DBTech "TIME BAR" Huge 24 Inch Oversized Digital Blue LED Clock

• Easy to read in bright sunlight as in darkness.
• Very convenient for the visually challenged, shows clearly the hour, the minute and the seconds.
• Show AM / PM status with a light underneath the letters, no need to guess what the dot stands for.
• No need to be reset if it loses power.
• Powered by AC adapter (included).

This is a very large clock, over two feel long. Very nice, bright blue numbers are clearly visible from quite a distance. The colons between the hours, minutes and seconds blink for each second passing.

The clock comes with a close approximation of the correct time but it was very easy to set and has the option of a 24 hour clock setting or 12 hour (with an AM/PM indicator).

The clock does not have the option of running on batteries and I don't think I'd want to keep changing them out anyway. It comes with mounting screws and anchors.

This is a great clock for a business, gym, workout room, recreational hall, bingo hall, etc. The possibilities are endless since it has such great visibility and clarity.

I was provided a unit for evaluation and an honest review.

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Bought it for my gym it's HUGE I can see it from the other side of the room while working out, nice clock and very simple to setup.

Thank you

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I am at the age where I need reading glasses for things like looking at a wristwatch or checking the time on my phone. This clock lets me see the time at a glance, day or night, without putting on glasses. Also, I have a developmentally disabled daughter with poor vision who cannot tell time on an analog clock. I replaced the over-sized analog clock I had in the living room with this one. She loves being able to tell everyone what time it is. A small thing, to be sure, but such a pleasure for her.

First of all, it's BIG! It's 24" long and 8" tall and 2 3/8" deep. This is a substantial clock. The face is glass and the frame is a simple black metal. It features 3" tall, red LED numerals that are so bright you can read them from anywhere in the room. It shows the hour, minutes and seconds and also has LED backlit AM and PM designation. You can even set it to display in military time.

It can be wall mounted with the 2 included screws (and dry wall adapters) or set atop a ledge or bookcase. I have mine sitting on built-in cabinets next to the fireplace. It is electric so it requires placement near an electrical outlet. The included power adapter has a 6' cord. It also has a back up battery so it does not lose time in the event of a power failure. That is an exceptional feature, in my opinion.

It comes well packaged with plenty of foam packing inside the cardboard box. No worries there.

It has a rather industrial look that is surprisingly wonderful in my old, Craftsman-style home. I think it would be very attractive in all but the most ornately decorated rooms. Everyone who has seen this clock in my living room remarks on how spectacular it is. It's almost a statement piece.

Because it is so bright and you cannot make it dimmer, you probably wouldn't want this clock in a bedroom. But since it is easily read in even bright sunlight, it would be excellent in any other room.

The directions for setting the clock are pretty bad, but I got it set fairly quickly. It uses 3 buttons on the back labeled A, B and C to set the time. I would like to see this company produce a more detailed owner's manual because the single sheet of poor instructions just doesn't do this fine clock justice. Other than the instructions, I am completely delighted with this clock!

Note: I was provided this clock in exchange for my candid and unbiased review of the product. No promise was made or implied for a positive review.

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You have to see this digital time piece to appreciate its size two feet in length. There's not much documentation that comes with the clock, just a sheet with bare bones directions for setting the date and time. While I setting the numbers, I noticed they were already correct; the date was spot on, and the time was just a couple minutes off. Pretty amazing. I have the clock plugged into a receptacle with a wall switch for the time being; it'll eventually be on the screened in porch.

I've turned off the switch a few times for five or ten minute intervals. When I turn the power back on, the time comes back to the correct time automatically.

The clock is easy to set and easy to hang or position on a table. The cord is rather short, but it would be easy to attach an extension for a longer reach. With the red digital numbers visibility is excellent.

I think this clock could be a good addition for a business, perhaps in its lobby or an office. Actually any large room that could use the addition of a high visibility clock would benefit by having one of these clocks installed.

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One of the things that always frustrated people I worked with who had limited or low vision, was how to tell time. I purchased talking clocks, which could sometimes be a tad irritating. We'd be talking and all of a sudden we'd get *the* announcement, a computerized announcement that could be rather annoying at times. Mind you, this clock looks like something that could be at a track meet, but it serves the purpose. The 3" LED numerical display comes in either blue or red (I have the blue). Check out the measurements before buying.

