favorite Internet streams in less than 10 seconds. PERFECT. I immediately got hooked on the wi-fi radio concept. But the Mutant has one shortfall: I wanted to go to sleep while listening to it, but the rechargeable battery-powered Mutant (a battery charge lasts a bit over 10 hours) does not have a SLEEP shut-off feature and I didn't want the radio playing at my bedside all night.

So I solved that problem two weeks later by buying this AC-powered RCA RIR205 which DOES have an adjustable sleep timer shut-off (15 minute increments up to 90 minutes). It was very easy to set up, and it works great. It's the BEST bedside clock radio I ever had. It displays day, date and time, and it knows my zip code and displays my outdoor temperature (from the National Weather Service) so I know how cold it is outside before I get out of bed.

By the way, I do NOT use the extra "wi-fi enabler" gadget, because my RIR205 easily picks up my wi-fi router without it. My wi-fi router is located in a different room, about 30 feet away from the RIR205.

I really love this radio and I use it every day.

Sony DSXS100 Digital Media Receiver

Sony DSXS100 Digital Media Receiver
  • Text Displayed : Source, artist, track, playback time, menu and clock
  • The DSX-S100 digital media receiver features an integrated Tune Tray to securely store your iPod® or Walkman® MP3 player neatly within the receiver, eliminating loose wires.
  • Includes reminder alert, which insures you don't leave your iPod or MP3 Player in the car
  • Use ZAPPIN function to play 6, 9, or 30-second music clips until you find the song you want.
  • The DSX-S100 delivers 52 watts of peak power to all four speakers while DSO and EQ3 stage 2 lets you adjust the mix for a dynamic sound experience.

So far I have been very happy with this unit. I am not much of an audiophile so I won't review the sound quality other than to say that it meets my needs. It plays my music in my car and I'm satisfied with the sound.

I find the ipod controls to be logical and easy. You get basic control of the ipod, being able to scroll through artists, songs, albums, playlists, podcasts and genres using the volume knob the same way you would the click wheel. I haven't had any difficulty with it. There are other units that have better interaction with the ipod but they cost twice as much. Besides I would hope most people wouldn't be dinking around that much with their stereo while they are driving. The charging feature is excellent since I purchased this stereo I have never had my ipod die on me.

One slightly annoying thing regarding the browsing controls when you are using the ipod directly you can back up to the screen for the album, then back to the artist and so forth, basically the reverse of the route you took to get to whatever you are listening to. This is helpful is you just want to see the track listing or switch to another album by the same artist whatever. With the stereo, you always start from scratch at the home screen so at times it can be a touch tedious.

So far I have been happy with radio reception mostly listening to AM.

A few more small complaints sometimes the stereo will turn on automatically when I plug in the ipod and just start playing. Not a big deal though I just try and make a point of making sure the volume is turned down low when I turn it off. I wish it had come with a carrying case for the faceplate but these can be obtained for ten dollars or less. The faceplate itself is kind of difficult to put back on to the stereo I wish they had designed that aspect to be a little bit easier.

If any of you are audiobook listeners I have encountered this strange occurrence. If anyone is an Audible member you are familiar with the extremely helpful resume feature that takes you right back to the place in the book you left off. I have found that if I listen to an audiobook while hooked up via the USB port something about how the stereo is interacting with the ipod makes the audiobook reset and forgets my place. If I use the external audio in jack instead of the USB port, this is not an issue.

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Hey y'all. this is my video review of the sony dsx-s100.

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I received this on a Thursday and installed it with no problems on Saturday. I have been enjoying my new stereo all weekend. I decided to just keep a USB stick in there and not muck around with my iPhone since it does cause some interference with the radio that is annoying. One thing that I didn't realize is that this does not have a CD player. This is fine for me but might be a surprise if you click through too quickly, like I did :)

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Shipping was fast and easy. The Reciever is high tech for the low price. Quality is second to none. It takes a bit to learn the controls, but once you do its a breeze. I dont use cd's any more so this was perfect with my ipod. I highly recomend it!! PLUSS you get a free 3.5 audio cable, ipod usb adaptor and a XPLODE catch all. Cool!!!!

great product, easy installation, i really like how even though it says made for ipod it also plays and charges my iphone. i would definitely recommend to a friend.

ZOpid HE-ZMP6 8GB 16-in-1 Portable Media Player 3.5 Inch LCD Display - Black/White

ZOpid HE-ZMP6 8GB 16-in-1 Portable Media Player 3.5 Inch LCD Display - Black/White
  • 3.5" High clarity TFT screen with 8GB memory and Game Player - (Dimensions: 4.9 x 3.2 x 1.8 inch Weight: 5.6oz)
  • Support RMVB, 3GP, MP4, AV1, MPG, FLV, DAT, VOB Video and APE, FLAC, MP3, WMA, WAV?WAV, RM-Audio, AMR, AAL-LC, AAC Audio File Formats
  • Support NES 16 bit SMD?GB?GBA?GBC?ZIGBEE GAME?FLASH GAME formats games , and 32 bit BIN format games and support JPGpicture format with 3D viewing effect
  • AV-in movie recording (Max 720*576 resolution), Voice recording and DVD grade TV-out functions
  • Digital snapshot and video camera, built-in speaker, voice recorder and mini-SD card Support

I bought this product for my son(under 10 years old) as a gift. It fulfills my expectations and my son is very happy with it. He can play games, watch movies, take photos, listen music. The size and the quality of the screen is quite good. The design is nice. It is very suitable for the children.

