Sony CDXS2010 Slot Load CD Receiver Car Stereo

• Detachable front panel CD player with bright blue/white screen, red control buttons
• Compatible with CD-R/RW discs
• 4-channel amp (17W x 4 channels); subwoofer pre-amp outputs
• SSIR-EXA tuner with 18 FM and 12 AM presets
• Includes case for detachable front panel

This is a pretty good CD player. It has been a very dependable player. In my three years of ownership the player has only skipped a few times and it was over some extremely bumpy terrain. Sound quality is great! There are a couple of things that are annoying about it though. For instance there is no play or stop button. If you hit the off button the only way to play the CD already inside is to eject it and reinsert it. There is also no pause button. Overall I would recommend this player to anyone who isn't looking to spend a lot of money, but want a reliable receiver.

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Midland WR100 Weather Radio

• Compact alert monitor for weather, civil emergency, and other hazards
• Receives 7 NOAA channels with flood, tornado, thunderstorm, and other warnings
• SAME programming sounds an alert only when specific counties are threatened
• 25-county memory system; 90 dB siren, voice alert, and flashing LED warning systems
• Built-in clock with alarm and snooze; measures 5.12 x 2 x 6.25 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

This unit sets up in about 10 minutes, has excellent reception, and works exactly as advertised. The good thing is, you can put it in your bedroom and be assured of getting woken up in time to get to shelter during tornado alerts and warnings (serious stuff here in the midwest). The bad thing is, you get the same shrieking alert for severe thunderstorm warnings, something I'd just as soon sleep through. It's worth the hassle to keep your family safe, but just be aware that while you can select what SAME areas you're getting alerts for, you can't select which types of alerts you'll get.

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I live in Oregon, which is not noted for severe storms, but I was really caught "off guard" last week when a severe thunderstorm with a large amount of hail blew through. Severe weather can occur almost anywhere! Shortly after the storm, I ordered one of these weather alert radios to keep me more aware of any local hazard that could pose a threat.

The radio itself is quite sensitive, and provides reception of several more distant weather stations that can not be picked up by less sensitive receivers such as the general purpose (AM/FM/TV/Wx) Sony 410 (see my review of the Sony).

The big deal here is the weather alert function... The radio can be set to be silent until it receives a specially coded message from the NOAA weather station. The radio can be programmed to respond to "codes" from one area or several, so you can adjust your "zone of protection" to suit your needs. When a warning that affects the area that you have programmed in (by setting specific SAME codes) is detected, a loud alarm or flashing light or voice alert will sound (your choice).

If it is desired to hear a weather report, just push the "weather" button on the unit and listen... very much like those old Radio Shack "weather cubes" that were very popular 20 years ago, but with better reception.

Everyone should have one (or more) of these!

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This Midland WR-100B is a must for every homeowner to have as a safety warning device.

I purchased mine in January after a tornado hit a town in indiana at 3:00 AM and caught many who were sleeping off guard and since then it has given us piece of mind at night and while we are sleeping. on most occasions the warnings are always 7 to 10 minutes ahead of the tv and radio alerts.

The LEDS advise you if theres a warning or a watch and it also scrolls along the screen along with a very loud auduble alarm, it also has the S.A.M.E. programming so you can pinpoint the correct NOAA weather station for your town or county eliminating false alarms that may alarm you from another area or town.

After having this radio I would not be without one and this radio performs great. There is also a red strobe light that you can purchase optional that also inhances the warnings at night to catch your attention should you be sleeping this also has performed well.

Overall this radio has performed great and has alerted us of a couple of tornado warnings and has given us ample time to react and prepare.

I hope this reveiw may help you this weather radio is a bargain for the price.

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This purchase was my third one of these radios! They are a GREAT value, as far as I'm concerned. All the buttons are laid out in logical order and the LCD display is easy to read. I now have two at home and one a work. They monitor the weather, 24/7, and the forecast is only a button press away.

I especially like the S.A.M.E. capability, since I can program in the counties I want watch/warning statements for. You can program as many as 25 counties into this receiver. Amazing! This is convenient so I don't get warnings which will not affect me over 80 miles away! And the warning alarm is LOUD! I also like the small LEDs for Warning, Watch, and Statement. If you miss the actual broadcast, the LEDs will light-up during the duration of the statement. This way, if you have been away from the radio, you know immediately when you return, that something is active and can then review it with the Weather button.

The radio supports all seven NWS NOAA frequencies in the 162Mhz FM band. Plus it has an alarm clock! The most important function for me is the 'battery backup' it has. With (3) AA batteries, your radio will work after you lose AC power!!!

Overall, a GREAT WX radio by Midland!

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Right now it is almost 1am. I've had this weather radio for a few days, and like a few things about it, but let me tell you the deal-breaker: IT BEEPS FOR EVERYTHING. You can set it to beep only for emergencies in your area, which is great, but it still beeps for EVERYTHING in your area! All I care about is tornados, but it beeps for heavy rain, thunderstorms, high wind... everything.

The alarm volume CANNOT be adjusted. It sounds like a life-size foreign police car inside your bedroom every time it goes off. It doesn't take a bomb going off to wake me up, the volume should be something I can change. Overall, I liked the price and look of this unit, but it isn't user-friendly (or sleep friendly!).

We're under tornado watch tonight, so I haven't yanked the cord from the wall, but I keep getting woken up with a shot of adrenaline wondering what the 900,000 decible noise is, only to find it is an alert saying that there's still a thunderstorm outside. Thanks, radio!

If you are looking for a radio for your home, I'd look for one with an adjustable alert volume, selective alert types, and SAME technology. This one will drive you insane!

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Elgin #3502E Travel Alarm Clock

The alarm clock does just fine for the price. We take it on the road when travelling since it is compact and realiable.

Sent it to my husband because he has a hard time waking up. This is small and compact so it works great for him.

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Great small alarm. It was what you'd expect. I received the alarm on time. East to operate. Good size display.

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Spongebob Treasure Chest Clock Radio

When my husband opened the box to take the clock out of its box, Spongebob fell off the top. We saw that it had cracked off at some time prior to shipment and was haphazardly glued back on hastily. We had to repair it before it could be used.

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Memorex Clock Radio for iPod

• Powers and charges your iPod devices with docking compatibility
• Digital FM radio with station presets
• Connect CD players, MP3 players and other media devices via line-in jack
• 30-pin dock connector
• Battery back-up for time (uses 2 "AAA" batteries, sold separately)

The product works great, although the buttons for control have a plastic like feeling, no issues with functionality.

Not very intuitive to use, had to play around for an hour to figure out major functions.

Don't let the size deceive you, speakers are surprisingly powerful.

Over all great product with great features at a very reasonable price ( .. mine was refurbished ).

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i got this for my daughter for christmas. she wanted to wake up to her ipod. she is 12 and figured it all out on her own. the sound quality is not top of the line but it is decent. it is nice and slim to fit in a tight space. also it has a sleep feature also easy to use. one last feature is the battery backup if the power goes out you can still wake up on time. i would recommend this product for a bedside music station.

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Found it difficult to set the time and alarm. Otherwise I like the compact size and charges ipod well. Radio is good.

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not an easy clock to use, buttons stuck at the onset and I was ready to return it. Became easier after time. All in all , it is not user friendly. The illuminated numbers have two brightness settings which are both too bright to sleep by. I have to turn them off at night which defeats the purpose of telling time. The quality of sound is very good.

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iHome iP4GZ FM 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Boombox (Gunmetal)

• Pivoting connector charges and plays iPhone and docking iPod models
• Powerful amp pushing two 4" woofers and two 1" tweeters for huge sound, with SRS TruBass and 5 band EQ
• Digital tuning FM radio; also works with iHome Radio app for access to thousands of internet radio stations
• Operates on included 100V - 240V universal voltage AC adaptor or 6 D batteries (not included)
• Magnetized remote control and aux line-in jack

I actually ordered this from the iHome website, but regardless I decided to write a review since there aren't many on this, seeing as it's fairly new and I know some are wondering about the quality and if it is indeed worth purchasing or not.

First off let me say that I love the look of the product, the retro boombox style looks great. The rubberized coating makes the surface smooth and gives it a nice matte tone. It's lightweight, and you have the option of using an AC adapter or batteries (6 D I believe, so you can carry it aroundit is a boombox, after all). It comes with a remote (battery included), an arm strap for carrying, AC adapter, FM antenna, the unit itself and instructions/warranty information. The iHome itself has a handlebar on it in case you don't want to use the strap.

