TECSUN PL-380 DSP FM stereo. MW. SW. LW. World Band PLL Radio Receiver, LCD Display, ETM Function Ad

• Using Silicon Labs Si4734 DSP; To Digitalize The Analog MW / FM / SW Broadcasting Signal Base On The Modern Software Technology And Radio Principles
• Small and exquisite design, convenient to carry, excellent for walkers, hikers, campers, backpackers
• Seven Tuning Mode Selectable,LCD Display Screen,550 Preset Memories,Digital Clock Function With 12/24 Hour Format,Highly Intelligent On / Off Switch
• Light & Snooze Function,Key Lock Function,Built-In Charging System To Charge The Ni-Mh Rechargeable Battery,Built In Dc 5v Usb Jack, Earphone Jack
• Accessories:1PC STEREO EARPHONE, 1PC EXTERNAL FM/SW ANTENNA, 1PC CARRYING POUCH AND ENGLISH MANUAL. 1 YEAR WARRANTY ONLY BACKED BY VAIROCANA

I've been a Short Wave Listener for over 60 years now. I have, or have had, a number of portable SW receivers including the Sony ICF-2010, and the Eton and G6 and G8. My "home" receiver is the Kenwood R-5000, so I have quite a bit of experience with different models. After reading the review of the Tecsun PL-380 in the 2011 WORLD RADIO & TELEVISION HANDBOOK, I decided to get one and try it out. It's well worth the price. One failing that a lot of small portables have is "overloading" when connected to an external antenna; the Eton G6 and G8 suffer from this tendency. The PL-380 doesn't. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in a small, relatively inexpensive AM/FM/Shortwave receiver. The Shortwave Broadcast bands have not been very good recently due to propagation conditions, but they are starting to improve and in a year or two I expect that reception will be a lot better. Unfortunately, many SW Broadcasters, such as the BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle have been dropping their transmitters as they believe the rebroadcasts of their programming on local FM stations (Public Radio, in the US, mainly) fulfill the public's need for them. That's fine, if you don't mind getting up in the middle of the night to listen to them but I much preferred to receive them direct on SW, "back in the good old days".

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Have been listening to this little radio for over a month now, and am rather impressed with it. Does a good job pulling in AM/FM stations, and sounds a LOT better than you'd think for the necessarily small speaker it has. When using the included clip-on antenna, it does a fine job of picking up shortwave stations and holding onto them. Not much bigger than a couple desks of cards, it fits in a larger shirt pocket or packs away easily. Runs a long time on 3xAA batteries, and can charge rechargeables through the mini-USB jack. The manual is a little "terse", but if you're willing to play with it a little bit, it isn't hard to figure out. MADE IN CHINA, but of surprisingly good quality. Just keep in mind that this is a small, portable receiver, and not a full-on high-end AM/FM/SW/LW rig, and you won't be disappointed. Would highly recommend for hikers, campers, backpackers.

Read Best Reviews of TECSUN PL-380 DSP FM stereo. MW. SW. LW. World Band PLL Radio Receiver, LCD Display, ETM Function Ad Here

This is an okay little radio, but the one I received was about a 3.5 star rating.

I wish I could give it a higher rating because I am a real fan of these Tescun DSP radios.

I think this radio falls short of the mark in a number of ways, yet it is very good in a lot of ways. The previous reviewers have given all the good points and I agree with their appraisal.

But this radio has some cons when you compare it to the PL-310 or the Sangean DT-400W.

I find because it has a smaller internal AM/Long-wave antenna then the PL-310 it has less sensitivity and more noise on both strong and weak signals. Some of the noise is generated by the larger LCD display panel. It does not do well on Long-wave beacons. It does have good selectivity. The radio nulls well though.

The smaller speaker and audio amplifier are not nearly as good as the other two mentioned radios. Making it less desirable to listen to for long periods of time.

The PL-380 does have switches that seem to work better than the PL-310, it takes less pressure on them to engage. And the set up of the buttons and switches are very nice with the inclusion of EMS memory features does make it a very attractive radio.

Still I would have to recommend one of the other radio's to my friends, also the PL-390 is getting excellent reviews and another radio to consider, though I have not used one yet.

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I am an enthusiastic supporter of this radio. I have over 80 portable radios, most of them shortwave and I think this one is the best value of the lot. You can get a better portable shortwave radio for more money, but not all that much better.

What makes the difference is the Digital Signal Processing chip. The result is outstanding sensitivity on FM along with very good performance on Shortwave and decent performance on AM. The radio is also very selective with no less than 5 selectable bandwidths.

I've taken this radio with me internationally, and the light weight is greatly appreciated. The carrying case conveniently has space for a set of ear buds (something most portable cases surprisingly don't have). Another nice travel feature is the ability to recharge the batteries with a standard USB cable. Chances are you will have something else with you that charges the same way (or a laptop) and so won't have to carry a separate charger. The Easy Tuning Mode (ETM) is ideal for scanning and setting the local stations in memory when you arrive at a new location. This doesn't erase your home settings. It takes less than a minute on FM and around 2 minutes to scan Shortwave.

I find the operation of this radio highly rational. The features make sense, and are easy to get to. Even the memory system that's usually the most complex feature on a radio is pretty straightforward on this one.

I won't repeat the feature list. About the only thing the radio lacks that someone might need is single-sideband reception (decoding utility stations and ham radio).

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I recently purchased a Tecsun PL-380 from Kaito Electronics the US supplier. Upon opening the box the first impression was just how ultralight weight the radio is compared to my other world band portables, yet still has a solid feel when holding the case. It is really pleasing to see the workmanship and quality of the Chinese radios improving, although I note that the prices have also been increasing as well. It wasn't long ago that Japan lead the way in world band radios with the likes of Sony, then Taiwan with the likes of Sangean taking the market and now it looks like it is China with Tecsun. We should be thankful that at least someone is still manufacturing world band radios considering the demise of many of the major SW broadcasters in the west.

Anyway back to the radio. The radio didn't come with batteries or a USB charger, but came with a clip-on antenna wire, earphones and a small zippered pouch that includes a small earphone pouch...hmm very thoughtful. After unpacking I installed 3 x AA NiMH (from another Kaito radio) and the radio immediately identified on the display "NiMh" and the charge state. The radio has a USB charging jack which I think is a great idea, I have already charged the radio using the phone charging port from an Eton FR160 emergency "cranker" radio, as well as having charged it from a PC and from an old Motorola phone USB charger. USB charging is just so versatile hopefully all small radio and cell phone manufacturers standardize on USB. I only wish that the radio required 2 rather than 3 AA batteries.

The radio has the FM, MW, LW and SW 120M to 13M bands inclusive, they appear to have dropped the 11M band which isn't a big issue in my opinion as the 11M band is mostly dead.

OK so how well does it operate. I compared the PL-380 to my first digital portable the Kaito 1101 and I can say that I'm amazed at the low noise level of the PL-380, no more digital buzzing in the my headphones at zero volume levels. The controls and use of the features such as alarm setting, clock setting, bandwidth etc. is just so much better than the early Kaito's. I really like the Easy Tuning Mode (ETM) that basically scans the band you are on MW, LW or SW and stores them in a temporary memory that you can then access them using the tuning jog wheel. I did a few SW scans last night and was very impressed it makes it very easy to find SW broadcast stations rather than manually scanning. The other feature I like is that the backlight can be manually switched to stay on rather than the auto 3 second time when you pres a key. The radio also has 5 selectable bandwidths in AM mode 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6kHz. Rather odd sizes IMHO and they could have just settled on three bandwidths say narrow 2kHz, normal 4 kHz, and wide 6kHz. Nevertheless it is a nice feature to have in this class of radio. Another area that the PL-380 runs circles around the Kaito 1101 is that it allows tuning and frequency entry down to the 1kHz level so that you can tune off frequency if you so desire i.e. 9999 kHz for WWV. The Kaito I discovered the hard way only allows on frequency tuning e.g. 9995, 10000, or 10005 kHz so if you enter 9999 it tunes to 10000 kHz. Something to watch out for in the cheap digital radios. SW, MW and FM (including stereo) all sounded good to me.