However, the quality of the product(other than screen) is not very good. Buttons are not easy to use, you have to press it hard... The camera is hard to use. The cord of the charging unit is too short. And most importantly, the battery of the device was dead when I received it. It was lasting max of 10 minutes after 12 hours of charging. My son has to attach it to the power source all the time while he is playing with it.

When I escalate the battery problem to amazon, they immediately refund the money which is good.

I think the product is good(value for money) but the company is not managed very well. The company system should be following every single unit and it should not allow a faulty unit to be shipped.

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I got this for christmas and I must say, it's one of the worst things i've gotten in recent memory. The product is cheaply made with low quality parts and terrible button placement, especially on the d-pad. The most important part of a product is to be able to navigate through it, and a traditional d-pad would've been great, but instead it's a cluster of buttons. Which one of mine is faulty by the way; so in the video games I put on it; it's extremely hard to control. The one good thing about this product is it has a great video player and nice screen clarity, but use headphones with volume control, because this doesn't have any means of changing the volume. It's either loud; or off.

Sony Ericsson TXT PRO CK15a Unlocked Cellphone - US Warranty - Black

Sony Ericsson TXT PRO CK15a Unlocked Cellphone - US Warranty - BlackI bought the same phone and I can't agree with the fact that it's built for kids and that the screen doesn't work! I have used the phone for almost 2 weeks and the screen works perfect without a problem. The build quality of the phone is excellent, made out of a high quality plastic. Battery life is around 3-4 days with 2 hours of talking per day, that is also nice. For the price it's a deal breaker. it's not a smartphone but it's perfect for texting messages. I would recommend this phone for those who want a simple phone with all the basic functions that has a qwerty key pad, it's stylish and not expensive!

She really likes her new phone. All the features work. We have Cellular One as our carrier. She had to call and get a code. Once that was done, the phone has connected to our plan with no problems. Hope this review helps.

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This phone has many problems, but let's start with the positive. It is a nice size, wifi capable and has a slide out keyboard. Great now on to the problems.

I have only had this phone 4 months, I don't have bluetooth or wifi on, and it will only stay charged ONE day. I have to charge this phone at least once a day, more if I actually use it.

The keyguard will unlock if the keyboard is slid out even a little. This is bad if you keep it in your pocket, it will butt dial A LOT.

You cannot use a stylus, and the tiny screen makes it hard to click on tiny links that are right above one another.

Camera switches to video to easily. You can miss great shots by not realizing it is set to video.

Sensitivity. Hard to scan through contacts and menus. It will open menus when you try to scan through. Sometimes it's really sensitive, other times you are practically pounding on the screen to get something to open.

I started to not like this phone just a couple weeks after I bought it, and can't find anything I do like. I had hopes that it might finally make me happy, but no luck.

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I purchased this phone for my daughter so I wouldn't have to renew another contract for two more years from AT&T. I was disappointed to learn after I purchased it that you can take and send pics from this phone, but cannot view pics sent to you via text. If you have a teenager, you know how important this feature is! After having the phone only a month, the phone started having issues and would not allow you to retrieve any text messages at all. Even after turning power on and off several times, hoping to "reset" the phone, the problem persists. At $125, I hoped for a phone that would work longer than a month! I am now in a position where I have to purchase another phone for my daughter,

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didnt like it had to return it it didnt work well with at&t u cant send or recieve picture messages the only thing that was nice about it was its apperance

Philips HDD077/17 2 GB Digital Audio Player with FM Tuner

Philips HDD077/17 2 GB Digital Audio Player with FM Tuner
  • Easily transfer your entire music collection for hours of private time with the super-fast USB 2.0 connection
  • Activate Dynamic Bass Boost to maximize your music enjoyment with deeper bass performance
  • SuperPlay provides hassle-free one-touch jukebox playback
  • Rechargeable battery features up to 10 hours of playing time
  • 2 GB stores up to 1,000 songs of music and data on the go

I've tried many MP3 players, and I've returned many MP3 players. The first one that I kept was the Virgin Pulse 64MB player. I've had it for nearly two years and finally after dropping it a few times, it's starting to go out on me. It was time to upgrade and get more space anyway. So I thought I'd do what everyone else did, get an iPod! So I bought a pink iPod mini, just to try it out, but I will definitely be getting a refund! Sure it's pretty and the sound is good, but is it worth $200? No!

So that brings me to the Philips HDD077. I will compare the two(iPod mini and Philips).

The Philips has a nice, sleek design. It is slightly shorter than the iPod mini and a tad bit thicker, but both are lightweight. The Philips only comes in one color (white with silver trim), but they offer red, black, and blue stickers to change up the trim. Obviously, the iPod comes in multiple colors.

The Philips has buttons that are user friendly, just push them. There's a volume button, a hold button, on/off button, all of that. The iPod mini has a few main buttons, not including a volume button. To turn the volume up or down or to scroll through a menu on the iPod mini, the user must move their finger around the button area (like a laptop mouse). This is really annoying because every time you go to touch a button, you may accidently change the volume!

The Philips has an FM tuner. The iPod...none.

The Philips has 2 GB of space and can hold about 1,000 songs and it also supports compressed files. The iPod minis come in 4 GB (1,000 songs) and 6 GB (price increase!).

Philips comes with a charger that plugs into the wall(17 hours of play, 4 hours to charge). iPod mini charges through the usb cable.