The unit itself has a volume knob, tuning knob for FM radio, on/off button, mode button, play/pause button, SRS audio enhancement button, and 5 graphic equalizer buttons. On the back there's the AC adaptor jack, remote button (disables remote when operating on your batteries if you wish), and a line-in for the included FM antenna or you can hook up another audio device with a standard 3.5mm jack.

Now for the soundI've owned two iHomes before but none have compared to the amazing sound this has WITH the enhancer on. According to the one review I found online, it's iHome's best sounding system yet. I'm not sure about that, but I'm very pleased with the sound. The SRS TrueBass makes all the difference, I always keep it on lol. Basically it enhances the audio, and the equalizer buttons at the top let you adjust for your optimum sound. Without the SRS on, it has mediocre sound and I'm not sure why you would need to turn it off, it's nice that they give you the option however.

I was also a little hesitant in buying because it doesn't have a clock display, and there wasn't any app enhanced sign on the product on iHome's website, and I was worried that it wouldn't let me set alarms. However it's all in the appif you download the iHome app from the app store, you can easily display the clock on your iPod/iPhone while it's docking in the iP4, set alarms, sleep times, wake times, reminders, etc. etc.

Basically it has everything I wanted and I'm very pleased! If you like the look of the iP4 and are in need of a new or your first iHome I highly reccomend this one. Very unique and cool :)

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I don't normally buy things for the looks, but the design of this boombox hooked me the first time I saw it. Eagerly awaited it's arrival in the mail. My plan was to replace an old stereo in my room for private listening, with a line-in to my iPad stand. I was also sold on the idea of tossing some D's in there and jamming outside. On my bookshelf, the thing looks like a work of art.

Unfortunately...the sound is not anything to write home about. Granted, this is a boombox, not a full-fledged stereo. It's not meant to stand toe to toe with the Cambridge Soundworks I have hooked up to my PC. But the sound that came out of this thing just sounded cheap and hollow, like the mid range had no substance, and the bass had no oomph. I would have been okay with it if the thing had sounded close to or the same as my 10 year old stereo, but it couldn't even manage that. Despite finangling with the equalizer and keeping SRS turned on, I just could not coax a listening experience out of this thing that I felt happy with. At the end of the day, I want to listen to something that sounds good, not just looks good. Thus, I returned it.

It could be that I just had too high expectations for a boombox, but I don't really NEED anything that portable...it was just a nice option to have. Sound quality, in my mind, is still the most important thing.

For reference, these are the sorts of sound systems I'm used to and therefore end up getting compared to: a set of 2.1 Cambridge Soundworks PC speakers, a pair of Koss Portapro headphones, and an old Phillips 2 speaker stereo (which I am going to continue to use since it sounds better than the iHome).

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I never EVER buy anything impulsively but man when I first ran into that pink boombox at the store, I had to touch it, and once I felt its unusual rubbery texture, I had to ask for an audition.

I docked my iphone in, turned it on and the EQ LEDs started dancing. WOWWWWW! I was not expecting such a good sound from such a hot looking little thing, well, especially for under 200 bucks!!! Let's be honest here, don't expect "audiophile sound" by any mean but as an iphone dock? It really sounds awesome! Add a little remote , an AC adapter and the option to use batteries... Yeap, I simply love it . The only setback is I'm now afraid my girlfriend will steal it from me (she's been drooling over it the entire evening)

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I ordered the Altec Lansing Mix boombox for two hundred bucks and I enjoyed its sound and features. However, I had to return it because it was having battery issues that many others had the same issue. It kept on shutting itself off. I decided to try this iHome boombox and I am happy with it. I paid like 35% off the retail manufacture price. I use it mainly as a portable boombox for the tennis court. For about a 60' and 120' outside area, it is plenty loud enough. I pretty much keep it in the 27-32 volume range when it goes up to 40. I never went pass 35 on the volume because I never had to. With my altec lansing mix, I had the volume in the same area as well which was surprising to em even though the Altec Lansing puts out more watts. Here are my pros and cons for the ihome boombox:

Pros:

1. Sounds great! It does a solid job with the lows, mids and highs. It is very close in sound quality to the Altec Lansing Mix but the Altec Lansing Mix sounds better because it has the better bass. The iHome boombox is still a great sounding boombox. And as I said before, it really does get loud. No you won't have enough watts pumping out for a huge backyard party. Look at the size of the boombox and it only runs on 6-D batteries so that should give you an idea of its watts power. The iHome boombox runs on 15 watts of power but it is very similar in loudness to the 60 watt Altec Lansing Mix. The Altec Lansing Mix is using their watts to power their bass which you can see the subwoofer moving. It is probably why it has trouble with the batteries because the sub drains them too much. The iHome boombox has good bass with the SRS trubass but don't expect it to be pumping the same bass as the higher priced and higher watt boomboxes.

2. Very stylish retro/modern look! It has the old school look but it also looks modern with the rubberized feel, bright equalizer and design. When I first felt the rubberize grip, I thought it would wear or show markings but it actually holds up really well to wear and tear.

3. FM radio reception is a key feature for me and the radio sounds clear.

4. Remote works well and it is magnetized to fit nicely on top. The remote has never fell out of its slot. Awesome little magnet feature there.

5. Great value... I wouldn't spend $200 on this boombox but you can find it much less. It is much cheaper than some of the crazy expensive boomboxes like dre boombox and tdk boombox that is like 3 times more than the iHome boombox. JVC boombox and Altec Lansing is also lot more than this iHome boombox. Even though the iHome boombox doesn't pump out as many watts as the other very expensive competitors, it still sounds great. Are the other expensive boomboxes worth up to 3 times more? That is your choice but I don't think so even if they sound slightly better.

6. Battery powered! Not just battery powered but it runs on only 6-D batteries and I am already approaching like 35 hours on the same set of batteries and they are still working great. I would have been happy if I reached 25-30 hours. And D batteries aren't expensive when you buy them on sale.. With those really expensive boomboxes that run on batteries, they are getting more around 8-15 hours if lucky and running on 8-12 D batteries.

7. Portable... This is very easy to carry around because it is only 17"x9"x5", comes with shoulder strap and only weighs 7.5 pounds. My altec lansing mix was portable but this is much easier. Some of these other boomboxes reach around 30" long and some even weigh close to 40 pounds with their batteries. This iHome can be carried around much easier than the others.

8. 5 band graphic equalizer... If you know how to use it, you can tailor your music just the way you want.

Cons:

1. FM antenna... It has a built in antenna but to get great reception, you need to use the wire antenna. I said the FM sounds great earlier but the antenna is a wire antenna that is plugged in the back. I kind of preferred a regular telescope antenna and don't know why they didn't add it. To get the best reception, the wire antenna should be straightened out and pointing upwards in a certain direction. I put a piece of transparent shipping tape on the shoulder strap. When I listen to the radio, I simply take off the piece of tape from the shoulder strap and tape the straightened out antenna wire to a post. Put the tape back on strap when I am done with fm radio. Problem solved and I got great reception. I would have returned the boombox if I didn't discover this method. I order a 3.5mm antenna for like 2 bucks but the antenna is only like 10 inches and doesn't improve the reception at all.

2. No presets... There should have been like 6 radio presets on the remote.

I would give this boombox an 8.5 out of 10. It isn't perfect as it has some flaws but it does sound great (ipod or fm), looks awesome and has some nice features so I am keeping my boombox and I would recommend it to others. It is also much cheaper than some of the crazy expensive boomboxes like dre boombox and tdk boombox that is like 3 times more than the iHome boombox.

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This is a great boombox! I didn't buy it for a home theater system so it is not that quality of music. But for the pool and camping the big speakers work very well (and loud too!). We looked at a lot of units and this one has the best sound for a portable unit that will work on batteries. Couldn't figure out how to adjust the display brightness as it was not in the manual. Their tech support responded to my email promptly and told me that tuning knob will adjust when in iPod mode. Initially, I couldn't get left channel only when using my iPhone 4s, but it turned out to be the phone. My wife's iPhone 4s worked fine. I love this unit.