OK so what don't I like. There is no tone control, switch (news/music) or the like, but the tone sounded balanced at least to my ears. Well I can tell you I don't like the volume control as it is a notched jog wheel, like the tuning jog wheel, and appears to have 30 volume positions. Basically, the volume control does not have linear sound levels. Individual hearing and volume or loudness is a personal thing. When I'm using the radio I have found that sometimes that volume position 4 is too quite, yet volume position 5 is too loud and similarly with positions 5 and 6 depending on what I'm listening to. I much prefer a full linear volume control thank you. As for the signal strength display that reports in dBu and dB signal-to-noise it really is meaningless, it would be far better to have a simple signal strength meter that reads S1 to S9, 20+, 40+dB then it would be a better reference to signal strength relative to other receivers. The radio has a temperature display, what for I don't know or care for to be honest and I'm wondering if it the actual IC chip temperature rather than the ambient temperature as it seems to be reading high at least on my radio it does.

Overall though for an ultralight weight world band radio that is easy to use you probably can't go wrong.

Happy listening.

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Pole Dancer Alarm Clock

• LCD screen display with back light
• Easy to use clock and alarm set functions
• Snooze button
• Try me button

In these trying times we all need to make sacrifices in order to get by. When I lost my job as the glaze-applier at Krispy Kreme, my wife and I didn't know how we were going to make ends meet. She makes decent money, but even the exotic piercing industry is taking a hit in this economy.

Once the late-payment notices started to outnumber the actual bills, I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands. I told my wife that she should get a second job as a stripper, but we both agreed that her severe clubfoot wasn't exactly going to rake in the money.

So, my wife and I came to the agreement that since I was the one who lost the job, I would have to be the one to replace the income. As a stripper.

To hammer her point home, my wife got me this fantastic Pole Dancer Alarm Clock. With its 3-D spinning dancer (I call her Alicia) and vibrant LED display, it serves as the perfect daily reminder that I was doing this for my family.

But this clock is more than just a hot girl pole-dancing to the music it also features an alarm and a snooze button!

While my moves may not be as sensual as Alicia's, I know that one day they might be, and that's all the motivation I need to get myself out of bed and onto a new life.

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This was the hot item to get at this years white elephant Christmas exchange. It was a crack up and changed hands many times before going home with the lucky winner.

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Not sure I would ever use this as an actual alarm clock but this was an absolute hit at two white elephant parties I went to!

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First, You have to squint to see the clock. Second, it's very and I mean VERY cheaply made you could break it putting the dancer on the think, The soud is way to quite and the lights are weak (a candle puts out more light then these)

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Kaito Pocket-Size PLL Synthesized AM/FM Shortwave Radio, KA11

• 1,000 permanently stored preset memories (Will not lose even without battery inside radio)
• 10-Level Signal strength indicator
• 7 shortwave meter bands that covers from 5.8 to 18.1 MHz
• 6 tuning options: frequency input, manual tuning, auto tuning, memory scan, random preset & ATS
• Alarm Clock Display & Temperature Display

I wanted a small shortwave radio to take on a trip. Whenever I travel, I feel bad because my Sangean ATS-909 is a little too big to drag along. Besides size, cost was an important factor in my purchase decision. There were not many reviews for the Kaito KA11, but it had most of the features I wanted and overall Kaito radios have pretty good reviews.

I ordered the radio online for $54 including shipping. As advertised, the radio is extremely small. Although small in size, this radio is packed with features. Overall, the buttons/controls are nicely laid out. Using the radio is very intuitive, but you may need to crack open the manual to use some of the features such as the sleep timer and the alarm clock. The manual is easy to read, but obviously translated to English so some of the sentences require some patience to understand.

Features: The radio has 1000 memory locations (100 per page). You have the option to scan through the stored memory locations or just scan up/down by frequency. Even though the speaker is small, the radio still sounds good. Overall, sensitivity is decent and selectivity between strong adjacent stations is good. The radio displays both time and frequency. The backlight is orange and the LCD display is very easy to read. So far battery life seems very good. The left-side of the radio has an external antenna jack. The battery compartment door is attached...a welcome change. The package comes with an AC adapter, manual, ear bud headphones and a long-wire external antenna. If you use rechargeable batteries, it is possible to charge the batteries inside the radio (with the AC adapter).

The whip antenna stores inside the radio. I am not sure I like this feature. Sometimes the antenna sticks while trying to push it back into the radio. Hopefully this will become less sticky over time. To set the clock, you need need to take the batteries out of the radio momentarily. The rotary volume control is very sensitive. Unfortunately, this makes it fairly easy to go from low volume to extremely loud without much movement. I also do not care for the location of the volume control. When the radio is lying flat on a table, you cannot adjust the volume. The carrying strap is permanently attached to the radio. This is a small annoyance. Unlike similar radios in its class, there is no pop-out stand. In my opinion, the frequency coverage should have included the 60 meter band.

For future designs of this radio, I would like to see a slight change in memory functionality. If you manually punch in a frequency that is already in memory, I would like the behavior changed so it displays the memory location of that frequency. Right now, you have no way to know if a frequency is already in memory. There should also be an easy way to add a frequency to the next available memory location. Currently, you need to specify a memory location when saving a frequency. This increases the possibility that you may overwrite a memory location with a different frequency.

In summary, I really love my Kaito KA11 radio and I am very happy with the purchase. It is definitely a great feature-packed radio, especially for its size and price. Most of the issues discussed above are minor annoyances and definitely not reasons to avoid this radio.

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PROS

1) The KA11 is a very small and highly portable PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Synthesized, fully capable digital AM(MW)/FM/SW radio receiver. The full digital tuning capability means that there is no need for frequency retuning once a station has been received with adequate strength, unlike the digital display readout for analog tuning on the very popular Grundig Mini300PE AM/FM/SW and many other digital display analog radios for example.

2) The KA11 is an excellent starter digital SW radio with numerous bells and whistles. It replaces the much simpler Single conversion PLL Kaito KA105 digital AM/FM/SW radio, yet is almost identical in its size and weight (see below). The KA105 is also a far less versatile unit since a smaller part of the FM and SW spectrum is available for reception compared to the KA11, etc.

3) FM selectivity: > 40dB

Noise limit sensitivity:

FM < 10 Microvolts

AM < 1 Millivolts/meter

SW < 20 Microvolts

4) On SALE now for $39.95 at Amazon with a small amount more for a Kaito 23 foot Reel antenna (which I also recommend), it is absolutely a terrific bargain.

5) It has a great signal strength meter (10 levels), 1000 nonvolatile storage memories, a travel lock button to prevent turning it on, a fine orange controllable back-light which is great for reading the display in the dark, clock and alarm functions, battery level and also a charging indicator and even the temperature around the unit. Some of the many buttons have multiple and very useful functions. It also has numerous ways to tune as well as store any received signals.

6) The sides have very simple controls too with a plug for an AC power source (also provided by KaitoUSA), one for an external antenna and one for a set of headphones (with a set of earbuds also provided with the system). It also has a very useful local/DX switch which increases the sensitivity when trying to receive weak SW and FM signals from distant stations (with DX standing for a distant station, D of unknown range and origin and with X, an unknown as in mathematics, yet to be explored).

7) The internally stored whip antenna works to bring in very distant and some weak SW and FM stations on this quite sensitive radio receiver. I like this system of storing the antenna within the radio very much and I have found if you are careful that it works quite well. Adding the Kaito external Reel antenna does not overload the unit as reported by some other reviewers (not on Amazon), but greatly enhanced the reception of weak and very distant signals.

8) It has a 90 day return period from KaitoUsa and a full 1 year warranty in North America. The unit seems exceptionally well built however and will probably last a long time if properly handled.

9) It is a great receiver for young and old listeners alike. It doesn't bother me at all that many of these stations are also now available on the internet. The thrill of receiving distant stations with a small portable receiver started for me as a kid with analog devices of much less capability. Believe me when I say that this almost new miniature portable and digital radio (first available in October 2006) is a technological revolution when you appreciate the Heathkits available when I was young!