Philips came with a case that has a belt clip and a neck strap. iPod mini came with a belt clip.

Now, let's get to what counts most.....

Philips uses Musicmatch software to transfer files. This software is easy to use and I didn't even have to read a guide to figure out how to get music on to my player. The iPod uses iTunes software, which was supposed to be easy to use, but I had trouble figuring out how to get music onto the player and I still don't know how to delete music(I'll have to find the instructions for that one). I think that the software should be easy enough to use so that the user doesn't have to read instructions for simple things like transferring files.

The sound quality of the Philips is great! It has a fewer equalizer settings than the iPod. The iPod also has great sound.

Both have a backlight.

Overall, I think the Philips is a better choice than the iPod mini because it costs less and it offers more(like radio tuning!).

I only have two concerns about the Philips and they are minor. The earbuds are designed funny. The left wire is about 3 times shorter than the right wire and they are not adjustable. I called to ask about this and it's not a defect. The right earbud is supposed to go around your neck and then into your ear. But you can buy your own earbuds. My other concern is the case with belt clip. I think it could have been designed so that the user use the controls on the player, but the case covers up everything but the charger port, usb port, and earphone port.

So at least give this one a try before you blow $200 on an iPod! You might like it. This one is a keeper for me!

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I have had this model of MP3 player for just over 6 months. I found it easy to use and the manual is very clear on what to do if it ever freezes up. Mine did freeze up, but only once and when I followed the simple instructions, it 'unfroze' and I was able to turn the unit off instead of having to wait for the battery to die.

Personally, I think the sound quality issue has more to do with what headphones or earbuds you used. I am a music major and I need to have excellent sound reproduction when I am listening to my classical music. To use a splitter so my friend could hear, I bought some different earbuds, but the sound was extremely muffled and quiet. Once I put the Philips earbuds in, I was amazed at the sound, even when another set of earbuds was plugged in. I don't have to use more than 1/3 of the volume capabilities to listen to music on a bus full of noisy music students.

MusicMatch is a program that you get when you buy this product to transfer your music from CD's to the GoGear. It too is easy to use and transfering does not take that long.

Overall it has many great features, such as the equalizer settings, FM tuner, and sleep modes, a fair amount of storage, and a decent battery life if used properly.

I would recommend this product to anyone asking for a decent and easy to use MP3 player that is not overpriced or overhyped.

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Main reason to buy an MP3 player is for music! This player sounds OK with included earbuds, but if you try to use a full size set of headphones the volume and sound quality is severly lacking. I personally can't stand earbuds, they don't stay in my ears, plus the sound quality from headphones is usually much better.

Pros-

-Looks like a little iPod

-Included earbuds sound pretty good (but not great)

-Has FM tuner

Cons-

-Very S L O W USB 1.1 transfer speeds, takes forever to load songs to device

-When using headphones, volume at full up is lacking, sound not very good through headphones

-Sound quality not on a par with other MP3 players I have tried

-Limited information about song displayed

-Must use MusicMatch from Philips site to transfer songs, not the best application for this purpose

-Overall, pales in comparison to offerings from Rio and Creative

I suggest you do some homework before buying this item!

Why did I buy this item? I got it on a deal directly from Philips for a much lower price than listed here, still I wasted my money, gave it to my sister!

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I think people are just too hard on the reviews.

If you ask me, I think this is a GREAT deal. It's small, light weight, has a lcd screen, scrolling capabilities, and the sound is GREAT.

People are just stupid when it comes to writing crap. I got mine from wal-mart. I think it's a GREAT deal. Now, i'm sure there is much better ones out there.. but for the price this will do me just fine.

I haven't had a problem with it, and the transferring speeds DO NOT take a minute. I loaded 300 songs in less than 10 minutes. how fast do you want it? honestly?

The storage capacity is great too, i think they are stretching the 1000 songs u can put on, but even still you can put over 700 on it easily. and you dont need more. If you are looking for that, then u may as well get a ipod as they are made for storage.

It tells you ON THE BOX to use windows media player to sync your songs.. that is what i used and i didn't have a single problem minus one or two songs couldn't convert. but i EASILY fixed that by downloading it again.

The battery life lasts for about 5-6 hours, depending on what your features you have turned on. for example... if you have the LCD screen on all the time then obviously it is going to drain the battery faster. they say it could last 10 hours, i dont see that, but maybe, if you have the sound turned low, no lcd.. then.... maaaaybe...

Features on this are good, has a bass boost, 5 equalizer presets, the LCD screen is a great feature. And it has a mic built in which works great, if you need to record something than this would work great for it. the mic will pick up even the quiet sounds. sometimes a bit too much. There is a couple other features that you can look into by reading.

All in all, the product i think is great, i almost wnat to give it a 5 out of 5, but again, im sure there is better ones out there.. but just not at this price.

i bought it as a factory-refurbished one for only 85 dollars. Overall this mp3 player is great, especially its sound quality. The sound quality is amazing comparing to my friend's mp3 player. Also exterior design is nice. The speed of uploading songs from your computer to the player is average, and it depends how fast and healthy your computer is. If your computer has too many spywares, surely the tranfer will take a long time. The earphone comes with the mp3 player is very unique, and the sound quality of the player is only good with the standard earphone.