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Sony Walkman S-544 Series 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

• 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs
• Up to 42 hours of audio or 6.5 hours of video on a single charge
• 2.4-inch, 262,144-color LCD with 240 x 320 QVGA pixel resolution
• Supports MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC, and Linear PCM audio formats; AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV (DRM) video formats; JPEG image files
• One-year limited warranty

When searching for a new mp3 player the trail always leads me back to Sony. Its more about overall quality then brand loyalty. Over the years Sony's Walkman line has gone the distance and more. The all new Sony S Series Walkman adds to the legacy.

The S-540 8gb Walkman brings it on with a crisp, color enhanced 2.4" LCD screen that is easy on the eyes. At 2" x 4" x .4", it comes in a bit larger then its older cousin. A larger body undoubtedly is required to provide support for the external speaker system. The speakers won't get confused with my home system anytime soon but they do provide an excellent source. With headphones on, this mp3 player delivers a cornucopia of sound. Missing but not that noticeable is the noise reduction feature. The on board equalizer can be tweaked to one's own preferences or users can choose one of the six presets.

The Navigation pad located directly under the screen is a breeze to operate. Three controls are located on the right side of the unit. One locks in the controls. The second one allows for easy switching from speaker to headset. Volume is the third control. The standard headphone jack and a USB port can be found on the bottom of the unit. The detachable flip out stand is an okay feature that allows for easy standing on my desk or shelf top. I would have preferred that it was permanently mounted.

The S-540 supports mp3, mp4, AAC, AVC, WMV, WMA, and PCM. PCM is Sony's version of WAV. It pairs well with Napster. Rhapsody is a no go. Downloading my playlists from Windows Media Player was a breeze without the usual hiccups associated with older mp3 players. I did download a couple of photographs on this model. The display was outstanding. Unlike my older Walkman, this model doesn't offer the wallpaper photo display option.

The built in FM tuner picked up all ten of my stations. With auto scanner functionality, thirty preset slots are available. The FM radio is crystal clear when using the headset as an antenna. The alarm and timer features are a nice addition. This model also has an impressive on board microphone located on the bottom of the unit. There are three voice settings. Voice playback quality was excellent. Battery life has always been biggie with Sony. On a full charge, I got almost a full thirty five hours of music.

This Sony mp3 player comes packaged with a USB cable, flip stand, ear buds, installed operating manual, and the standard one year warranty. Body finishes for the 8GB model include; black, red, pink and violet. The 16GB unit comes in a black or red body.

Economically priced, this latest edition to the Walkman line is a durable and reliable product that simply delivers. Easy to use and loaded with features, the Sony S-540 is a prime time performer.

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I like this device, but everyone should know what's in the EULA (End User License Agreement). Under the heading SOFTWARE DATA COLLECTION AND MONITORING is "The SOFTWARE contains features which may allow SONY and/or third parties to collect data from, control and/or monitor computers and devices running or interacting with the SOFTWARE. You hereby consent to such activities."

When installing the software the option to agree or disagree with the EULA appears. I disagreed and canceled the software installation. I can still use Windows Explorer to drag-and-drop files. I thought by not agreeing with the EULA (and thus not installing the software) I lost the ability to convert video files but the option appears each time I transfer such files. It must be inherent in the player. See below for more.

Other reviewers say that the screen scratches easily. The player doesn't come with a case cover and I didn't want to pay $20 for one so I bought a pack of Body Glove WriteRight Universal e-Reader Static Cling Screen Protector, 2 Pack (9202401) and cut one out to perfect screen size. I can get 4 total but the first one I put on is holding firm.

I do like this player for playing audio. The screen is easy to see even in daylight and the player is really easy to navigate. Audio sounds good and video and pictures look good, too, but if you're buying this primarily to watch videos be aware that it's like watching them on the screen of a typical digital camera. I bought this mainly for playing mp3 audio but thought it would be worth a few extra dollars for the ability to view pictures and video clips. After using this myself and watching other people squint to see my pics & vids I don't exactly regret buying this, it's still a great mp3 player, though the screen is better suited to menu functions & navigating than it is video viewing.

I suggest going with the 16GB version. I ripped my entire CD collection, about 200, to low-quality MP3 files and the player's memory is just about filled up. I'd also like to convert my albums and cassettes to MP3 format, but I will need another player. I shoulda gotten 16GB.

As I said above even if you don't agree with the EULA and don't install the Sony software you can still drag and drop files. When I connect the player to my Windows 7 computer, Windows Explorer automatically appears. What's really great is when transferring video files to the Walkman, the option to convert them pops up; click on Convert and Copy and within a few seconds it's done. AVI files convert to WMV. Even files that are already WMV for some reason need to be converted; if I choose not to convert them they don't show up on the player.

Update on the battery: after a full recharge I can listen to music for many hours though not near the 42-hour claim. Still, I am impressed with the battery life (so far).

Made in China.

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This unit has great, traditional Sony sound quality. And I write this not even using the headphones yet, but simply from the built-in speakers. Perhaps I am aging, but I do like to listen to music (and definitely radio) without headphones. This player has a good sound that is very clear and detailed with not much in the low frequency, but real clarity in the mid to high frequencies. Don't expect theater sound with these little guys, but it is respectable my neighbor even heard it while outside and said it sounds good, and I was surprised he could hear it!

So far great battery life, very easy to use (esp. w/ media monkey), and a nice looking player. The directional pad could be a bit bigger, but that is a minor suggestion to a great sounding player at this price. Highly recommended.

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I remember a few years back Sony still didn't make a compatible subcription music player. It was a shame since the players had up to 50 hours battery life, not to mention the sound quality was the best.

Now I find this beauty at best buy and I snatch it in the spot. As an added bonus, the player sports speakers. Are you freaking kidding me? This is great. Though I got to admit they are kind of weak of course, but still strong enough to play in the shower.

The sound is great, and 8 gigs are packing lots of music. I just been testing the video player and I have no complaints, though I've been having some trouble with compatibility. It is supposed to play mp4 video but mine doesn't. What I had to do was convert the video to wmv and then use the included software so that it automatically converts to a compatible format. It won't play H.264 either.

That is easy to fix though. If you're ripping a dvd or converting a video, just make sure you do it to a wmv file, then use the "Content Transfer" sofware and you're good to go. The video looks pretty good in the player I must admit. Vibrant colors, flawless playing.

I noticed the battery charges really fast. I mean really fast and lasts a whole day of music playing and then some the next day.

I'm satisfied that Sony finally came to terms with Microsoft's DRM copyright protection.

IMPORTANT: Some here said that you can't fast forward in audiobooks or music, and that it does it very slow. That's not true, if you want to fast forward really fast, you have to pause the song/audiobook and it will fast forward. If you do it while in "play" it will forward slowly so you can listen to where you're at.

My wife is a reluctant geek. For years I couldn't convince her, a beautiful, intelligent woman in her late 50s, to use an mp3 player to listen to her audio books while she roamed the house. Wireless headphones of various types never worked satisfactorily. For a while she literally dragged around a 60 foot extension cable connected between her headphones and the computer ON THE THIRD FLOOR where the audio books were stored. It was an ugly scene, a long black cable snaked from our third floor down two flights of SPIRAL stairs through our living room, dining room and kitchen. For months my grand daughter and I were forced to 'double-dutch' over this cable just to get around our home. As I said, it was ugly and potentially dangerous.

Then my wife relented and she tried this player. First, she can see the display, an important consideration for folks our age. Second, setup is easy. Third, she can manage file transfers easily WITHOUT my technical assistance thus preventing our usual clashes over her tech problems that sometimes escalate to near homicidal levels. If you're married to a non-geek you know what I mean.

The player comes with ear buds but the wife doesn't like them so we bought some inexpensive extremely small batteried portable speakers that plug into the player. Ta da! Now my wife happily wanders our house, the player and the small speakers tucked into the pockets of her hoodie, encased in a small sound bubble of her current audio book.

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Teac R-4INT Wall Mountable Internet Radio with iPod Dock

• Compatible with all iPod and iPhone models
• FM radio and Internet radio tuner
• Wi-Fi connection for Internet radio
• NXT BR (Balanced Radiator) stereo speaker system
• Digital clock with dual alarm, snooze and sleep timer

I've used this product for a few days after acquiring it through the Vine program. Here are some initial impressions.