10) I also suggest buying the Passport to Worldband Radio paperback book (with the 2008 edition now available). It is a yearly publication with monthly updates available on the internet and also available for purchase on Amazon. It has many useful reviews of all available digital SW receivers and advertising from the major radio producing companies. It also lists radio stations available globally (for listening in North America) as well as their transmitting frequencies, power and the time of their broadcasts, etc.

CONS

1) Very brief manual (which as noted by other reviewers is a very poor English translation), but all functions can be figured out with a little patience and rereading of the brief manual.

2) No batteries are provided (it takes 2 AA batteries that last a very long time even with the back-light and the batteries can readily be recharged within the unit if desired). Also no carrying pouch is supplied with the unit, but the AC adapter (110 V) is provided by KaitoUSA as noted earlier.

3) AM(MW) reception doesn't seem quite as good during the day as it is on FM or on SW, probably due to the very small and highly directional internal ferrite AM antenna (but this is just the nature of AM radio listening!). It is probably also because of a small amount of display synthesizer noise as noted by other reviewers. At night however very fine AM reception has been found here in the mountains of New Mexico. There are also some ringing and clicking type noises on the various SW bands that shouldn't be there either, but I have not found these interfering sounds too overwhelming a problem, especially considering that this is really a set for those new to this fun activity.

4) The volume control knob is analog and a bit sensitive, but with care it is still very usable. The noise level for listening to a good signal is quite different between the three band select options so I frequently have to lower the volume level quite a bit when going from SW back to FM or AM stations (for ear protection). Also, there is no bass control for listening to music as there is on the fancier Kaito units, but the KA11 still sounds quite acceptable on its small internal speaker. On earbuds or headphones it sounds excellent however and uses much less power to boot and also it won't disturb anyone around you in a work or in a commuting environment.

5) Only part of the full SW spectrum is provided, namely the 49 m to 16 m bands (Others have mentioned the unavailability of the 60 m band on the KA11 for example). So far I have received so many SW stations that I haven't even noticed the lack of availability of the really long wave bands (up to 120 m, but with very few stations broadcasting at these wavelengths). Usually the most distant stations are also available on multiple sets of frequencies so that the unit seems to fully cover everything you might want to try to listen too except perhaps for SSB (Single-side band used by ham radio operators) which is available on the more expensive and highly rated Kaito 1102 and Kaito 1103 (which has recently been redesigned as the Eton E5 or the Grundig G5) SW receivers.

6) Check the LCD screen out very carefully. On my radio, if looked at from angles off perpendicular, numerous small folds in the display material were clearly evident. They in no way affected actually using the radio, but it certainly made me question the quality control procedures used for evaluating an individual LCD display unit.

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I bought one of these out of curiosity, and took a chance as there were no reviews anywhere on the net. I hope this one helps. I've still not had a chance to critically assess it's sensitivity, but it seems to fare well against my Sony 7600G on a whip. If you're a radio head like me, I say just go for it. I also have a Kaito WRX911 which a fine bed time radio to tune in the dark, but sometimes you just want to know what frequency you're on. In a nutshell, this unit is just fun because it packs so much in a miniature unit. It reminds me of a tiny YB400, and the display is clean well laid out. Audio, as expected is thin, yet with plenty of volume, and the included earphones sound very nice. I also like the paging memory storage. Once you get used to it, you can breeze in and out of all sorts of radio programs easily. Also, the memories are non-volatile, a nice touch. I don't like the antenna, as mine seems to have play in it, and "wags" a little once extended, but that's a small shortcoming. To sum it up, for about $60, you sure get alot of fun in a package that fits in your pocket. If you're a SWL, or a ham, I think you'd consider it required reading, or just another one worth a place in your collection.

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This shirt pocket AM/FM/short wave radio is similar in size and performance to the very expensive Sony ICF-SW1, which has been discontinued for many years. It is a sensitive and selective radio, with a ton of features.

That being said, better performance can be found in the Kaito line for very little additional money. See my review of the Kaito 1102 or check out the amazing Kaito 1101. Both of these radios offer better performance, and since they are bigger, have larger, better sounding speakers.

If you need the compact size, and will use earphones most of the time, this is a good choice, sound quality through the earphones is very good (stereo in FM).

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I am revising this review a number of years after it was written to reflect that fact that better radios are now available at this price point. The newer radios have better sensitivity and are easier to use. I find it hard to use all its features, or even to reset the time even after several years use, so I must say the ergonomics are poor. Currently my preference for small/inexpensive radios with SW capability is the Tecsun PL-360 which I have recently reviewed. Its performance is better (much better on AM) and is significantly easier to set-up and use. It has very different dimensions but still fits a shirt pocket. I am leaving the rest of the original review intact.

This radio is a clone of the Sony ICFSW1 which I also have, but which alas died after about 15 years operation. It's size, antenna, volume control location is identical and it even fits the Sony case. The Sony however sold for close to $300.00 and even now sells in the $200 region second hand.

When I first turned the KA11 on in a difficult reception area, I was immediately struck by the good FM reception. It reception seems comparable to the Sony in all bands using the pull-out or internal antenna. It may be slightly less sensitive in MW and slightly better in SW. The extra long wire antenna can be used to give a boost.

The Kaito has more features than the Sony, eg. 1000 vs 10 presets. I found it quite difficult to figure how to use these at first, because I kept trying to use the Sony method. Once I figured it out however it is very simple to use. As others note you need to send some time with the manual.

The speaker sound was better than I would have thought from some other reviews. It is slightly higher pitched than the Sony but slightly clearer too.

In short a fun radio with pretensions of being a serious SW radio.

After having this radio for a number of months now and travelling with it, I remain convinced that that it's FM and SW capabilities are as good as or better than the famed Sony ICFSW1.

I am still unclear about the AM reception. I am now sitting in Las Vegas listening to a Los Angeles news station coming in loud and clear. Now I know that AM can skip off the ionosphere, which is the primary basis for SW reception. However closer to LA the signal is worse, which is I assume the direct wave coming in, but still this seems pretty impresive AM.

My major quibble is the poorly written manual. This radio has some complicated, but neat features and there are places where the instructions are very unclear, missing key points, or even wrong.

Still this is a great radio and with the drop in price a great buy.

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Samsung Mantra Prepaid Phone (Virgin Mobile)

I have been a Virgin Mobile customer since they first started as a prepaid cell phone provider. I have been quite pleased with their service and variety of pricing plans. Unfortunately Virgin Mobile phones have never been the greatest, the only good thing is that if you buy a cheap phone, you don't feel to badly when it dies,gets lost, or broken. When my VM Slash phone finally gave up the ghost a few weeks ago I decided it was time for another upgrade. After doing a lot of research on the internet I decided to go with the Mantra. I like being back to a flip phone so you don't have to worry about locking the keyboard so you don't pocket dial. The phone it'self is still pretty basic, it comes with the nifty tip calculator which lets you divide the cost between the number of parties at your table. Call clarity is good. Reception is the typical Virgin Mobile, works in most places when I need it, but spotty sometimes in the more rural areas. The ring tones that come with the phone are typical Virgin Mobile, obnoxious...you will want to download some better ones which you can only do from the VM site. The games on the phone are all demos, but they look good on the screen so it might be nice to have a full version of Tetris which you can download from VM.

It is Bluetooth enabled which is a nice feature to have on a phone. The battery seems to hold a good charge for daily use, I can go 3 to 4 days without charging, but that is in standby mode, I am not sure how long it would last if you were a heavy user. The phone is very well behaved, I say this because my Slash would beep once a minute to let me know it was working (I guess that's why), anytime I had the ringer turned on. I never did figure out how to turn off the signal beep on it. The Mantra doesn't beep and also on the Mantra you can turn off the obnoxious start up and shut down sounds that VM deems necessary to put on all of their low end phones. The directory will support up to 500 entries and you can add up to 5 phone numbers per entry along with 2 email addresses and a URL address.