Now, if you check around, Sears is asking considerably more for this very same clock so this is actually a bargain. This clock was already set when I received it. It does have a memory chip (atomic?) that has one advantage I find especially appealing. If the power goes out, you don't have to reset it. It's quite easy to set using three simple A, B, C buttons on the rear of the clock. The cord is not overly long, a fact that many people appreciate. If your plug is not close to where you want it, simply use an extension cord.

FEATURES:

** Easy to read 3" LED display for those with limited or low vision.

** Uses standard household current.

** Flashing colons which assist with viewing the hour, minutes, and seconds display.

** AM/PM are displayed to the left of the time (1/2" high).

** Can be displayed on any flat surface or hung on a wall (toggle bolts are included).

** The LED display is clearly visible both during the day and at night.

** AC adapter included.

DIMENSIONS:

8" H x 23 1/8" L x 2 3/8" D (20.32cm x 58.73cm x 6.03cm)

This is a nice, minimalist clock that would be a definite aid to those who need it. Naturally, this clock could also be used in any area that would have need for a larger LED time display. This LED is easily visible both during the daylight and nighttime hours.

Sample provided by the distributor.

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Garmin zumo 660 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Motorcycle Navigator

• 4.3-inch LCD display
• Sunlight-readable, glove-friendly touchscreen display; motorcycle and automotive mount both included. Motorcycle console for trip information, including fuel gauge to warn you when it's time to fill up
• Full coverage mapping for the US, Canada and Puerto Rico
• Lane assist with junction view directs you to the preferred lane while driving, provides realistic images of upcoming junctions
• Built-in travel kit includes features such as picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converters and calculator
• Preloaded map data features nearly six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions

I just got back from a 7 day motorcycle trip, so I have enough useage of the Zumo 660 to give a fair review.

-The screen is bright enough to be read under almost all conditions, even when wearing sunglasses on a sunny day. The only time I could not see the screen properly was in direct sunlight with the sun shining straight onto the unit from over my shoulder. This was seldon an issuee. Screen=5 stars.

-The MP3 player was generally good, but lacked an equalizer. This is especially an issue on a motorcycle where wind noise drowns out bass. An equalizer is surely just a software issue, so there is no excuse for it not being on an $800 unit. MP3 player=3 stars

-The mapping software that comes with the unit is generally easy to use, and routes are easily loaded into the Zumo. Mapping software=4 stars

-The automotive mount that comes with it works well. I have used the unit in cars almost as much as on my motorcycle. Automotive mount=5 stars

-Routing, directions, etc. are good. It will occasionally direct you down a goat path, or tell you to go right, then make a u-turn a half mile later. I can only imagine the complexity of writing this software, so I won't ding the score too hard. It is as good as any unit I have used (which isn't that many), but not perfect when the roads are a bit tricky. Routing=4 stars

-Lane assist doesn't seem to do anything. In all the miles I have covered with this unit, it never once told me which lane to be in, and I could have used assistance on more than one occasion. Maybe it only works in certain large cities. As far as I can tell, it is a totally useless feature, if you can even call something that doesn't exist a feature. Lane assist=1 star, zero stars if zero is a legal rating.

-I really like the fact that there are two user-selectable fields that show up on the main map screen. This is one of the features that prompted me to buy this GPS. For example, when I am driving in the mountains, I like to know the elevation, so I can set one to continuously show elevation. All told, there are perhaps 20 different items to choose from, such as speed, time to next turn, arrival time, etc. User-selectable fields=5 stars

-One thing that REALLY annoys me is the fact that cities do not show up on the GPS. You can be rolling down the road, and all of a sudden you are in a town, without even knowing you were approaching one. A GPS is a moving map, and when people look at maps they look for basically two things: roads and cities. How can you not have cities show up? This is truly amazing how Garmin could have made such a basic blunder. Didn't any of the software engineers, technicians, marketing people, etc ever just get in car and try it? Heads need to roll over this. There is no excuse for this kind of defect on an $800 GPS. I have used a $100 el cheapo GPS from Nexstar that shows towns. If you touch the screen, then zoom in or out to just the right zoom level, towns will show up, so with some effort you can find the information, but you should not have to do this. Hopefully this will be corrected with a future firmware upgrade. Lack of Cities=0 stars, even if 0 stars is not allowed.