Jensen JiMS-215i Docking Digital CD Player Clock Radio for iPod/iPhone

Jensen JiMS-215i Docking Digital CD Player Clock Radio for iPod/iPhone
  • iPod/iPhone dock alarm clock radio with CD player
  • Plays and charges iPod or iPhone
  • Auxiliary input jack for connecting iPod Shuffle, MP3, or other digital audio players
  • Built-in CD player
  • CD-R/RW compatible

I liked the idea of being able to play CD's and ipod's but to get this to work well was not happening. To get one function to work, you had to press a sequence of buttons and then if you were lucky it would do what you wanted it to do. To make this work better they would need to add a few more buttons so that each button connected to each function. If they did that I might try buying it again even if it was for more money. As it stands now I would not waste my time on it since I ended up sending it back.

In general the sound was good. The lighting display was not adjustable and might be too bright for light sleepers. The docking station does retract which was not mentioned in the description. It doesn't take up a lot of space either. The only issue is that the buttons don't function well due to the way you need to make them work. It did feel as if I needed a cue card every time I wanted to do something with the unit due to the complexity of getting music to turn on. The instructions did say it could be made to do continual play off of the CD after you played it once. I did it several times and could not get it to repeat no matter how many times I followed the instructions.

I did not bother to try the alarm settings since I was having so many other issues with just the music. Sometimes the button sequence would work to get it to play and the next time it wouldn't. One part of the directions said to keep hitting the button until a light on the screen comes on stating that you are in ipod mode. After a few minutes of hitting the button, nothing. the next time it would work with no problem. If you have a lot of time on your hands and don't mind waiting for it to work then you will be fine. If you want your stuff to work right away then move on to another clock.

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I found it to be everything it said it was. I love the fact that you don't have to reset the time whenever there is a power outage or daylight savings time you can just sync it to your iPhone or iPod. Has everything I wanted CD player, radio, clock and charger for iPhone. I do wish I could get AM as well as FM stations though.

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I bought this product from a local store where I could return it easily. I liked that it was small and even though I don't own and I-phone or I-pod, I wanted the other features. The radio did have a digital display and you went through the stations with a button, but it only found one station and that did n't come in clearly. As the other reviewer wrote, I found it too complicated for my purposes. It often did not read the CD unless I removed the CD turned it all off and started the process over. The sound for the CD player and the mp3 player were not bad, but not great either. The worst thing for me were all of the tiny buttons on top with numerous functions which you had to go through each time to find the one you wanted. I never tried setting the alarm because I disliked all of the other features so much I was pretty sure, I couldn't set the alarms and depend on them to wake me up. It is going back. I have looked for an alarm clock that plays CD;s and my mp3 player for almost a year and haven't found a truly digital tuning radio and something that is easy to use. I have two units that are over 30 years. They were both easy to set the time and alarms, had an outlet for earphones which I used to connect to better speakers. I haven't found another clock radio that does. They were tape players and will not longer play the tapes and I really wanted a CD player, but I am about to give up on finding this combination.

iLuv iMM190 App Station Alarm Clock Stereo Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone (Black)

iLuv iMM190 App Station Alarm Clock Stereo Speaker Dock for iPod and iPhone
  • Establishes full functions of the iLuv alarm clock application (available from Apple iTunes app store)
  • Stands horizontally or vertically to match your iPhone or iPod touch screen aspect
  • Portable / desktop (6 x AA batteries or AC operated) speaker for your iPhone or iPod
  • Plays and charges your iPhone /iPod.Built with dynamic acoustic speaker chambers to enhance sound clarity
  • Compatibility (plays and charges): iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G,3G, 4G; iPhone 1G, 3G, and 4 (AT&T and Verizon)

There are really two separate parts to the iLuv dock alarm system to review: The hardware unit itself; and the software (app) that drives it and makes it functional.

HARDWARE:

The unit is light and simple. There are 3 buttons on the top (when configured in landscape position). On/Off, Volume control, and Snooze. I have the iPod Touch and the iPhone 4, both of which fit nicely in the dock. There is an adjustable rest (for use in the landscape position) that holds your device securely in place, and the docking pins are easy to access. There is also sufficient depth between the pins and the face of the unit, which, when coupled with the adjustable rest, allow you dock your device even with a skin or protective cover on it a big plus.

The default position is horizontal if you like the button on top the traditional location for a Snooze button, but the unit easily rotates to a vertical position if that is your preference. On the rear of the unit is the AC connection for the 120v power adapter, as well as an AUX IN connection.

The sound quality is decent for a device of this designed purpose. There is noticable distortion when you reach 75% of the volume band, but if want that much volume you probably want a dock for a more powerful amp anyway. There is plenty of volume available in the lower band (up to the 70% or so range). There is a nice range of tone from bass to treble (not an adjustment via the iLuv unit, but via your iPod/iPhone). But there is a noticable buzz at all volume levels. Not a good set of speakers. I'm okay with it for its purpose, but would certainly not use this to do any serious music listening.

Lastly, the unit is attractive and modern in design. It won't grab attention, nor will it look out of place wherever you place it. It also charges both my iPod Touch 3G and my iPhone 4 with no problem.

SOFTWARE (The iLuv App):

For features and functionality, you need to download the iLuv app to your iPod/iPhone. Be sure you get the latest version of the app, so that you can use all the newest features and avoid any bugs that might have been addressed from previous versions.

The app features a split screen or single screen display, and can disply time, date, weather, music art, photos, etc. Most of the above can be combined. I like to have the time and temperature on the split screen usually.