The camera is useable, not great but much better pictures than the Slash took. Basically I use it only to create new wallpapers for the phone and send an occasional pic to Twitpic

So far I am very pleased with the new Mantra, it's a good basic phone, not a lot of bells and whistles, but enough to make it very user friendly. Nice calendar and appointment scheduling, cool countdown timers so you can tell how many days till your anniversary, birthday, Christmas or any other date you might want to countdown to.

Watch for it on sale, Amazon had it listed for $59 same as the VM site... I bought it on sale at Best Buy for $49, and on Black Friday picked up a second one for my wife at Radio Shack for $29.

I would recommend this phone to anyone looking for a nice basic user friendly phone with picture and texting capabilities. It will browse the web also by the way, but you need to pay for a "data pack" at VM to use it. That I haven't tried.

This phone does everything it says it will do. It has a responsive CPU and loads stuff faster than any other virgin mobile phone. The pictures aren't so great but thats what digital camera are for. This is one of the best looking phones too. It looks good and feels good with it's large buttons. It has the mark of quality and will never let you down. The battery can last about a week if you don't use it that often. All functions are easy and accessible. My only gripe is that it discontinued the stopwatch function for some odd reason so if you like to time things (I'm a track runner) then you may be sad. This is probably the best virgin mobile phone out as of today. It also has a good price.

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I agree with the other reviews here, this is a good phone all around, but what I really want to amplify is that the display particularly inside is very good. Pictures actually look sharp and text is easy to read. Coming from a Virgin Mobile Flare it was like night and day.

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I got the Samsung Mantra about a week ago and so far I like it for a basic flip phone. The design is sleek and nice and I like that it has a camera and bluetooth capable. The screen is nice and it's really easy to use. Use this code to get free 60 minutes when you activate a new virgin mobile phone online EJ76pPXU when you are activating your phone enter it into the section that says kickback code.

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I am an older person, retired and no longer use or need all the features that are offered with many cell phones. This one has voice recognition, room for 500 contacts and a far better antenna capable of making/receiving calls in areas I previously was not able to do.

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COBY CX-71 ORG Mini AM/FM Pocket Radio with Hand Strap

• Built-in belt clip and handstrap
• Compact and colorful design, weighing just a few ounces
• Features Dynamic Bass Boost System (DBBS)
• Lightweight earphones for stereo sound
• Uses two "AA" batteries, not included

I purchased this for my 2 year old daughter because she always wants to listen to her older sister's and my expensive MP3 players. Rather than risk having her break the expensive players, I decided to buy her an inexpensive alternative.

This radio was perfect. Low price and surprisingly better quality than expected. Durable enough to take abuse from a 2 year old and continue working. Both AM and FM stations are picked up fairly well if they're local. Sound quality is pretty good.

My 2 year old managed to rip off one of the ear buds right away by sitting on it because the wire is very thin. I replaced the ear buds and haven't had a problem since.

Definitely worth the low price.

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Let's not mince words here; expecting miracles from a Coby electronic device is like asking your dog to go make you a nice lentil stew. Let's not even expect a semblance of qualitative parity with most brands when Coby enters the picture. They just don't operate that way. What you get with Coby-branded stuff is bling'd-out, cut-rate mediocrity, or even outright "failure by design," and this radio is a fine example of the syndrome.

For starters, there is the matter of the "neck strap," which is the appropriate term to use if this radio was meant to be worn around the neck of a goose, or a ferret, or a small Chihuahua. It does fit well around normal-sized human hands, so if you are part of that demographic and don't really care if Amazon mislabels the product, then have at it.

The other issue could be more of a showstopper, and that is the matter of the dial calibration. The problem dial doesn't quite reach the bottom of the FM spectrum, preventing me from listening to one of my favorite local stations. Is this a design defect, or is this more of Coby's famous quality control?

Otherwise, the radio is okay. It feels sturdy, and reception in both bands is alright for local stations. I think the case is polypropylene, which is good because it means the belt clip will last a while. The earbuds, of course, are a joke. It isn't as good as the Sony's and Sangeans, but they cost quite a bit more. If you want a radio so cheap that it literally is not worth your time to return it, then this is the one.

Read Best Reviews of COBY CX-71 ORG Mini AM/FM Pocket Radio with Hand Strap Here

I live in a major metro area and the radio stations I listen to are major stations, so it is usually very easy to pick up signal for them. This thing couldn't do it. It got nothing but static.

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this radio is one of the worst terrible radios out of all of coby's crap, and this is just pathetic, you know coby, the worst and cheapest you can brand buy, don't get this.

For the price, this is a good item. You get what you pay for. I am having issues with the ear buds where they plug into the unit. I have to twist the wire to not get scratchy noises.

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Timex T309T Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds (Titanium)

• Nature Sounds clock radio with preset tuning
• 18 station memory
• Wake to Radio/Buzzer/Nature Sounds
• Triple Alarm
• Battery Back Up

This is a nice little item. It has good sound quality and three types of alarm: radio, buzzer, and nature sounds (there are 3 or 4 of these to choose from). You can specify whether an alarm setting works every day, only on weekdays, or only on weekends. Each alarm setting has its own radio station or nature sound (and volume) associated with it. It's got a nice big snooze button on top, which doubles as a display dimmer (my favorite feature).

I've come across just a couple disappointments in the week that I've had it.

I thought I'd be able to create a radio-alarm setting for weekdays and another radio-alarm setting (same time, but different station) for weekends. Can't do it. You get one setting for each type of alarm.

The radio preset buttons are arranged in a line across the front of the unit. The band setting button is in that line too, to its left. So if you want preset #1, you've got to punch the second button. Hitting the first button switches you to AM.

All in all, though, it's worth the [money].

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The digital tuner and stylish look drew me to this clock -I was tired of the drifting AM stations on my old analog-tuned radio. To my disappointment, I still get lots of AM drift on this Timex, but I admit it may just be a weak station that is to blame. Some may appreciate the ability to set different alarm times for weekdays and weekends with this clock -but I think it makes setup complicated, and holidays a frustrating anomaly -so I don't think it's any more convenient than the simple old-fashioned method of setting one alarm time and changing it when necessary. The nature sounds on this unit sound pretty awful -they range from vaguely artificial to unpleasantly harsh, so I don't use them. All in all, this clock has good speakers for its size, a fine digital readout, and features that you should only go for if they're worth the added complexity to you.

(...) After 9 months, I've decided to sell this alarm clock and buy a different model. Why? The main reason is that the snooze bar is located near a smaller button which turns the alarm off completely. During the first week of owning this clock, I somehow trained myself to hit the smaller button and fall right back asleep. Which is my fault more than the clock's, but still -it's a design problem in that these buttons should not be close together! I offered the clock to my wife but she found it too complicated to bother using. Too bad. The sound quality of the radio is very nice, but otherwise, there's no reason to hang onto this.

Read Best Reviews of Timex T309T Alarm Clock Radio with Nature Sounds (Titanium) Here

I purchased this for my husband who likes to sleep with some sort of noise. I thought this might work. Well, the nature sounds are the WORST I have ever heard. The LCS is not that big or bright and the snooze button is very close to the OFF button which is not good. I guess for someone who really likes gadgets and studies their new electonic toys may like this clock, but personally I found it confusing. This is not a pull out of the box and use clock. I swear you couldn't figure out how to set the alarm without the manual. You have to push 3-4 buttons to accomplish it. What we wanted if for was useless and there was WAY too many stupid extras. We ended up selling ours at a yard sale.

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Most of the poor reviews here refer to the difficulty in setting the time/alarms on this clock. They say you need the instruction manual every time, yada yada yada. Here's the difficult sequence required to set the time: 1)Hold the "Time" button until the time flashes 2) press "Up" and "Down" until you reach the proper time. I did not use the instruction manual at all in my operation of this clock--it was totally self evident. As far as having to press up or down a million times, like one reviewer noted, try HOLDING it, it starts moving very quickly. The alarms are set similarly, and are turned off by touching one button, e.g. to turn off the buzzer alarm, press "buzzer" (reviewer "Jonathon Shakes" said it took several minutes with the instruction manual to figure this out??!!) I mainly wanted to refute these claims as they made me hesitant to buy the clock, and they are totally groundless.