The setup was somewhat straightforward. The setup wizard located my home's wifi and connected to it without hassle. It detected the time and my current location straight from the network, which was great, although the daylight savings setting option was a bit vague and resulted in the time being set an hour earlier. This was quickly fixed through the main menu.

The remote control was not performing very well upon initial setup, but casting off the batteries that shipped with the product and replacing them with some new alkalines improved performance. I wouldn't even bother with the batteries that ship with it. If they are not DOA, they will be in short order.

The battery replacement did not completely eradicate the remote control's unreliability. I'm not exactly sure where the sensor is for the remote, but if you have the radio on a nightstand or a low table, trying to use the remote control from above the device doesn't work that well. It helps to move the remote in front of and on the plane of the radio.

Enough setup, onto the product features themselves.

iPod / iPhone dock: Works as advertised. There are many devices out there that incorporate a dock for an iPod or iPhone. It's basically table stakes to get in the game. It comes with little dock inserts for the various models of iPhones and iPods, just like everyone else. And I never use any of them because, just like all the others, they don't account for a cover on the device and so none of them really fit my device in its day-to-day state. Anyway, one feature that is nice is that if you insert your iPod/iPhone into the dock, a menu comes up on the front display that offers to take you directly to the iPod menu. No need to search for the iPod menu. But if you are just throwing the device on there to charge it and are already, say, listening to Pandora or a podcast through the internet radio, that menu disappears in a few seconds and doesn't interrupt what you are already listening to.

Pandora: Setup was easy. You log into your account and the device gives you a Pandora website to go to on your computer and a code to enter to sync the device with your account. It takes two minutes. Once done, all of my Pandora channels appear on the device. I can play my custom stations or dial up new ones. There are buttons on the remote to allow you to "like" or "dislike" a song. On the whole it works very well. The only thing I noticed is that I can't see if I have already "liked" as song on the display, and if I hit the "like" button on the remote for a song that has already been categorized that way I get no feedback. It only gives me feedback if a song is newly "liked" or "disliked". It's a minor annoyance, but given the slightly erratic performance of the remote, it always begs the question, "Did I already 'like' this song or is the remote just not picking it up?"

Internet Radio: Pretty impressive. The radio determines your location from the network and automatically gives you a "local stations" options that include any radio stations that stream. Personally, I listen to a lot of podcasts, and was able to search for my favorites with the remote and get a list of the latest available episodes. The catalog seems pretty expansive, too, as I don't consider the Mises Institute to be at the top everyone's podcast list, but I listen to it all the time and the radio found it without an issue.

Sound: I'm not an audiophile by any means, but this unit kicks out some nice sound in my opinion. I was impressed at the volume available and there is a selection of equalizer settings (including custom bass/treble settings) that let you tweak the sound to your liking.

Untested features: I have not tried the alarms (there are two), sleep, or music library functions. I am assuming the music library will detect available shared media from computers on your network and make them available to the device, similar to something a PS3 can do.

Glitches: Obviously, when your wireless network goes down, the internet radio goes down. The device can't be blamed for my/your wireless outages. The remote is also not quite intuitive in places. Instead of hitting the "menu" button when it seems like you would, you hit the left arrow button. Stuff like that.

Value: Current price on Amazon (less than half MSRP) makes it a consideration, I think. Value is subjective, of course, but I think most people will be happy with the product in the 160-range, but would feel like it was overpriced at MSRP.

Overall: Frankly, I was expecting less. We're only a few days in with the product, and we've had some dropouts that I am attributing to my flaky network. If you can get used to the navigation, most will be happy with the gadget. Solid sound and feature set. Could be the sole unit used in a small apartment if desired.

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I have had a lot of fun with this radio! I'm no audiophile, but to this casual listener, the sound is amazing. Out of the box, the audio is just big and round. I have an older BOSE alarm clock/CD player, and this radio sounds much better, if that means anything. There are the usual equalizer settings, so you can customize as you will.

Set up was easy, if a bit tedious. The radio has an Ethernet port, but I easily added it to my hidden wireless network. You select letters and numbers using a wheel on the radio itself or using the arrows on the remote control. You use the same technique for anything you have to enter: search terms, passwords, logins, etc.

The remote control is the most functional one I've received with a radio/alarm clock. It's bigger than most radio remotes I've seen, but it's capable of doing anything you can do on the radio itself. So it's not just a power switch and channel and volume changer like some of the others I've used.

I've used Pandora, the Internet radio, and docked my iPhone 4, and all worked seamlessly. I've had the radio a little over a week, and I've used it several times. One time, I experienced silence for 20 or 30 seconds when it suddenly had to reconnect to my network.

It has the usual alarm clock functions. Each dual alarm can be set to go off once, daily, each weekday, or each weekend day. Ultimately, however, I was unable to use this as a bedside alarm clock. First of all, at one foot wide by eight inches deep, it's footprint is too big for my already-crowded nightstand. Also, my nightstand sits a little higher than my bed. The display (which is too small to read more than a few feet away) is set at about a 45 degree angle, midway between vertical and horizontal. I can't see it lying down. I do wish the display was larger and set more vertically.

Because of these issues, and because I already have most of the radio's functions available to me in my bedroom, I decided to put the radio in my kitchen where I enjoy it immensely while puttering around there. And when I unplugged the radio to move it from the nightstand to the kitchen, it saved all my settings. Because I didn't find a place for a backup battery, I was worried I would have to reconfigure everything. But it just reconnected to my network, reset the date and time, and was ready to go immediately. Bonus!

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I wanted to like this iPod dock with internet radio, but I really wasn't thrilled with it. The foot print of this device is rather large (about the size of a sheet of printer paper). Set up was a bit of a pain with the dial "keyboard". The dial is a bit on the stiff side and I just found it irritating to use. Once it was set up using Pandora with the dock was easy but it wasn't any easier than using it with an iPhone and a speaker only dock.

Sound quality for this dock was good, but I didn't think it was anything spectacular. In fact, I think the sound quality on my cheap Skull Candy ipod pipe is better.

I'm absolutely not a fan of the "wall mountable" feature. To use this function, you would essentially have to put your iPod into the dock so that it is parallel with the floor. I couldn't imagine putting my iPhone into that dock with it in that position.

The dock works but I found the set up to be a pain and the size to be cumbersome. I suppose if space and money are no object it's an OK product but I wouldn't buy this if I were in the market for a new speaker dock for my iPhone.

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We use this in the office mainly for the function of Pandora. It has been great so far, very easy to sync with pandora account onlnine by adding and deleting stations, etc. The sound is very clear. You can even skip forward, and give a song a thumbs up or thumbs down on the device. We did a lot of research for a product that could do this and for the price this is great.

EDIT: This unit should be able to charge the iPhone 4S as well, since the charging portion is identical to the 4. Still recommended.

--

I was really tempted to rate this radio with 5 stars, since it is one of the better internet radios I've encountered. It is not perfect, but it's definitely worth careful consideration.

The big selling point for me is that this radio will do internet radio AND it will charge many iPhones (3G, 3GS, 4) and iPods with the universal i-connector. If you don't have one of these devices and/or don't care if you can charge your device, you can still play music from ANY device with a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. Compared to the competition, which appears to be one player from Grace (sold through Sharper Image), this unit deserves to be considered.

In addition, it's quite a good alarm clock: you can wake to any function (internet radio, regular radio, etc), there are two completely independent alarms that can be set to go on certain days but not others, you can specify the volume of each alarm, etc. None of this interferes with the sleep function that goes in 15 minute increments. I mention this because some older Sony models allowed either an alarm OR the sleep function... There is no battery back-up, but you can set the machine to automatically update the time after a power outage. The alarm works well. For those days when it really matters, you can always use the iPhone as a back-up.

Internet performance will depend on your router, but I had mine up and running (VERY reliably) from across the house in about 2 minutes. For other products (notably a certain wireless Brother monochrome printer) I've spent up to 2 hours messing around with this type of thing so I was impressed.

The interface on the radio is a little clunky, and the remote is required for certain operations. I quickly and easily started to use Pandora (the like/dislike buttons clearly an afterthought on the remote control, and not present on the radio), searched for and found a selection of internet radio stations. Interestingly, some BBC stations (but not the world service) appear to be blocked, presumably because I'm not paying a license fee. The thing which blew my mind was when I searched for podcasts of a particular NPR show. Within seconds, I had a choice of shows from the last ten days. Basically, that's free on-demand radio of my favorite broadcasts in seconds. I might buy another for my kitchen.