Just below the display mentioned above, there are a few icons depending on vertical or horizontal placement (which I find odd and a bit annoying). There is an alarm clock icon that takes you easily to the setup screen for an alarm setting. There is also a ticker style bar showing the current song playing. When in the vertical position, there is a "i" icon that takes you to additional (and very useful) options, such as Dimmer Level, Wall Paper settings, Sleep Timer (a must have feature), and Auto-lock selections, etc. What is annoying is that in the horizontal position, this General Settings ("i") option is not available. Quite odd.

Alarm settings are pretty good. You can create one-time or recurring alarms, and even choose the days of the week that you wish the alarms to function. The alarm sound is configurable to allow you to select from several built-in sounds or the "wake to music" option which lets you specify the exact song you want to wake to, a nice feature.

I don't know how often the app will be updated, I belive 2.0 is the most current version. One complaint I have about the current app is that is tends to "reset" your configured display every time you start it. So, if you want to have the time and temp or time and music art displayed, you have to set that every time you start the app it defaults to time/time. I hope they address this in an upcoming version.

Overall, I think this is a nice device to use as an alarm or just as a desktop dock/player for your iPod/iPhone. Not perfect but most of the imperfections are software related, and hopefully these will continue to improve.

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The ILuv App Station Alarm clock is a nice addition for iPod or iPhone. The station functions fairly straight forward. There is just an on/off, volume and snooze button on the station. The main functionality comes from the app that is downloaded for free off the iTunes apps store. There are parts of the app that require wifi Internet access. These are the Internet radio and the weather. Without the Internet wakeup to any playlist from you iPod. There are some nice wake-up options for those who need help in waking up. There are several sounds designed to REALLY wake you up. The app has some nice visuals with four unique clock styles that use the sharp high resolution retina display. These can be swiped sideways to switch between the different clocks. Speaker sound is average and not unexpected from this small of a docking station and iphones/iPods are charged when plugged into a wall outlet. Batteries are added for mobility but not for charging. A nice product to make use of iPods/iPhones and one that is well worth adding to any college student's or kid's desk.

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I'm on my second App Station. The first one had the on/off button stop working after three days. It was getting power, i.e. my iPhone was charging, but I could not use the button to turn the unit on to hear output from the iPhone.

I returned the first App Station, and immediately upon receiving the second one, I find that the volume control rocker does not work. I can change volume using the iTunes interface, but the volume is completely unaffected by using the App Station control. This thing almost makes me long for the old days of analog.

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If you are looking for high quality sound from the ILuv, you are going to be very, very disappointed. As far as alarm clocks go, I don't see the advantage of this over a $5 digital alarm clock you can pick up at Walmart, unless you are simply app crazy and want to use your iTouch for everything. And as someone who travels quite often, I was kind of hoping this would be small enough to throw in an overnight bag to use as a clock/iTouch charger when I'm on the road. The iLuv is "smallish" but not so small that it would slip easily into a carry on.

It may sound as if the iLuv is useless, but I have found a great place to use the thing. If you spend quite a bit of time in your cubicle or in the office, the iLuv is perfect as a desktop iPod player. As a denizen of a cubicle farm, it's a nice workday distraction to have some music playing lowly at your desk as background noise. The iLuv is perfect in this setting as you usually have to keep the volume low when you're at work (and lower volume/low sound quality expectation are the iLov's friend), it's small enough to take up just one corner of your desk, and looks sleek sitting there too. On the plus side, you have your iTouch all charged up at the end of the workday, so it's ready to roll on the long commute home.

Would I recommend a purchase of the iLuv? Not really. While it works well in the scenario I've written about above, there are plenty of similar products that can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

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This is the second update to my review. I received a second unit because of the sound quality (see original reviews below) and the replacement unit had the same issues. I'm disappointed because I love the design but am returning them both because of the sound quality.

I'm changing my review to 3 stars for now because the customer service of the manufacturer has been very good. They responded to my online inquiries very quickly and even called me to arrange for me to exchange the unit because of the sound quality issue. If the app is released soon and the new unit has the sound quality I expect then I will give it more stars. Original review follows...

I love the design of this alarm clock. It's sturdy but small enough to also use as a portable speaker so I can take it wherever I am in the house and listen to my music, podcasts etc. It's also really clever the way you can rotate it to have your iphone/ipod touch either vertical or horizontal. All that being said, it was a terrible idea for them to ship this without the app being available. Here's the response I got from customer service online:

"Thank you for contacting iLuv. We apologize for the confusion with your iMM190Blk. The iLuv app clock is in the process of being uploading and we are doing our best to be done by mid March. Until then the unit can be used as a speaker. Please let us know if we can assist you further."

My other problem is that the speaker makes a fuzzy sound as soon as it is turned on and the fuzz continues in the background when I play music or podcasts. I think I may have a defective one since other reviewers said the sound was good on theirs. If the app comes out soon I will try to exchange it and hope the sound is better on another one otherwise I am returning it.

La Crosse Technology WT-3181P 18" Outdoor Atomic Wall Clock with Temperature/Humidity

La Crosse Technology WT-3181P  18' Outdoor Atomic Wall Clock with Temperature/HumidityThis item, sold as an outdoor device, can't be left outdoors if temperadture falls to 41 degrees or lower because, as the manual explains, it will not work below that tempoerature. Itis not water tight, either. Perhaps okay for a covered porch in the tropics but not useless in N. America.