Other than that, I would say it is a very good clock radio. I like the digital tuner, I like the three alarms and the ability to set each independently for 7/5/2 days. It has a good antenna and good speakers for a clock radio. It is small and loud and has a lot of features. The main drawback is that the "nature sounds" mostly sound like static, and repeat themselves like every three seconds. But that's not why I bought the thing, and I just don't use them.

Give this clock radio a try--it's really not as bad as everyone here is saying!

I did a lot of research to find a quality alarm clock for a decent price. I decided against one that played CDs because I already had a CD player and those tend to take up a lot of space (I have a fairly small bedside nightstand). While reading reviews on Amazon for a SONY alarm clock model, one reviewer recommended the Timex T309T instead, so I checked this one out on several websites. Most of the reviewers seemed pleased, so I asked for it on my wishlist and received it as a gift. My impression is definitely positive!

It was actually fairly easy to set up and program, nothing too high tech. My only little peeve is with setting the clock: the hour and minutes are not independent of each other, but rather you have to hold down the "forward" button until it passes 60 minutes to advance one hour. It's a minor technicality that is easily overcome, but still...

Other than that, I can't think of much else that I would change (though other reviewers had a couple of good suggestions). The battery back up is certainly a nice feature that's not found on other alarm clocks of comparable price. Another nice little feature is that the radio alarm setting has a sleeper mode that can be adjusted for 90, 60, 30 or 15 minute blocks of time. The nature sounds are not so natural, but the buzzer and radio work just fine.

Overall, a wonderful little alarm clock for a decent price. Definitely recommended!!

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iHome iA9SZC App-Enhanced 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock (Silver)

• Wake or sleep to iPhone, iPod, custom playlist or AM/FM radio; the sync button syncs clock time to always-current iPhone time settings in seconds; and charges and plays iPhone or iPod while docked
• Dual alarm with weekday/weekend 7.5.2 settings that allow you to set alarms for a full week, work week or weekend with separate wake times/alarm sources to suit your lifestyle; plus programmable snooze time
• Customize and update your iA9 with advanced iHome apps by using the free iHome + Sleep app to tailor your alarm and sleep settings, get local weather, etc, and update the iA9 firmware. Use the iHome+radio app to access up to 10,000 internet radio stations
• Reson8 speaker chambers are specially designed sealed speaker enclosures delivering astounding clarity, depth and power; also has adjustable EQ bass, treble, 3D and balance controls to let you customize your sound
• Also includes remote control, line-in jack, battery backup, preset clock, 12 AM/FM presets, Daylight Saving Time switch, large backlit LCD display and backlit buttons, and universal 100/240VAC voltage AC adaptor

I am a long-time owner of iHome-based products. I have had mixed experiences over the years... some good, some not so good. When I recently had my prior iHome clock-radio fail (prematurely, in my opinion), I was not sure if I would use iHome on my next purchase.

Well, I did some research on today's product landscape, and I settled on this iHome for several reasons:

Good reviews across a number of sources.

iHome as a company are keeping their products up to date.

Some of the problems I found/experienced with their previous products have been fixed in these newer models.

** IMPORTANT FOR ME: This is one of the few Apple-compatible clock-radios on the market that still has an AM radio!

I have been using this for a few weeks now and am thoroughly happy. It works well, integrates properly with the compatible iOS apps, has good sound, and was easy enough to program (even without using the handy apps). I find the volume to be of good quality, not superb, but I didn't expect a high-end sound system when I purchased this.

Pro tip:

The iHome+Sleep app for iOS no longer supports viewing/setting the internal settings of your clock. For this you only need a new, separate app: "iHome Set." It is free and is working well for me using an iPhone 4s running iOS 6. Unless you want to do specialized alarms you don't need the iHome+Sleep app (although it seems like a fine app... I just don't need it).

Hope this review is helpful to some of you.

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I have had this little docking station/ radio for my iphone for about 3 weeks now and it is a nice little system. It is easy to use and there are apps that you can download that go with it. The sound is clear and has a good volume range. the remote makes it convenient and I like the many different levels of brightness on the illuminating face. I cant sleep with lights on and you can turn this one off or place on a low setting. The only thing I dislike about it is the FM radio antenna but this seems to be the norm these days. It does not have great reception but of course you have to kind of try and play with it to pick up the stations. I know these days a lot of people dont actually listen to live radio anymore lol but I do as my daughter is an intern at one. All in all this is a great buy for the price and I would recommend it to others.

Read Best Reviews of iHome iA9SZC App-Enhanced 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock (Silver) Here

I bought this alarm clock because I wanted an alarm that would charge my iPhone 4S and play a specific playlist when I woke up. I'm a fairly technically savvy person and I spent several weeks waking in extreme frustration (waking to the buzzer, waking to Pandora, waking to too loud music, etc.) trying to get this alarm to do that one thing. There are actually 3 ways to set the alarm (on the hardware, through the iHome+Sleep app, or through the iA9 app), and I was never able to figure out which one took priority over the others.

The other extremely key piece of information that was buried in documentation (and really, it's a red flag if you ever have to RTFM for an iPhone app) is that whichever of the 2 apps you use, you have to open that app as the last thing you do before you dock your iPhone. The other annoying thing is that even if I've selected "iPod" (in the iA9 app) or a specific playlist in the iHome app (the apps seem the same but the iHome app has about one menu level more of functionality, don't ask me why), your desired playlist has to be the last thing you play on your iPhone before you go to bed. Listening to Pandora before bed? You will wake to Pandora, regardless of the settings on the apps. Closed Pandora and opened the Music functionality on your iPhone, but didn't hit play? You will wak to Pandora. This is a way too many things for me to remember to do before I go to sleep.

After weeks of waking up cranky with drafts of an Amazon review about this alarm in my head, I decided to write this review and go back to what I had before: a dedicated iPhone whose sole purpose is to dock on my alarm, my daily iPhone plugged in sadly on the floor.

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I really love this alarm system. One piece of advice to those of you with an iPhone 5 you have to get the 30 pin to lightning adapter and you HAVE to get the Apple brand adapter. I tried the off brand because it was $8 vs. $30, but it didn't work (it will charge, but not sync) so, that was a wasted $8. Also, the display is really bright, even on the lowest setting if this bothers you, I think you can get a film to put over the display to make it less bright.

This is the lowest cost alarm clock radio I found with the important (to me) features I wanted. I was looking for a dual alarm clock with digital tuning and large red display. I wanted red LED display for visibility at night; this has variable-intensity greenish backlit display that also lights up all the function buttons. If the display isn't turned off, everything lights up. The display is somewhat smaller than what I was looking for. I ended up setting the unit on top of a large red LED clock and disabling the display unless I'm changing features. The digital tuning is nice. The unit has iPod/iPhone/app enhancement that I don't use, so that's an extra. It's a good unit for someone who needs to be "plugged in" a lot more than an old geezer like me.

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Altec Lansing inMotion Portable Audio System for iPod (White)

• Mobile, portable speaker system for dock-connecting iPods, including iPod mini, iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1 G
• Dual 1-inch neodymium micro drivers per speaker deliver big sound in a small format
• MaxxBass technology creates a sense of rich, deep bass without the need for a subwoofer
• Lightweight and compact; includes AC power adapter and charges your iPod while docked
• Efficient, class-D amplifier offers up to 24 hours of continuous playback with 4 AA batteries (not included)

The design of this speaker system is impressive! Perfect for using your iPod in your office or dorm as a personal stereo.

When folded up, it forms a small little rectangle just 8 inches wide and only about an inch high; to set it up, just open it and flip the speakers around and you have a little stereo to plug your iPod into. Altec Lansing ships a very nice leather bag to store the device in. The entire unit weighs only 15 ounces so it's easy to tuck it into a brief case or backpack.

You can run these speakers off double-A batteries for truly portable operation, or from an AC adapter that plugs into the wall.

This device accepts any of the newer iPods that dock, including the mini-iPods. You can also use this with older iPods, CD players, or other MP3 players using the auxiliary audio input.