The one thing I did not check is how easy it would be to mount this thing on the wall and still charge an iPhone. I guess it would probably work since the connector is at an angle. I have it on my bedside table, where it's the size of two generous hardback books.

As I mentioned, there are some minor annoyances. The clickwheel is fiddly and the remote is only marginally better. My biggest annoyance is the display, which can only be dimmed with the remote, and that setting is not saved when the radio switches off. Huh? For such a great alarm clock, this seems like an oversight. Still, the features are amazing, the sound is really pretty good, and the unit looks quite attractive. For other rooms of the house, it would be perfect, but you probably wouldn't need the alarm or the iPhone charging feature, at which point there are cheaper options available. Still, I like it so much, I might buy another for my kitchen anyway.

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Sharper Image Sound Soother Cd Player Clock Radio Si585

This has decent sound, if somewhat flat and neutral. Maybe not worth the asking price, but try to find one on clearance. One criticism is that the volume control between 3 and 4 is much too great, it needs to be less of a jump. Also, the clock illumination is very bright even on the dimmest setting. Still, the sound is pretty good for a clock radio. However, the price should include a CD player or should be less expensive.

there is not a good volume for falling asleep to....level 1 is too soft and level 2 is way too loud. needs to be more gradual. but the unit looks very nice and performs well other than that.

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I was searching for a specific product that included every feature I needed in an alarm clock; the Sharper Image's EC-B145 Clock Radio iPhone/iPod Dock featured exactly what I needed and more. Although a little pricey, I felt as if 100 dollars was a decent deal, at the time. For six months I enjoyed all the luxuries that this clock radio promoted which included great sound quality, a simplistic yet modern design with a straight-forward display, and a perfect size to display on a desk.

However, after those six months, the Sharper Image's EC-B145 Clock Radio became unreliable. The first complication that occurred, which sparked a domino effect, was that the remote suddenly stopped working; the clock radio ceased to respond to the buttons being pushed on the remote. It created a bit of a hassle and was very inconvenient to manually control the product. After the problem with the broken remote, the dock for the iPod bent forward making it impossible to connect the music player to the dock. In other words, the main component for this clock radio was now inoperative. My choices to replace my soothing iPod music that I normally wake up to was either the cloudy FM radio channels or the piercing beeping noise that mimicked the annoying sound of a smoke alarm. I had to resort to the alarm on my phone to awake me so as to wake up to a sound that won't be an irritation or give me anxiety. After the dock broke, I noticed that the buttons didn't always work correctly. The machine didn't respond until after the button was pressed several times, and even then it may confuse your command with what button was actually pressed. For example, often times I would attempt to reduce the volume by pressing the appropriate button yet the display screen read that I increased the volume. This product's value spiraled down quickly after all of those complications.

What was once gratifying to have is now defective and worthless. This clock radio turned out to be just another product that seemed great while still in the box, that is, until you use it. The proficient sound quality still remains but I refuse to listen to its fuzzy radio stations or its unpleasant, high-pitched noise. The sleek yet contemporary design still prevails but its modern lay-out is irrelevant if it's defective. At least it still doesn't take up too much room on my desk. Overall, this product ended up being a disaster to deal with. Other than its ability to show the correct time of day, the Sharper Image's EC-B145 is not worth the buy.

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Hot Wheels Screeching Projection Alarm Clock - Blue

• Hot Wheels Clock Radio
• AM/FM Radio
• Snooze Control
• Wake to car sounds or radio
• .9" Red LED Display

My kids kept waking up REALLY EARLY. I bought this clock for their room and told them that they would know that it is morning when the first number on the clock is a 6. The clock projects the time on the ceiling above their beds and they have stayed in bed all night, every night since we bought it.

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Does not work,Clock works ,radio and all sounds do not work.I had a very sad Grandson for Christmas morning.Now I cant find another to replace it.

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Belkin Charge and Sync Dock with Earpods for iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5th Generation

I never leave ratings. I just had to with this one to warn everyone about this product.

Since you're using your own Lightning cable which you feed at the bottom of this dock, whenever you pull out the iphone, the cord pulls through with it and it never comes off until you have to use another hand to separate the cord from the iphone. After all this, you need to unlatch the bottom and feed the cord back through the hole and then put the plate back on.

this is a song and dance that happens EVERY TIME and Belkin, via facebook message, admitted this was a huge flaw and a quick refund would be issued without fuss. I guess they didn't want me leaving a review on Amazon, which im doing anyway.

awful awful awful.

if i could give this a -5 star rating that wouldn't be enough. removing a phone from a dock shouldn't take 3 minutes each time. but, alas, Belkin rushed a product yet again for the sake of user experience and coming out to market first. shame on you, Belkin.

Since the cable isn't supplied it fits into a provided slot and every time you pull the phone out the cable become dislodged forcing you to reinsert it constantly. Save your money and wait for a dock with the lightning connection built in.

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This dock is so bad I would hesitate to ever buy anything from Belkin again. As other reviewers have noted, there is nothing to hold the cable in place. Moreover it does not sit flush with the base, so your phone is sitting on top of the Apple connector -and nothing else. When you remove your phone it pulls the cord out of its socket; there's no edge to lock the cable tip in place. While it claims to be a "sync dock", there is nothing on this unit that has anything to do with the sync function. The "audio port" lets you connect a pair of headphones to the base so you can listen while charging. But you can do the same thing by skipping this piece of junk and just charging your phone directly from the cable.

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I thought this would be a nice way to keep the phone off the table while charging. I get that you have to use your own cable, but I at least though that the thing would be engineered well enough that the phone would not be supported by the Lightning connector and the audio jack.

Nope. The phone is piked on its audio and Lightning connector with absolutely no strain relief. Poor design, not interested in a potential repair on either port. Audio connector on the stand does rotate down in case you decide that you'd rather put all the stress on the Lightning connector.

Not quite sure what I'm going to do with this thing now.

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Nice unit, good weight, works with covers, etc. I have noticed the connector comes out , (which people are whining about), a tad at times but I remedied that. All you have to do is tie a small knot outside the hole the cable comes out of. Solved the problem easily. Literally took seconds to do. Other options for the problem would be some hot glue, small tie wrap, silicone of whatever. So come on folks. Stop whining over something so simple. It's a nice dock. The cable prob is NOT a deal breaker!

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Pyle Home PKRSP5W Portable and Desktop MP3 Speaker with USB/SD, FM, Aux In for iPod, Android, iPad,

• Supports MP3, WMA Music Formats - Built In Rechargeable Lithium Battery (Charges through Included Jack)Large LCD Displays Track Information And Lyrics - Speaker Power: 15 W x 2
• Support USB, SD, MMC Cards to Play Back Your Favorite Music - Clock, Alarm, and Calendar Functions Keep You Organized - Frequency Response: 90 Hz-20 kHz
• Built In FM Radio - Recording Function by One Key Playing
• Auxiliary Input Jack -Play Back Virtually Any Audio Source - Construction Material: Plastic
• Microphone Input Jack For Karaoke (Only Works With Battery-Powered Mics Like PLMC15 Or PCMLVC33) - Dimensions: 8.7'' X 2.4'' X 1.4''

I wanted a small speaker for my MP3 to connect to that would fit in my USPS mail truck. (No radios in them!!) I bought this because it was small and rechargeable. I was tired of buying batteries every 3 days with my last one. I keep it on the charger continuously. It has great sound! Not tinny, and the base doesn't crap out the speaker when you turn it up. It also has an FM radio that comes in strong despite no visible antenna. This is the perfect speaker to bring to the beach or camping. Easy to use. It can also accommodate a thumb drive which I will be purchasing so I don't have to use my MP3 with the long cord.

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"Glad I found this one. Travel often? Great on camping trips and hikes, fits in my backpack without taking up a lot of space. I usually jack in my iPod and play playlist front to back without the batteries running down.

This had the most options for my dollar. Cool to share SD cards with friends. This looks almost too good to carry around. This is always by my side and basically replaced the other gear I was carrying. Has the clock, calender, alarm and radio, good speaker sound. If interested, the PLMC15 microphone connects and turns the player into a digital recorder. I bought one to try and have had good luck with it. The recordings are clear."