-I did not use the bluetooth feature, so I cannot comment on any of those features.

-I purchased this through Amazon and, as usual, they did an excellent job.

Overall, I am quite happy with this unit, but Garmin really needs to fix that city problem.

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I have a Zumo 550 and it was with interest that I helped a friend install his Zumo 660. After taking two road trips in the car and working with the 660 I have some comparisons to make to my 550.

Let me predicate my review as it is based on the 660 Firmware update 3.20 that came out towards the end of July of 2009.

1. The 660 doesn't display all street names when browsing the map. I found my friends house using where to? button and it showed the house but none of the street names (including his street name) surrounding his house. The zoom level didn't matter.

2. Won't follow the route you specify in MapSource custom route download. The 660 will recalculate the route you download so there is no guarantee that the route you enter on your computer will be followed by the 660. You have to really get into the habit of using waypoints.

3. Construction of the 660 is like a nuvi. In fact, I think it is a modified nuvi. The USB connection on the 660 can only be accessed by removing the battery cover (which then causes an annoying message to appear that the battery cover is off) There is no tether for the cover, so if you loose it, guess what? All GPS functions are disabled! The 660 only works in GPS mode with the battery cover attached. The screen feels like soft plastic when you touch it. In comparison, the USB connection on the 550 is behind a hinged door, and it doesn't matter if the door is open or closed. So even if you break the door, the 550 still operates as a GPS. The 550's screen feels more like glass to me. In my opinion for fit and finish the 550 is built like a brick house, the 660 not so much.

4. The 660 doesn't come with a 120v charger adapter like the 550 does. Both the 660 and the 550 will recharge with the USB connection but if you are planning a trip with your 660, you have a limited amount of battery power because if you plug in the USB cable to recharge it it enters the USB Mass Storage Mode. The 550 will operate as a GPS plugged into a 12v source (cradle in car or bike) or the 120v adapter (like at home or your hotel room.)

5. The 660 utilizes a micro-sd card. Geeze! have you seen how small these are? About the size of your pinky fingernail. The 550 uses a easy-to-handle standard SD card. The SD card in the 550 can be plugged into your pc's card slot and read like a disk drive. Easy and convenient to do. The micro-sd card is so darn small, and inconvenient to get to, (you have to remove the 660's battery to get to it) it's hardly worth the trouble.

6. Never saw the lane change notice feature. Apparently none of the freeway interchanges we went through were programmed into the 660.

7. Even at maximum volume in the car, the 660's internal speaker was barely audible. This is a serious problem. You have to have all other music in the car off in order to hear the 660 through its internal speaker when using the car mounting. The external speaker in the 550's auto mounting gives you plenty of volume and can be heard over other noises in the car.

8. 660 doesn't have the screen change/flip/page button like the 550. You can toggle between screens by hitting the box button on the side of the 550 repeatedly. I find that a very useful way to navigate around the system. I could not find an equivalent key or process on the 660 to do the same thing.

9. On the 550 touching the turn in xx miles portion of the nav map screen, the unit repeats the last verbal instructions again. I could not find an equivalent key or process on the 660 do do this simple task.

10. It may not matter to you, but the 660 is not integrated to work with XM radio and weather. One of the few things it doesnt support. The 550 will support XM and Weather if you get the GPX 30 antenna receiver and pay the subscription service.

CONCLUSION:

I still feel that after handling both units, the 550 is a true motorcyclists GPS, it does everything I ask of it. The 660 can be, but as stated elsewhere, it got released before all the bugs were worked out of it. It needs work.

It is interesting to me that Garmin is playing the field with the 660, the 550 is still a cataloged product, and is still for sale at most dealers. I don't know if they plan to phase out the 550 if and when more 660's are sold.

I do know that I'm very happy with my 550 for now and will watch Garmin to see what firmware updates they provide to address the shortcomings for the 660.

As of 07-15-2009 Amazon does not have this unit listed for sale as new. There is only one seller of this unit and it is listed as refurbished.

As of 7-31-2009 Amazon has taken this item out of the product catalog. It is not currently available.