Sound quality? Not quite as good as your home stereo speakers, but then this is really SMALL. I think the sound is quite acceptable for the size of the speakers.

Note that a newer model is out now that is even smaller and looks a little cooler. So, shop around before you decide on which version is right for you.

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From its sleek looks to the thumping bass, the InMotion matches the iPods perfectly. For its size, the woofer included is mindblowing, the songs have a deep bass that one has come to expect from Lansing.

Some spiffy and convenient features -

(a) A minijack .125-inch headphone jack for private listening

(b) an auxiliary stereo minijack input for hookup with other audio devices such as portable CD players, laptops, older iPods, and other MP3 players (an interconnect for this purpose is included)

(c) Built-in, flush-mounted power and volume controls

(d) When docked inMotion's iPod bay, your music player can perform all the same data transfer and synchronization functions possible via Apple's usual free-standing iPod dock

(e) The onboard amp can support up to 24 hours of continuous playback on just four AA batteries (not included).

(f) For indoor use, it includes an AC power supply that recharges the iPod anytime it sits in the inMotion docking bay

(g) Small but useful -you can use iPod's alarm feature to create a pretty functional alarm clock that plays wake-up music of your choice, very useful for travellers

It's a very worthy purchase for such a small "system"..

Read Best Reviews of Altec Lansing inMotion Portable Audio System for iPod (White) Here

Got my wife an 20GB iPod for Valentines Day and she listens to it all the time. When it came to hinting about a Mother's Day present, she wanted these speakers.

I have an Apple Store nearby so I stopped in and they had them on display. I was concerned that that they are so small (like two other iPods on either side of the unit in the center) that they would sound poorly, but they actually sounded very good.

She got them this morning and immediately set them up. It runs on 4-AA batteries but I imagine she'll use the supplied AC Adapter almost all the time accept if we were to bring them someplace where there might not be a place to plug them in. She was amazed at how compact the unit was and thought the speakers were missing until I showed her how it flips open. They also supply a short adapter to connect an external device to the speakers as well as a lined case to store the speakers when not in use.

So she "docked" her iPod in it, turned the power on, pressed play and it worked like a charm. It really sounded good. She moved the unit to the kitchen, put the volume maybe halfway up and we could here it all over the floor that the kitchen is on. Set lower, it can play without disturbing others. Plus, important for her (or it was when she was always carrying it around) is that it charges the unit. Maybe now with the speakers and it being plugged in, she won't be commenting that she forgot to charge the iPod again.

Granted it has only been 1 day, but she's already said multiple times today how cool it is and how good it sounds. That's all that matters to me! ;-) I'd highly recommend considering this unit to add to your iPod experience.

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I'm pretty happy with these speakers. Beautiful design, good price. I travel a lot for work; I also have a cabin in the country. This device is perfect for both situations. The adage "Less is more" has never been truer.

Five improvements/problems need to be addressed, however:

1. Needs an equalizer, however crude. It could be a multitrack, it could just be a bass vs. treble dial. You will notice a popping of the (otherwise very good) speakers when the production of music you're playing is "punchy" or puts the bass/bottom up-front. It's not acceptable to have to lower the volume of the speakers to get rid of said popping.

2. The speakers need to be designed to handle more bass/bottom. See item #1 above.

3. Would it kill Altec Lansing to add an LED/LCD counter to the volume control so you know where you are on the volume scale? I don't think so.

4. The DC (AA battery) function must be able to connect to the engaged iPod, so that the AA batteries can power the speakers AND iPod, when the iPod is low on charge.

5. If item #4 above isn't workable, Altec Lansing must find battery alternatives, like a 3v battery (such as is used to power 35mm cameras) that can do the job.

I am glad I bought these speakers. I am very happy with them, I really enjoy them, and I would recommend them to anybody. Cheers, Marit

This is a great little compact set of speakers if you're looking to listen to music in a small room, or for just yourself. But crank it up, and you're in for distortion of the bass and a lot of tinny sound.

Pros:

Compact. Uses batteries OR wall outlet, so it's versatile and you can take it to the beach, on a picnic, etc. Folds up to the size of a small book and comes with a nice padded pouch for transport. Makes sound good enough for an office, bedroom, cubicle, etc. Takes double A batteries, not some proprietary one. Great at low-to-medium volumes.

Cons:

Distorts high and low frequency sound at medium-to-high volume. You can't use this for a party, there is no way it would play loud enough. I have one in my bedroom, and use it to play soft music (jazz, classical, soft-rock) in the evening. It does not handle bass well at all, and adds a tinny quality. You can see the speakers bumping, in fact, at a low volume. I'd worry about blowing them out.

If you're looking to buy this for a party or to fill your home with music, do yourself a favor and go to Target or Best Buy and listen to this and the Bose Sounddock side by side. You'll CLEARLY hear the difference. And if the Bose (@ $299) isn't in your price range and you're not worried about compact, trendy looks, a set of $80 computer speakers with a sub can knock this system out of the water any day. On the other hand, if you're buying this system for your kid's room and don't WANT them to be able to play their music loud, this is the system for you!

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Insignia AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio

This radio is really perfect. Its visibility is great, and it does not disturb you by illuminating the room at night. The radio quality is good, and can snooze for 9 or 10 minutes. The picture chosen for this product looks ugly, but in reality its screen is really vital. So, why buy those fancy-famous brand products? Definitely go for this one.

...and it's a big one, the music alarm part drifts so sometimes the alarm doesn't make any music... or wake you up.

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Apple iMac Desktop with 17" M9168LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW/CD-

• Features a 1.25 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4) processor with the AltiVec "Velocity Engine" vector processing unit
• The internal components are housed in an attractive 10.6" half-sphere
• Ice white case with a chromed stainless steel neck that supports a 17" TFT Active Matrix LCD display
• A 256k on-chip level 2 cache
• NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM

I've been told by my irritated PC using friends that I'm a walking switch ad, but you know what? I don't care. I'd had computers going waaaay back to 1981 with a TRS-80 model 3 with cassette tape drive. I knew about computers, but they never seemed to deliver on their promise of improving our lives. I lived with PC's up 'til last year and finally threw in the towel.

Last year, I realized that I'd spent more time trying to get the various hardware and software to "play nice" with one another than actually doing anything useful.

Fast forward to the recent past. I pay the rather hefty sum (yikes!) and I take my sexy new iMac home. I uncrate this thing and within ten minutes of power up I'm already burning a CD to iTunes. Cool! I didn't like the mouse that was supplied, so I plugged in my Microsoft (gasp!) optical mouse and away I went. Now, you need to realize that I plugged the mouse in while the computer was running and it just worked! If I tried that with one of my PC's, best case it'd just crash. Often as not, it'd necessitate a trip to the grocery store for Doritos, etc.

One thing that my PC buddies like to remind me about (other than cost) is that my iMac isn't the last word in gaming performance. To that I say... so? If you're a hardcore gamer, the Mac platform isn't for you. For EVERY OTHER application, my little iMac can go toe to toe with a PC and usually come out on top.

I use it for photoshop, I've used it to master my LP records and language tapes to CD and MP3. These are things that I dreamed of doing with my PC's but was never able to. I now have an iPod and I absolutely love it. I use my computer every day and don't regret the investment even the slightest bit. I play games (Warcraft III, Diablo II and Everquest) once in a while. I watch movies on the widescreen monitor, and on and on...

Yes it's expensive, it's not for members of the upgrade of the month club, but if you want a computer that behaves like a reliable appliance and allows you to do the things you want to do without an IT certification,

BUY A FREAKIN' MAC!

Oh, and another thing. In several months, the computer has not crashed. Not once. Ever.

Buy Apple iMac Desktop with 17" M9168LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW/CD- Now

I've been using my new iMac with the 17" screen and 1.25 ghz G4 processor for digital photography, video and music. I am extremely pleased with it! Much of the credit goes to the software included with the computer (iPhoto, iMovie, and iTunes, respectively), which makes it easy to get started in digital photograpy, video and music. The hardware doesn't hurt either it has a large and vivid flat-panel screen, and a built-in DVD burner for creating DVDs of your favorite digital videos. The small but unique speakers sound great, too. The iMac has been "plug-and-play" with my Kodak digital camera, Sony camcorder, and HP printer no drivers or software installation required! One tip: choose an iMac with the larger 17" screen over the 15" model it makes a big difference when working with digital photos and videos. Are there any weaknesses? Not really some may say it's more expensive than computers running Windows, but I think the iMac delivers great value considering the excellent software included with it.