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I decided to try it in the car until I could afford a new stereo, and it worked perfect. It gets all the FM stations I used to have in my car, and one of the only MP3 players with the built-in FM radio included at the price. I plug my iPod into it for my personal favorites. I Wanted something without power adapters and separate speakers, something useful for the time. All around, this serves the purpose. It will be more than useful until I get a new car stereo, if I ever decide to replace it.

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When you first look at this player, you wouldn't expect much out of it, just another portable speaker set. But I tell you what, I can do so much with this then imagined. I can tune in a radio station, jack in my iPod, plug in my USB stick, or SD card, set-up the calendar or alarm, or even play with the microphone plugged in. So many different neat functions. I personally use it at work in the office, but keep it turned way down so it doesn't bother anyone else. Believe me, if I turn it up, it would blast my office mates.

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As someone else commented it fits nicely on the dash of my Postal Vehicle and hooks up neatly to my sirius radio.

Tends to have a slightly tinny sound, but on the whole very good.

My son used it for a while as an alarm speaker, and it was LOUD.

Yes, I would recommend it, but not for a connoisseur.

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Sony DSXS200X Digital Media Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB

• AM/FM radio, MP3/WMA/AAC, USB, iPod receiver with Tune Tray for concealing media players
• 4 x 52 watts maximum power with 4V front, rear, and subwoofer preamp outputs
• Four-line white OEL DOT matrix display shows source, artist, track, playback time, menu, and clock
• Includes front-panel USB port, iPod control; SAT-/HD-radio-ready
• Selectable blue or red key illumination; one-year limited warranty

The iPod that I used testing this receiver was the newest generation iPod Classic 160gb.

---UPDATE---

What is the difference between the s200x and s300BTX? Nothing in appearance, or sound. They are the exact same thing except the s300BTX has bluetooth, that is it.

---UPDATE---

Here is my situation (this may similar to yours):

I wanted a new car stereo that:

1.

----Controlled the iPod while bypassing the internal iPod DAC---(Digital Audio Converter)

which, in newer models (basically everything past the iPod Video 5.5g), has an inferior Cirrus chip (much discussed about with loss of quality outputting your media sound files). The s200x has a 24-bit DAC that outputs a life like sound quality (testing with ALAC--apple lossless) that just does this. More on this point: if you want your car stereo to bypass iPod's DAC (a must for any audiophile, or for the absolute best sound quality), then you will have to control the iPod through the stereo itself. Moreover, if you want to use your iPod/iPhone as a controller, you can just insert the USB sync cable into the front of the Sony. However, if you use the latter method, you will no longer be using the DAC bypass, resulting in lower quality audio from the DAC of the iPod/iPhone.

2. Almost as important as #1, and directly ties into above:

----A fairly intuitive navigation of the iPod through the receiver----.

The s200x loads up almost instantaneous (possibly 1 or 2 seconds), and changes tracks even quicker. Actually, it feels quicker using this receiver than it does using the iPod itself. Moreover, you can control everything, and I mean everything, from the remote. This helps because the dial in the middle of this unit is hard to press, and harder to press correctly (meaning, in the absolute middle). It navigates just like the iPod does through its own program. You can also search by Letter, so that you can limit tedious scrolling.

3. Again, as important as the above two:

----The ability to see the display in daylight----

Although sunlight directly on this device does saturate the brightness a bit, it does not enough so that you cannot read the display. More succinctly: when exposed to direct light, the whites are not as white and the blacks are not as deep, however the most important aspect still retains: The Display is readable in daylight.

4.

----Having a fairly sophisticated EQ. ----

Much to the chagrin of Alpine's x305s, this device lets you fine tune your sound environment within your car, without buying two hundred dollars worth of extra equipment, while not being inferior in sound. Yes, the Alpine has the Burr-Brown (name brand) DAC. Will you tell the difference if your sound files are converted, ripped, or compressed well? No.

So while you get nothing from Alpine without extra money when wanting to tailor your sound, the s200x from Sony will let you adjust Time Delay from your speakers (adjusted for the distance you are away from each speaker), the full spectrum of frequencies (low, mid, high), and your speaker's ability to either act as a subwoofer, or not (have 6x9's in your back seat but no independent sub? The s200x will let you turn those speakers into a sub, and a sub only).

5. And finally, not as important, but still a constituent with the s200x:

----Price----

Needless to say, you cannot go wrong with the features, and quality, of the s200x for well under 200$. Alpine's color display? Not much more than a low resolution LCD screen (the navigation and presentation of the s200x is much more fluid and appropriate).

What is more is that the 'iPod Tray' that I am sure you have read about, is a must, and a new standard. It is as ingenious as it is innovative. In light of the plethora of hanging 'USB' cables plaguing many a car, the Sony is like going completely wireless.

Oh, if you have not already figured it out by now this DOES NOT comes with a CD player. Hence the 'Digital Media Receiver' title. However, with the iPod tray, your Media Player takes it seat appropriately where a CD player would have went. Needless to say, you have never had a CD player that could play, or have access to, in less than a second, 20,000 lossless quality music files.

As I was looking around at every available receiver on the market, each one had a downside. Alpine did not offer anything to adjust the sound (except if you...ya know), Kenwood's controls were awful (which was the receiver I was replacing), and Pioneer did not offer a 24bit DAC and/or navigation was sluggish. With all of those features lacking in every other device, I, in a moment of serendipity, happened to discover the s200x.

What will your receive with the Sony S200x? Exactly what you want, and nothing less.

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Just got this unit installed, replacing a JVC KD-HDR1 receiver in my '03 Sentra. I have stock speakers and subwoofer as well as an additional amp and set of subs connected to the sub out of the unit. Here are my initial impressions:

Beep sound is very loud, and there doesn't appear to be a volume control for it. At least there's an option to turn it off, which is what I had to do. I'd like to have some audio feedback, but if it has to be that loud then I don't need it.

I hear static from my speakers, whether it's playing from an FM station or my iPhone. I would have at least expected the iPhone to be virtually static-free, but the amp in this unit seems to be rather noisy. On certain FM stations I also hear pops and clicks through my tweeters which are mostly noticable when the unit volume is very low. At this point they are much louder than the music itself. I thought I might have a bad connection, so I reconnected my JVC unit for a minute (using the same wiring harness) and there was no static or popping and clicking at low volume.

The dimmer signal isn't dimming the display. It worked on my JVC with the same harness, so not sure why it's not working on the Sony. They both appear to use the same pin for the dimmer connection.

You can't leave an iPhone's cell service on when putting it in the unit, unless you want to hear the GSM 'tones' that you hear when you put a GSM cellphone near any stereo receiver's amplifier. The phone has to be in 'airplane mode' in order to not be annoyed by it the whole time. Not a huge deal for me as I have an extra iPod Nano that I'll put in the unit instead, or maybe just get a cheap USB memory stick so if it gets fried I won't care.

There are at least 3 different places in the documentation they warn you not to leave a device in the unit and to disconnect the device before powering the unit back on. This is annoying since I mainly want to just keep a device inside it connected and remove it sometimes to update the songs on it. Seems like in particular they have the most issues with USB drives getting erased since they also mention making sure the data on the USB drive is backed up when using it with this receiver.

Menu system is reasonable, if you can figure out what does what. You HAVE to read the manual to know what some menu options mean, or even how to get to them. Maybe it's more intuitive if you came from a Sony receiver, but at least for me it'a s learning experience.

I'll have to play with browsing a songlist a bit more to get a feel for it. At least one of the modes didn't appear to be populating the list well (I think maybe by Artist mode had a lot of blanks for artists). This could be because not all my music came directly from iTunes and maybe some of the ID3 info isn't filled out.

Overall I'm not quite impressed yet. I'm going to be contacting Sony about the noisy output of the device as well as the dimmer not working.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DSXS200X Digital Media Receiver with iPod Direct Control via USB Here

I'm sure auto car stereo makers are asking, "Why didn't we think of that?" The biggest advantage is not having to plug and unplug a flash drive. Also not having a flash stick sticking out like a sore thumb. In addition, you can leave it inside the unit. That means last position, etc should be saved when you get back in the car. I don't plan on buying a Ipod anytime soon but it's yet another clever option.