Why is it being sold for outdoor use?

I have returned this item.

Actually, I give it no stars.

Great clock for indoor use. Can only be used outdoors, if kept warm and dry. All advertising states it's weatherproof. The owner's manual and manufacturer website state otherwise. Very disappointed as I purchased specifically for outdoor use.

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I purchased this particular clock because it was described as an "Outdoor" clock. Upon receipt of the clock I read the instruction book and under the section entitled "Frequently Asked Questions" is the following:

"Q. Can a La Cross Technology clock be used outdoors?

A. Yes, but only in a dry environment and in a temperature range between 41 F andd 131 F. This clock is NOT water-resistant."

Living in New England, we do get rain and snow and the temperature is frequently below 41 F. The clock has a VERY misleading description!

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Nice clock. All I had to do was put a AA battery in it and in about 2 hours it set itself. It's been hanging outside for about a month now in the rain and heat with no problem. Since I live in the south, this has been quite the test for a clock. No complaints here.

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I purchased this clock to use near a spa in an outdoor pool area. Having read previous reviews, I understood that the rear surface of the clock was not weatherproofed. Consequently, we kept it under a cover on a nearby bench.

One day, while re-covering the clock, the cover accidentally tipped the clock over. It fell, face down on the wooden bench from its upright position. Much to my surprise, the face of the clock shattered. It was not a violent fall, and it didn't fall far. But the stress of the fall was enough to have the glass shatter into many pieces. I brought the clock into the house and carefully removed the remaining shattered pieces.

The next day, I found a local glass company and had the face replaced with plexiglass for $24. The glass company commented on how thin the glass was that was used on the face of the clock.

So, my advice to a future buyer would be that this is a fine product...BUT if you're going to use it where it might have some physical stress, be very careful. You might even preemptively decide to replace the glass withe plexi.

Now that I have done that, I'm satisfied with the product.

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Sangean K-200 Multi-Function Upright AM/FM Digital Radio (Pink)

Sangean K-200 Multi-Function Upright AM/FM Digital Radio
  • Voice Messages
  • Egg Timer
  • Night Light
  • Digital AM/FM
  • 5 Preset Stations

The operation of the Sangean K-200 is so easy, I didn't consult the manual for my initial test. I set the time, the presets, and connected the wire antenna and was good to go. I haven't yet read up on the "mood light" or what could be described as a night light.

What strikes me about the marketing and design of the K-200 is that it wants to be two things in one: a kitchen radio and a bedside clock radio. Does this hybrid compromise one function over the other? Largely, I'd say no. The functions don't conflict in any significant ways with the exception possibly of one: The presets at the top might not make for easy bedside toggling in the dark unless your bed is a few inches higher than the bedside radio. The manual explains how to press the light bulb icon to adjust light level of the display, which stays on at various shades, and the "scenario LED" or mood light for "your better listening experience."

Sound

Sangeans don't have bright sound. At best their speaker sound is warm. At worst, they are too bassy, to the point of being muddy, like on the Sangean PR-D5 and the LB-100 and the U3. I think they hit a nice balance with the K-200. It's not as bright as I'd like but it's warm and not as muffled as the LB-100 or the PR-D5.

FM Reception

Very sensitive so far. KPCC 89.3 comes in loud and clear, even without raising the wire antenna. The weakest station, 88.9, needed the wire antenna extended to get rid of static. All my other stations come in clearly: KCRW, KJAZZ, and KROQ.

AM Reception

Good news: No background noise on 640, 570, 710, and 790. Sadly, 830 is a basket case. Honestly, though, ALL of my radios have trouble with 830. The wide filter on the PR-D5 actually makes it noisier than the K-200. And my PR-D7, which I sold, was way too noisy on AM. Finally, my Sangean WR-2 makes too much background noise on AM. So for AM, the K-200 is the most pleasing.

Design and Functionality

Like I said, I opened out of the box (did an unboxing video but haven't been able to download the Sony Bloggie to my computer; may need software upload) and set it up without the manual.

The top is smooth like like those modern stove tops that don't have heating coils on the outside for easy cleaning.

There are some bells and whistles that I can't imagine using: egg timer, voice recorder. I just wanted a decent radio with a small footprint and no long telescopic antenna since my toddlers will gleefully snap such antennas in two.

So far the $79 Sangean K-200 seems like a keeper and appears worthy of recommendation. Of course, updates will be forthcoming.

Update:

After 6 weeks, I'm noticing distortion on the AM dial at any volume louder than low levels. I think this is a result of too much bass in the speaker. So I'd have to take away at least one star.

Buy Sangean K-200 Multi-Function Upright AM/FM Digital Radio (Pink) Now

We were trying to find a new digital AM/FM radio for our master bath and had no idea how hard it would be. The first one we got was digital, but had awful reception anyway. The second one would show the radio call numbers on the digital display whenever you had the radio on -it would cover up the time. So if you were getting ready for work while in the bathroom, the only way to see what time it was while listening to the radio was to push a button on the back to see the time for 5 seconds. It also didn't have A/M channels for some reason. So we ordered this Sangean as our third attempt and we couldn't be happier. The reception is great, the displays are clear, the presets work well, etc. It has a lot of other features, like a timer, that we didn't expect, but comes in handy when telling the kids how long their showers should be. The quality of the audio is "bassy" according to my husband, but I don't have a problem with it. Good price with great results.