Read Best Reviews of Apple iMac Desktop with 17" M9168LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW/CD- Here

The latest upgrade for the iMac is great. More speed, with the 1.25gHz G4 processor. More space, with the 80gB hard drive. And more functionality than ever.

MailApple's POP3 mail client still has a few bugs to work out, but it's pretty much the only game in town for OS X. You could still run Outlook Express under Classic.

SafariApple's browser software also needs to get upgraded a bit. But, it's fast and with a keystroke or click you can block pop-up ads.

iLifeThe iLife suite (iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto and iDVD) is the real treasure here. Editing your video and burning a DVD for friends and family is a cakewalk. The iTunes library function is great, but being able to listen to any number of radio or internet stations froma around the world is a kick. iPhoto make simple photo editing a breeze.

Add to that a cool design, a crystal clear flat screen, and the click and find-it ease of Sherlock 3... the iMac is indeed the hub of your digital lifestyle.

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I'm retired and I while I wanted to get email I did not want to learn about computers. I bought an i-Mac because I heard they were good for novices and they were right! My grandson hates it because he can't play his games... one more reason I love it! :^)

So I think this is perfect for retired people who don't need all the latest gizmos but just want to write letters and send email. Of courrse all the ladies in my golf circle think it's darling and I think it's just really cute. In fact I am trying to get my husband to paint it pink!

I did subtract one star because the first one I took home broke down in the first week. But I took it back and got another one and it's working just fine.

I admit to being a little skeptical . . .the reviews have been almost too enthusiastic. Is there anything this machine doesn't do?

Well, after using it for a weekend, I can say it's a great purchase (thought I take issue w/ another reviewer below who calls this machine "inexpensive"). It's an outstanding value for all that you get great large screen, fast, super easy to use (not vastly different from Windows, if you're switching and you're concerned about such things), and world class software included (IPhoto, Itunes, IDVD, Garageband, etc). Garageband was the coolest surprise it's a blast if you're into music. The only additional things you need to buy are Applecare extended warranty (you're crazy not to buy this on a $1800 machine) and the only things you'll want to buy are .Mac (webhosting and virus protection, among other things, on special now for $69 if you buy at Apple.com or store), and Microsoft Office (for better or worse, it's what the world runs on). MAC MS Office is fully interchangable w/ the Windows version, so bringing homes applications from my Windows PC at work to work on at home is not a problem.

My only small complaint is that Itunes doesn't work easily w/ my Rio MP3. After several hours I made it work, but ITunes doesn't want to know you if you're not using an IPod. IPods are great, but don't lend themselves to distance running due to skipping.

Get this machine and a fast internet connection, you won't be disappointed. Unless you have applications you must run that are PC based only, I don't know why anyone would buy a PC over this beauty.

Two Notes:

1) If you have a student or teacher in the family, Apple.com and retail stores offer great educator discounts.

2) The website and Amazon customer service says the computer is shipping w/ the older "Jaguar" operating system. Mine however came w/ the reportedly superior "Panther" OS. A relief b/c the

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Wave® music system with connect kit for iPod® - Graphite Gray

• Lifelike sound for CDs and radio-plus your iPod/iPhone® with this convenient package
• System includes CD player, FM/AM tuner, headphone jack, alarm clock
• Customized docking station charges your iPod even while playing
• Remote operates system and basic iPod functions including playlist navigation
• Compatible with iPhone and most iPod models

Great small music system--perfect for a non-techie like me who just wants good sound without a lot of fuss. I purchased the iPod extension along with it an play music from my iPhone all the time. I also purchased a cable from Radio Shack that plays the sound from my television through the Bose.

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Wonderful sound quality and very easy to set up. Fits well on my kitchen counter. I purchased the iPod connect kit and was glad I did. Why did I wait so long to purchase????

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Bought it for my wife last year she loves it & plays it several times a week. Highly recommend. The sound quality is amazing.

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Sony Dream Machine Clock Radio ICFC233

• AM/FM digital synthesized tuner
• 5 random memory presets
• Wake to radio or buzzer alarm and ease into the day as you prefer
• Back-lit LCD display.
• Forward/reverse time setting

Thought it only fair to leave a comment about this alarm clock. I have used it every working day since I brought it at Brent Cross in London way back in what must have been 1997 or so !

I never found the setup difficult to be honest, pretty straight forward and methodical. The reception was never an issue but I've always used it on 'buzz' mode for the alarm and rarely use it as a radio though it sufficed very well in that department.

It's woken me up every morning, never lost a beat. The alarm is not the most subtle in the world but that's why they call it an 'alarm'. The snooze is very effective and just what yo need.

It is testament to the superior Japanese build quality that this unit is still going strong, still looks like new and is as mechanically tight as the day I first got it. Asthetically still pleasing and looks modern even 15 years later.

If you want something done right give it to SONY and the Japanese.

Money very well spent.

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This model has been discontinued by Sony! No one has it available to buy. Amazon had one which saved the day for me. I had this same model but it stopped working. Sony does not have a replacement model with these great features am/fm digital synthesized tuner with five random selected memory presets! No other manufacturer has a radio with those features! I searched the online universe for a memory preset clock radio none available. It is a simple concept, like the car radio, select your station with an up and down button and preset it. Believe me NO clock radios are available with this feature, they all have a dial wheel. This clock radio is great next to your bed, stations can be changed without fumbling with a small wheel in the dark.

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Coby Electronics CRA48 Digital AM / FM Alarm Clock Radio, White

• Sensitive AM/FM Tuner
• Digital Clock Big Red LED Display
• Wake to music or alarm/Snooze Button
• Timer function - Sleep/Alarm
• Battery back up with 9V battery (not included)

This item did not reliably wake me up. The biggest issue is that the snooze button is a bit recessed, and the 'sleep' button is right by it and is easier to press. The sleep button turns off the alarm entirely. The alarm switch is unreliable, and confusingly labeled. I noticed the alarm led flickering when I touched the switch. Steer away from Coby alarm clocks if you need to wake up.

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I really did not like it. In fact, I am going to return it. Too much static.

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Timex T254W Jumbo Display Alarm Clock with Radio

• Wake to AM/FM radio or buzzer
• Gentle Wake Alarm wakes user up peacefully with ascending volume
• Alarm reset button turns off alarm & automatically resets alarm for next day
• Extra-large, 1.4 custom LED display
• Sure Alarm battery backup system in case of AC power failure

Works great and is easy to read. Easy to set the time and alarm and change the radio station as well!

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About 6 hours delay every 24 hours, it will never gives you the correct time.Don't buy it.

The radio is working fine though.

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Memorex MiniMove Boombox for iPod

• Powers and charges your iPod devices with docking capability (during AC operation)
• Digital FM radio with station presets
• Backlit LCD display
• Connect non-docking iPod devices, CD players, and other MP3 players via line-in jack
• Uses 4 "AA" batteries (not included)

Highs:

Has good sound quality for the size, lightweight, sleek design with integrated carrying handle, charges 2G iPod Touch, FM radio is a nice bonus, includes small wireless remote with belt clip, runs on AC power or 4 AA batteries for portable enjoyment

Lows:

Hollow plastic enclosure feels a bit cheap for $50. iPod dock adapters are out of date (no adapter for 5G+ iPod Classic or any generation of iPod Nano or Touch). Pressing the buttons on the front of the unit require just a bit too much force, causing the whole unit to move before the button has been pressed.

Summary:

The Memorex MiniMove is a cool and highly portable iPod docking station that plays and charges all dockable iPod models. Overall, the highs outweigh the lows, making a great portable dock for enjoying your music at home and on the go.