It's a bold move to get rid of the standard Cd player but when I thought about how often I've grabbed on of my 500 CDs (which hasn't been very often), it makes sense. It's not that big of a hassle to rip the CD into folder files. I've bee burning CDRWs for the past 10 years and building of a few CD cases of songs under the seat. NO MORE! 45 Mp3 CDs which are 700MB each is equal to 1 32GB flash stick!

The only this I wish it had is built-in HD radio. Why on earth Sony didn't put HD in even the top of the line DSX model is beyond me.

Although the face is detachable, it's not the usual flat face but rather a somewhat big slot in the middle. If a thief knows about these models and what may be in the slot, it defeats the whole idea behind the detachable face concept. Let's hope they aren't that desperate or that smart.

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I bought this sterio for the soul purpose of getting rid of the the CD player and got a whole lot more! I have had this Sony player for 3 months now, and still find new things about it. The quality is what I expected with the Sony Brandhigh. This player blows my old Pioneer deck outta the water. Not only is it easy to use, it makes my speakers sound better than ever. I bought a 16GB USB and dragged all my itunes library over to it. Now I don't have to be paranoid about someone stealing my ipod, only a $30 USB drive. It is so easy to navigate through the songs with the knob dial. Its nice to have it Ipod ready incase I need a quick recharge on my ipod or iphone. Highly recommended. No regrets.

This is a great Sony product. Upgraded a Sony Model CDX F5700 FM/AM Compact Disk Player in my boat. Removed existing unit pluged in the new one and updated the splash guard. Now my 10 Disk Sony CD changer, XM Radio, and Ipod play on one compact unit. This unit does it all, and the tune tray is so clean.

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Nyrius LT12 12 Language Global Digital Talking Translator Foreign Pocket-Sized Electronic Speaking D

• Cross-translate 12 international languages using any of the 8400 built-in phrases
• Auto power off, volume selection and reset button
• Handheld electronic translators are the modern answer to paper dictionaries
• Device speaks the foreign phrases aloud
• Integratedalarm clock and data bank with password lock

This is a well designed easy to operate translator. It will cover 95% of what you need being a tourist. The only flaw I see in this machine is not being able to enter your own sentences, but that might be a flaw in all machines, so I would bring a dictionary for those times. Good voice quality and volume. I will bring a set of watch batteries with me on the trip as I don't know about the availability of those batteries in Europe.

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I purchased this translator as a gift for my mother's four week tour of Europe. Over all, she was very happy with the item. Occasionally, she said there were times when she couldn't find how to say a particular phrase, but for the most part, she was thrilled that this one device served her quite efficiently through all of the countries she traveled. She especially liked the verbal pronunciation, the pre-grouped categories of phrases, its small size, & its included alarm clock which allowed her to cut back on bringing one more item. As for me, I certainly appreciated how reasonably priced it was for how well it served my mother on her trip. You can absolutely find better translators but doing so on par of the cost per value of this translator would be difficult. It's a great item for the price.

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This translator is a lot of fun.You can actually hear what it is supposed to sound like so I can say it kind of properly. The only thing

I have a problem with is there is no way to type in any words. You can only get the phrases that are programmed in it. So if someone answers me, I have no idea what they are saying. I just need to carry a dictionary or phrase book with it. I'm excited about using it in my travels..Japan this year and Europe next year. This is fun!

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Tronics prompted me to send a review, so I will.

Some background:

I travel internationally about once a year to different places. I usually bring an English-to-XX/XX-to-English dictionary with me when traveling, in case I cannot find an English speaker (which is usually not too hard to do, but getting them to admit to it is harder ;-). I find the dictionary approach very easy you look up the word and show the other person the translation.

My English-Chinese/Chinese-English dictionary seems to have approximately 6000 words each direction that I can look up by simply spelling it from either language.

I looked on the web for electronic dictionaries. Unfortunately, none of the available devices seem to provide a simple language-to-language translation with look-up by spelling (except maybe for the common European languages). Since I also travel in Asia, and work for a Chinese company, that doesn't quite meet my needs.

For languages with different alphabets that are rather dissimilar, such as English and Chinese, having a device support look-up by spelling for both languages becomes difficult. The hierarchical menu approach seems a way to support look-up in dissimilar languages.

Now for the device itself.

My Chinese-English dictionary weighs 10.25 oz (290g). My Nyrius, plus carrying case, lanyard, and 1 paper word list weighs a total 3.75 oz (110g). That may not seem like much difference, but a 10 oz book in your pants pocket is not small and unobtrusive, especially for a day of sight seeing. The Nyrius is small enough for a shirt pocket (or you can hang from the lanyard).

If you are doing a multi-stop vacation, such as touring Europe, multiple dictionaries would add to your luggage weight, while the Nyrius would handle multiple languages in one small package.

Usability:

I have not yet traveled with it internationally, so I am not sure how well it will work for me in different situations. I cannot see using this to carry on a conversation; look-up seems way too slow. Maybe with lots of use, look-up becomes much faster.

I find look-up of random words to be fairly difficult on the device, since you don't know which words are supported. I thank the company for providing small paper listings of the menus, since I can visually find which words are available and how to get to them much faster on paper than on the device. And since listings are provided in multiple languages, you can let the other person also use a look-up list to find words themselves. (They do not currently have 12 lists, though.) The lists are lightweight and easily fold up to carry in the carrying case.

I find some navigation counter-intuitive. The words are numbered; if you press the "up" key, it shows you the next lower numbered word; if you press the down key, it shows you the next higher numbered word. I suppose it corresponds to looking at the words on the printed list word #181 is higher on the printed page than word #182.

I think the display is pretty primitive. The device is similar in size to a cellphone (actually a bit larger than many cellphones). The size of the screen is only two characters high, which is awful compared to cellphones. The screen is black-on-gray which limits its visibility compared to cellphones. The left-right scrolling is painfully slow compared to cellphones or computer screens. The word translator could be so much better in a decent cellphone handset or a PDA.

I give this device four stars; it seems to do what it set out to do reasonably well, and at a low price. Based on info available from the web, it seems to do a good job compared to competitive products. I wish they had shot for loftier goals, though.

I think this translator could be much more than it is. I wish I could find a translator with better features that I think current technology could easily support. Imagine this device having a USB port or an SD port, and you could buy support for a single language on a USB flash drive or an SD card. And then you could buy only the languages that you need, when you need them. And you could buy the current basic dictionaries, or advanced dictionaries as they become available. And you could buy new languages as they became available.

Imagine having the translator on your cellphone or PDA rather than in a separate device, so you only need to carry one device. Imagine improved hierarchical searching with drop-down menus on better screens. Imagine being able to download the dictionaries of choice to your cellphone for use with a common cellphone application. Imagine support via your cellphone provider for a specific language payable one month at a time (the license continues until you explicitly discontinue it) since I usually travel to one place once a year, for one to four weeks, that would make much more sense than having a 12-language translator that sits idle 11 months of the year. Imagine support for voice-driven look-up, similar to the voice command capability of some existing cellphones. Ah, what could have been.

Still, I think this devices deserves its four stars for what it offers at the price.

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We purchased this translator for a recent trip to France and Italy. We played with it before we left and attempted to use it a few times during the first part of the trip. Navigating through the various menus to try to find the one phrase you're looking for just takes way too long. And, it is missing key phrases like, "Do you speak English?" After the first couple days, we gave up on the talking translator and relied instead on a French/Italian/English phrase book with pronunciations that we picked up for free at the library. Save your money it is not nearly as useful as you might hope.

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Apple iPod nano 8 GB Silver (6th Generation) OLD MODEL

• 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs
• Up to 24 hours of audio playback on a single charge
• 1.54-inch (diagonal) color TFT display with 240-by-240-pixel resolution (220 pixels per inch)
• Support for AAC, Protected AAC (iTunes Store), MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV audio formats
• One-year limited warranty

The iPod Nano update on September 1, 2010 is arguably the most dramatic since the iPod Nano moniker was introduced by Apple five years ago.

More than an update, this is a new product that simply retains the iPod Nano name. It gains a significant feature, but loses several others.

The big deal is the touch interface on the newest iPod Nano. iPod Nano users will now be "touching," their music as iPod Touch and iPhone users have before them. The click wheel is gone. To find your music, you select a category from the Nano's menu such as "Playlists," or "Artists," and select from there. Less convenient or more convenient than a click wheel? Honestly, about equal. The screen is indeed small, but not unusable.