Read Best Reviews of Sangean K-200 Multi-Function Upright AM/FM Digital Radio (Pink) Here

Bought this radio to replace a small shelf system we had in the kitchen and I didn't feel like mounting a radio under my cabinets. The Sangean has a small footprint and produces sounds that is definitely loud enough to fill any room in your house. Reception is not lacking, although I cannot say how strong it is as the stations here are all pretty strong. Yes it is a little bass heavy as others have commented, but talk radio and music sound fine. The auxiliary input can be used to connect anything with an 3.5mm port which is nice if you don't want to listen to the radio. Some other products only support the iPod, while this is more universal. Another plus is that is can run off batteries, which makes it an option in a power outage.

My only complaint is I wish it had a few more presets.

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This radio has almost all the functions that one would want in a high-end radio. As others have mentioned, the display is very readable, and the brightness control is a welcome feature. Tuning is straightforward. Reception is very good. We appreciate the dual alarm.

It has two other features that I haven't seen mentioned in other reviews: RDS (Radio Data System) which displays information from the radio station (e.g. its call letters, the name of a song that's playing); and RDS CT (clock time) which automatically sets the clock using a time signal broadcast by many radio stations (usually public broadcasting stations) and changes the clock setting automatically for daylight saving time.

The one feature that I wish it has is a tone control. This radio is set to emphasize bass, which is fine for beat music, etc., but definitely a disadvantage if you are listening to talk radio or other genres (e.g. classical) music. This missing feature is the reason I rated it 4-star instead of 5-star. I consider it such a drawback that I'm seriously considering returning this radio, in spite of its other great features.

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Wanted something with a small footprint. This worked out fine and the sound/reception is very good which is why I gave it 5 stars I was worried about AM reception, but no issues.

Only wish there was a remote control since I have it placed on top of a shelf.

Reaching the controls, which are on top of the unit, is a little cumbersome.

The AC adapter is big (wall wart). But other than that, very very satisifed with product.

If you're searching for radios with small footprint and good sound quality.. this is it!

iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black)

iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone
  • Plays and charges iPod mini 1G; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G; iPhone 1G, 3G
  • Wirelessly stream music from your Bluetooth-enabled phone, PDA, or computer
  • Controls Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and other devices; supports the Handsfree, Headset, AVRCP, and A2DP Bluetooth Profiles
  • Wake and Sleep to your iPhone, iPod, Bluetooth enabled device, FM radio
  • 4 speaker stereo (two active, two passive) with Reson8 technology for full, rich sound

Be warned, this product only has a 90 day warranty. After owning this product for only five months it began producing an overwhelmingly loud hissing noise that could not be remedied. Thinking I had a year warranty like most modern products, the iHome company quickly informed me of my expired 90 day policy. Now I have a defunct product not even six months old, complete waste of money.

Buy iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black) Now

So I bought the iHome IP47 model so that I could charge my iPhone while listening to music at night. I was also looking at something that would wake me up in the morning--this model boasted 2 alarms. And what edged me to buying the IP47 rather than the IP9 or IP99 was that this allowed you answer your phone while still docked. As I don't have a landline, I liked this idea, even if it cost me some extra bucks.

So... getting this home and setting it all up, I was mighty disappointed that the sleep function didn't really work. Yeah, after 15-30-60-120 minutes the sound tapered into silence BUT my iPod portion was STILL going! Ha! All it did was turn the sound off!

Secondly, I could never get the one alarm that is supposed to trigger the iPod to work. It always defaulted to the buzzer. I was also disappointed to find that the other alarm was set to trigger only the radio--I couldn't choose iPod for that one too.

Thirdly, the nice bonus of a remote to adjust your volume, advance to the next song, etc. was a nice idea, but not an actuality. The advance to the next song feature worked directly after first docking the iPhone with the iPod already playing, but the feature stopped working after a minute or two. Volume still worked, as did the ability to pause or switch to radio.

Fourthly, the Bluetooth to connect my iPhone so that you can use the phone function part of the iHome IP47 only worked some of the time. Even when docked, it sometimes would lose the signal.

And lastly, the thing that bugged me the most and decided me against even exchanging the IP47 for either a IP9 or IP99--which were basically the same thing but without the Bluetooth phone feature--was the docking station. It was very precarious setup and, as I had to touch the iPhone screen sometimes since my remote wouldn't work, pushing buttons also pushed the whole phone, making me wonder how long it would take to ruin my iPhone.

So I returned the iHome -period... no exchange. The people at Apple didn't even ask *why* I was returning it. (I wonder if that's telling.)

In the end, I bought a Sony Speaker Dock and Alarm Clock Radio that works with the iPhone. (I'd give it 4 1/2 stars)

* Sleep function that really works (turns your iPod off)... check

* Remote that actually works... check

* Remote that allows you to move OUT of the playlist and into another... double-check! (iHome doesn't do this at all!)

* 2 Alarms where both allow you decide what you want to wake to... check

* Dock that has a backstop to hold your phone securely (and recharges your phone too)... check!

* Able to answer phone while docked... well, no, but not missing it

* Sound quality... check--about the same as the iHome

* Right price... check--about the same as the iHome IP9.