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After a couple of months of light use, it stopped working. I had to start wiggling the power cord, it was like a short or something, at last it stopped altogther. I really liked it while it worked. It charged the Ipod, had a little remote and the sound was good. The battery life stunk but mine was pretty much stationary so leaving it plugged in was not a problem. I have bought another brand for a replacement and I don't like it at all....I am trying to decide if I should give this one another shot.

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Highs

Compact, portable size. FM digital tuner with 10 presets. Works fine with my iPod Touch.

Lows

The FM tuner is somewhat weak. The LCD display disappears when viewed at angles.

Summary

I bought this after returning a defective iLive iPod boom box (IBCD2817) and glad that I did. Sound quality is what I expected from a device this size and in this price range. It is put together well and works as advertised without costing $150.

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I bought one of these used for about $25, site unseen. I was fearful that the FM radio wouldn't be good enough to get my local public radio station, and I'd be frustrated. The only boombox I could try locally (an iCraig) had a terrible FM tuner and wouldn't function with the newer iPods.

The MiniMove was a very pleasant surprise. The digital FM tuner picks up my station without even pulling out the antenna! As the others have posted, it works fine with my iTouch (2nd generation). The box states explicitly that it will work with Touch(1/2), Nano(1/2/3/4), Classic, Video(5), iPod(4) and Mini.

It runs on 4 AA batteries or the included AC adapter. You need the remote if you want hands off operation of the iPod, since it has buttons that don't appear on the main unit (like 'play').

The volume level and sound quality are much better than the previous portable speakers I was using.

This is a nice unit and does exactly what I needed, and in a very conveniently small form factor.

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First let me get two things straight:

A) The current price is practically giving this thing away. The miniMove is an absolute steal for

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Lingo Ambassador 40-Language Talking Translator

• Rubberized touch to the housing
• Oxford dictionary
• Translates in 40 Languages

I obviously misunderstood this product. I thought I would be able to type in a complete sentence and get a translation. That is not what this does. It gives words and "common phrases". Few of the common phrases were what I needed. However, it did come in handy on my trip. I fell and needed a wheel chair temporarily. The people at the hotel did not know the term. I was able to find it in the translator and then they then were able to find me a wheel chair I could rent. So I was glad to have it along given my circumstances.

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Keypad was hard to use. Could not access the menu that had set phrase sayings that was advertised on the box cover. ENTER key seemed to be in the wrong location. Kept pressing what ideally would have been the ENTER key, but it was actually the CANCEL key, which made it a pain because you'd have to start entries all over again. Ended up returning unit , but may have to pay for restocking fee of 20%....ouch! On the upbeat, this unit was much cheaper if bought on Amazon vs. buying at a much higher rate at Best Buy.

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The article is very good, good translator of words and phrases.

besides being a translator is very complete and comfortable for business travel

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JENSEN JMC-180 Wall-Mountable CD System with AM/FM Stereo Receiver Remote

• Model_Number - JMC-180
• Depth - 12.20
• Height - 7.10
• Width - 10.20
• Weight - 4.9500

When I got the item I was pleased with the look, and the wall-mount installation looked great. BUT...the sound quality is not what I expected from a Jenson product. Not enough watts I guess, and the speakers have like NO base reflex. The sound is tinny, and when you turn it up it just gets more annoying. Also was disappointed that the remote control can only advance, pause, or rewind the songs on a CD. The remote can not adjust volume or do anything not related to CD playback. Also was disappointed that there is no way to have FM STATION PRE-SETS. The FM is a rotary dial for tuning. The station frequency does show up on the LED screen which is cool. Also...you would think the clock would stay lit up when the unit is off. it is, after all, an alarm clock as well. It doesn't stay lit. SO...feature-wise...this is a very disappointing product. Looks-wise...Great! You make the call. What do ya get for under 40 bucks? I should have spent more.

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OK, cost is representative of the value/quality (i.e. you get what you pay for). Worked OK. I was surprised that the tuning was by dial, assumed it would be digital. No presets.

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no volume on the remote, the sound was bad and didn't have good bass. it wouldn't go up very high. I wouldn't use it at a party cause you wouldn't be able to hear the music very well.

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Cheaply made, some parts do not line up properly. Removal of stickers is a nightmare in itself. Sound is just good. Not for a person that demands quailty. Would not be good for kids. For putting in a laundry room or craft area. Update 11/24/2012. Unit has stopped working for CD's it sounds like they skip, but play very well on any other player. I wasted my money on this item, don't do the same.

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Purchased for a Christmas Present last month, returned today 30-days later due to multiple defects. Unfortunately I think the favorable reviews were left way too soon, people should wait at least 1-month before posting.

(1) CD's would not play without great difficulty, meaning I had to add extra pressure to the CD Cover after closing for the CD to start playing. It did kept playing after I released the pressure, but this process had to be repeated each time the CD was changed. Oherwise the CD would just sit and spin and sounded like it was skipping.

(2) Unit made a 'buzzing' or 'humming' sound when turned off. It was barely noticeable until all lights were off and you were trying go to sleep and thats when you would notice the electrical static interferrence noise. Horrible to have to unplug unit from the wall outlet to make it stop buzzing.

(3) On/Off button stops working. Had to unplug from the wall to get unit to shut-off, which reset the clock even though I had battery back-ups installed. Then the On/Off button would work again for awhile. Eventually it stops working again so you have to unplug from wall again.

(4) The LED display, the blue"ish" circle in stock photo, would heat up and turn black and cloudy after continued use. To the point where you could no longer read what time it was or what track number was playing. It would always go away after turning off for a few hours, only to come back again after using unit for extended time.

(5) The unit is very tiny, the Amazon stock photo is decieving. Not a negative, just saying. It is soooo thin that it results in horrible speaker quality. I wasn't expecting much, sound quality is not that important to me, but they have zero bass and zero adjustment.

Overall cheap and flimsy device it is shocking Jensen agreed to put their brand name on it.

(6) On the plus side, it is an all-in-one device when working. I absolutely needed a Headphone Jack (check), an Aux Jack (check), CD player (check), Alarm Clock with battery back-up (check), Wall Mount Option (check), and small size (check), and Remote (check) although there is no volume control on the remote.

I exchanged my defective Jensen today with zero issues and have upgraded to a similar system for +$20, a refurbished Philips Cube System. It has all the same great features as this Jensen so look for my review of that unit in another 30-days.

Take my advice and spend your hard earned money elsewhere!

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Sony DSXMS60 Marine Digital Media Receiver

• Detachable faceplate with 2-line display and front aux
• Integrated Tune Tray with USB 1-wire input
• MP3/WMA/AAC playback1 with DM+ enhancement technology
• Intuitive Quick-BrowZer and ZAPPIN search features
• Satellite radio/HD Radio ready using Sony Bus

Makes so much sense I wonder why it took so long to invent it. The iPod tray is the best invention since slice bread. No loose wire, the iPod does not move while the boat does and it's neatly hidden and protected behind the faceplate. Also, access to the play lists through the menu is surprisingly easy, which is something most other devices we use to connect iPods don't do properly, Very happy with this product, I'm buying a second one for my car.

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Love the unit and like most reviewers love the tray and interface. The only negative is that if your using an IPhone the IPhone gets to hot and shuts off. I even turn mine into airplane mode and still gets to hot. Not sure if this counts as a Sony issue or how they could even fix it.

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Purchased this to put on my motorcycle. First rain shower I rode in it quit working. Do not make the same mistake I made by thinking "marine" means water proof or water restiant, This unit is neither.

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When playing the digital media, the unit will turn itself off if you hit any tiny wave, even at idle speed. I suspect most of it's design was borrowed from a unit with a CD player, which might have such a protection circuit to protect the CD. And, of course, you can expect zero service from Sony.

My husband HAD this radio in his Jeep Wrangler. After 1 year (forgot to check the weather) YES we had RAIN, and yes the radio NO LONGER WORKS!!! After sitting on hold with Sony for 20mins. they confirmed for 98.00 we could un install it, mail it to TX and they could TRY to fix it or send us a comparable replacement. The guy did say he was very sorry, not as much as I AM for expecting a marine radio to be able to withstand some water. On a side notewhen it DID work it had nice features.

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