FM Radio has been retained as well as the Fitness aspects with the ability to use Nike + or simply the built in pedometer. However, the form factor will be a major benefit for those working out with the Nano. The previous Nano required an armband to keep it on you while working out, jogging, or the like. Not always comfortable, an additional expense, etc. However, with this new small, square form factor that need is gone. Now, we can simply "clip," the Nano onto us, with the built in clip, and run to our listening content. A bigger deal than you might think.

The downside? Features have been removed from Nano. The screen is much smaller than the previous generation. Therefore, playback of video content from iTunes is gone. Nano no longer plays video, which was a feature added three years ago. Secondly, last year, Nano added a small video camera to record low quality video, which could be played back on the Nano's screen or synced with iTunes and viewed on your computer. That feature is gone too. The device is too small now for a camera or to watch video. This new generation iPod Nano has many exciting new features, but buyers must be aware that it is no longer a video player. It is something new. Those wishing to play video on an iPod must choose an iPod Touch.

My opinion on this change? Honestly, did I ever watch video on the iPod Nano's screen? No. For me, while they kept trying to make the screen larger, it was simply too small to enjoy more than a once a year video. Likewise, the camera was simply not high enough quality to keep yourself entertained by using on a regular basis. It became a feature unused by many.

The iPod Nano has changed and gone back to being an exceptional music player. There is nothing here you do not need to enjoy music. However, the display and touch interface brings the 21st century "touch," that Apple has made so popular to a more affordable device. The touch function will be limited here to simply selecting songs or bringing up the clock, but nevertheless, touch has made its way to the Nano.

I'm most thankful that the Nano has indeed retained the DOCK CONNECTOR. The dock connector is key to use with iPod accessories such as docks, speaker docks, and built in car iPod connectors. The nano is so diminutive that if you plug it into the factory iPod kit of an automobile, the cable's dock connector will look nearly bigger than the Nano itself. Not a negative, just amusing. Nevertheless, the dock connector is there, and you will be able to use the device in such applications, and that was a significant decision by Apple. Users want and need the dock connector. It is there on this iPod Nano, but still missing from the Shuffle due to its even more diminutive size.

Overall, Apple has removed video (both playback and recording) from this iPod Nano. However, it's an equalling good music player. Navigation of music is now completed via touch, which works effectively despite the small screen. It's really hard to believe so much can fit into such a small device and I believe everyone will be a bit shocked when they open up the Nano the first time and see it's size yet primary function as an effective music player retained. The newest Nano brings a nearly Shuffle like size, but yet retains the functionality (touch, clip, dock connector) that serious music lovers and those who use the Nano while working out, demand.

Buy Apple iPod nano 8 GB Silver (6th Generation) OLD MODEL Now

Woke up a few weeks back and got my new Ipod Nano 6th gen to start my morning jog. However, to my surprize afer a full nights charge it wouldnt turn on! "Okay, no problem, I'll just call the tech support"...

After spending over 2 hours with them on the phone, and trying everything we could, they advised me to take my Ipod into a store where they would see what could be done... After all, I still had 8 months of my warranty! To cut a long story short, as soon as they looked at my Ipod I was asked the following question: "Sir, has the device been in contact with liquid?" "No" I said... "What about sweat?"... Man, once I heard that question, I just couldn't believe my ears!!! Of course there is going to be some contact with sweat! I bought the device to go jogging with it! One would imagine that the all mighty Apple would have that one covered right!!! NOPE... Apparently we cannot sweat if we exercise with an Ipod 6th Gen. Or at least that was what was informed to me at the store.

Now, Im about $180,00 short (after you add all the accessories I bought for it!Silly me!!!!) and with Apple slamming the door on my face! As they were totally relunctant to give me further assistance or even collect the device to have it inspected!!!

I live in a humid place, but only used the Ipod at the gym (which is air conditioned), so I would really like to get a position from Apple about this, as I feel utterly cheated by them...

Well fokes, that's my tip... If u sweat when exercising, make sure to buy another MP3 player as I wouldn't want someone else going through what I just did.

My next MP3 player will be an inexpensive chinese one. As if it stops working after 3 months due to sweat, I'll still be on the win...

I demand that Apple at least takes the device in and have a look at it as to give me a position of what has happened! I seen Nokias be dropped in the toilet and work the next day, how can a bit of sweat destroy an Ipod which is designed for joggers?!?!?!?!

Cheers!

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This is NOT the iPod that you want if you are going to use it and workout. This iPod is small and has a lot of functions. It was easy to navigate and upload music. There are a number of applications that you can use for a workout but DON'T use IF you workout. The sound was also good. Its down fall as found out that if it gets any moisture on it forget it. (Lets see working out = sweat) I only had the unit for 6 weeks and used it for running. I started to notice that I was unable to turn it off then unable to go to different applications. Finally when listening to a song the volume would automatically decrease to no sound without touching it. I looked into some sites (should have in the beginning) and found out this is a common problem with the Nano. Apparently any moisture may short circuit the unit and this is common to buyers. What is maddening Apple knows about this which is fine but notify potential buyers this is a problem also think about fixing it. SHAME on you Apple. Apple iPod nano 8 GB Silver (6th Generation) NEWEST MODEL

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I bought this new and loved it, once I figured out how to turn OFF the shake shuffle. That feature is horrendous when working out. Anytime you moved the song shuffled. Good idea, but not very practical unless you sit on your butt all day.

Then for no reason the power button broke. Very frustrating because it worked fine, until it went to sleep, then there was no way to control it, turn it back on, or anything. Completely negates the "portability" aspect.

I contacted apple support and the fix is $75. No thanks.

After researching this issue it looks like this is a common problem with this model. So, despite how cool the design is, DON'T BUY IT.

I bought this as a XMAS gift for myself as I was intrigued in the radio and pedometer features (BTW I went to an Apple store to physically look at the nano BEFORE purchasing--I knew I wanted to buy from Amazon--I wanted to see it and feel it. So far I haven't used the radio nor the pedometer. I would use these features it's just that it's easier to set up my playlists and listen to those while working out or gardening.

The bad:

My biggest beef is with the button functionality. Six months into gentle use and the sleep/wake button got stuck(the small design makes me feel like it's gonna break if you just look at it, and by the way, my IPOD classic, 6 years old now, has seen FAR worse treatment including dropping it and it's a beast still working). A little research on the Internet revealed that the buttons rely on double-sided sticky tape on the mechanism that makes contact with the switch on the controls (volume and sleep/wake). With a price of $150 you would think Apple would use epoxy or something other than double-sided sticky tape--to me that's just shameful. Some folks reported that the sleep/wake button got stuck on their Nano after just two months. Luckily, my nano was still under Apple's limited one year warranty. I contacted Apple via their online service and they replaced my nano with another one free of any charges including shipping. If your nano is not under warranty apparently you can use the headphones that have volume and shuffle controls on them--this might be my only alternative if my nano decides to crap out after November when my warranty runs out. If the buttons get stuck you can still plug the nano into the computer and it powers up and functions but if the sleep/wake button in particular doesn't work, your nano will play music you just can't manage it via the sleep/wake button (you can't wake it, shuffle songs, etc.).

I should explain "gentle use": I garden outside with my nano clipped to my jeans pocket (no trouble with accidental song forwarding, unlike the wheel buttons on the iPod classic if I didn't put the iPod facing in). My workouts are low impact (treadmill walking, no running, again the nano clipped to a pocket and it has never fallen to the ground, unlike my iPod classic which fell out of my shirt pocket several times while gardening). I also listen to music while doing household chores--again just gentle use.

The eh, it's OK:

I like that with a single click of the wake/sleep button you save battery by turning off the display. In fact, I hardly ever used the screen to forward songs. The shake-to-shuffle is fun, IF you have the display on (so this forces me to use the sleep/wake button to forward a song--no way around not using the sleep/wake button, huh?). I have big hands and never really felt I couldn't handle the buttons/display. I love minimal design (three buttons total, earphones) and you can set up your nano to display as little or much as you want (photos, podcasts, etc.--which BTW I never use these). I like the Nano's compact design but at $150 for the 16G, the problem with the buttons after such a short time, I don't think I would ever buy this again. I would fork out the extra $30 for the classic or buy a cheap MP3 player (problem is, iTunes has grown on me--there's always something isn't there?).

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