Bottom line: I recommend AGAINST the IP47--not worth the money--even if it was half the price. Think twice about the other iHomes, as well, considering the docking strategy Apple uses for them.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iP47 Bluetooth Clock Radio for iPod and iPhone (Black) Here

Positive: Interference free iPhone usage and great ergonomics

Negative: Needs more phone features

I purchased this for 4 reasons:

1. No interference from iPhone while listening to iPod function

2. No interference from iPhone while listening to AM/FM radio

3. Charging dock for iPhone while I'm at the office.

4. Bluetooth speakerphone which allows me to answer and make calls while leaving the iPhone in the dock

So how well does it do?

Regarding reasons 1 and 2 above, the iP47 works flawlessly. I have had absolutely no noises while my iPhone was docked or residing near it in the regular phone mode. I don't hear any hiss, hum, pops or clicks. The speakers are excellent for spoken words such as podcasts and AM talk radio. The speakers are decent with great volume for music and FM radio. If you're a big podcast fan, I strongly recommend the iP47. The AM/FM radios include a small AM loop with stand (1.5' of cord) and FM cord (3'). The reception is good as I have a history of bad reception in my office building.

Regarding reason 3, the dock came with a variety of bases for the iPhone and other iPod devices. It is easy to move the iPhone in and out of the dock. Unfortunately, the dock is at the top, so there isn't any backstop for the iPhone. I was concerned about this since you lightly push on the phone to change settings while it is in the dock. My concern was that either the dock or phone might get stress damage by pushing on the phone while it's in the dock. The buttons on the iP47 and on the remote control help to prevent the need to touch the phone, but they don't completely replace it. One big plus is that the phone can make and receive calls without losing your place on the iPod or other Apps on the phone.

Regarding reason 4, this was really an afterthought when I was comparing this device with others. I really like the fact that I didn't have to remove the phone from the device to make and receive calls. The speakerphone works great when you use a regular speaking voice and you are 9" to 2.5' from the iP47. Both the iP47 and the remote have dialing capability; however, I was disappointed that it didn't include basic phone features such as last number redial and storage of 10 frequently called numbers. To make a call, you either have to enter the phone number by hand (not my preferred alternative now that everybody has some many numbers) or use the iPhone touch screen while in the dock (see my comments above).Since the iP47 uses Bluetooth, the iPhone doesn't have to sit in the dock to use the speakerphone capability. In the final analysis, I really like this feature and I'm glad that I spent more $$ to get this unique capability.

Other comments: I didn't buy this phone for the alarm clock, but that seems to be standard if you want an AM/FM radio and iPod/iPhone dock. However, it does have a couple of great features including a 4 position dimmer (including no light) and 2 alarms (one iPod and one radio). It doesn't have the 2-5-7 day feature that I use for my home alarm clock, but it is very easy to turn off and on. I also like the day light savings time adjustment which is a simple on/off switch on the back. The iP47 has an input jack, but I haven't tried that. All in all, this is a great device. I wouldn't have paid full retail for it, but I got a great deal from an Amazon.com merchant.

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This is probably one of the worse products I ever owned. I purchased it thinking it would be a great speakerphone and alarm clock for my iPhone. First I used it primarily as a speakerphone. I could hear the person/people at the other end well enough, but they couldn't hear me unless I was literally speaking right into the unit.

After becoming frustrated with that, I decided to bring it home from the office and just use it as my alarm clock. Surely it was more functional than my Sony radio alarm clock that is 20 years old. I loved the idea of waking up to music on my iPod or iPhone.

Well, unfortunately, it is not functional with my iPod touch or my iPhone. EVEN THOUGH THE WEBSITE SAYS YOU CAN USE YOUR IPHONE OR IPOD TOUCH AS A SOURCE FOR MUSIC FOR YOUR ALARM IT WILL NOT WORK. I, do, however happen to have an old iPod Photo that was collecting dust, and that works wonderfully. But that means that the lifespan of it is limited to old iPods that are either no longer being produced (like the Photo) or on their way out (like the Classic). Great.

So I contact support. I email them and a week later I get a response. It was a fairly cryptic "we know this doesn't work but we're coming out with an update soon. Do you want to wait?". I responded back as to what "soon" mean. Another week passes. I got a response with no specific date. I emailed back asking more specifics. Another week passes. I get another response that is just as cryptic and vague as the one before it. I write back asking for more clarification. And now... three weeks after that... STILL NO RESPONSE.

You have got to be kidding me. Not only is iHome falsely advertising, but they don't seem to care to make things right.

I will NEVER buy an iHome product again and STRONGLY encourage anyone looking to look elsewhere.

This product doesnt support the new upgrades for the iphone. The music doesnt stop when switching to different modes like iphone to fm or am and the remote doesnt stop the music from playing. Everytime you switch modes and then go back to ipod or iphone you have to redo the bluetooth in order for it to work. I would not suggest for iphone owners to buy this product.

Spongebob iPod Clock Radio (50262C-IPH)

Spongebob iPod Clock Radio
  • Charge and play your iPhone/iPod at the same time
  • Inverted LCD Screen for easy viewing during the Day and Night hours
  • Wake to iPhone/iPod Function - Wake up to your favorite tunes everyday!

I purchased this Skylanders ipod clock radio for my son for Christmas. He was so excited but soon to be disappointed. When the ipod gets put on the dock, it wipes the time and any other settings completely, so he either uses it as an alarm clock or has to reset the time every single time he uses it as an ipod dock. The sound is so-so but he wasn't worried about that. Very disappointed!!

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Great product! Bought for my 4 year old grandson. I was pleased with the quality and this dock looks better than I expected. Love the colors and detail of this dock. Would recommend this product and seller.