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Garmin has released software version 2.80 for the Zumo 660. The update states the issues brought up in the previous reviews and corrects them. Kudos to Garmin for acknowledging the previous shortfalls, and concerns, then addressing them in a software update. It is always good to point out shortfalls to a company that responds, otherwise they don't know if there is anything wrong.

I presently own three Garmin's, a street pilot purchased 4 years ago, a Nuvi purchased 6 months ago, and now the Zumo 660 for my motorcycle. The Zumo is obviously one of the most expensive GPS units a consumer can buy. It is by far the fastest screen updating and most accurate GPS I own. Beats the 6 month old Nuvi by a long shot. I recently drove (haven't mounted the 660 to the bike yet, wanted to test drive the unit) from central NJ to Baltimore. If the Garmin display was the windshield, I could have used only that screen, it is that fast and accurate. The lane assist function takes all thought out of figuring which lane one should be in for the interstate lane crossover. It was as if the 660 took a snapshot of the overhead signage in front of me and had it on the screen. In checking the accuracy of the unit, I found that I was looking too much at the Garmin and not the traffic, because I was amazed at the accuracy of the river crossings, the bridge crossings, the parallel service road vs. the interstate, to see if the Garmin picked up the subtle differences, it did 100%.

I will now use the included software to plan a route with POI and see how well it performs. With the software update, I'll let Garmin if there is any shortfall because I know they'll listen.

So far, I would recommend this unit and am thinking of adding the traffic cable for the next road trip.

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This was my first GPS. MapSource was very confusing to get up and running. You receive a CD with what I assumed was Mapsource but no where on the CD did it say that. It also said that you have to enter a 6 digit code from the CD sleeve which I never found. After emailing Garmin tech support several times, I figured out you actually download the latest MapSource and map as a one time freebee and the 6 digit code is given to you at download time. It was a large 2 gigabyte file. Once downloaded, the software was very good. It updates the GPS with the latest map also. I was able to start creating routes and waypoints very quickly. I planned my entire Arkansas trip within a few hours. The GPS itself is great. Very user friendly. It installed beautifully on my ElectraGlide.

UpdateI went on my Arkansas trip and Custom Routes did not work at all. I talked with Garmin several times before they admitted there was an issue with Custom Routes. Basically, this feature was useless on my trip. I had to resort to taping direction on my windshield. As far as traveling to a city/state or address/city/state, it worked great. I cannot believe Garmin did not field test this unit before putting it on the market.

Update 7/14/09 Garmin released a firmware update (3.10) for the 660. It appears it fixed all the issues with routes. I don't know of any issues I have left. It is a very good unit. One note, the USB ports on both the auto and cycle cradle is not for downloading to the unit. You can only use the USB port inside the battery compartment for interfacting with a PC and MapSource.

I am going on a 10-day motorcycle trip from the Bay Area to Colorado and back. So I decided to get the just released Garmin Zuno 660 to replace my TomTom Easy Rider. I received the unit last week and started using it in my car while I got the wiring done for my 1200GS. The unit is well built, the touch screen very responsive and the user interface easy understand to navigate. I also downloaded the latest mapping software, a free, one-time upgrade offered by Garmin.

Set up was straightforward and downloading the updated North America map was fine, other than the fact that it is a 2.7GB file! I use a Mac and the mapping software for the Mac works well, very similar to the PC version. Creating custom routes on the Mac and downloading it to the Zumo is straight forward. So far so good. I spent the weekend exploring the Zumo, including browsing the map. That was when I noticed that the Zumo does not show any city names, no matter what the zoom level. Not the largest cities, and not the smallest ones; just road names. I called Garmin tech support and they confirmed that the Zumo does not support city names on the maps, saying that you can find cities by doing a search by name if you want to find any city. Garmin could not say when or if this feature will be supported! Unfortunately, I like to look at a mapI I like to see where towns/cities are relative to each other and other points of interest and selecting the appropriate routes. So a map without city/town names is not a map!

Garmin Tech Support pointed out that cities can be located by doing the search function. Unfortunately Portland Oregon or Portland Maine, or Portland anything came back "no matches found"! Small towns like Gypsum CO came back "no matches found".

Finally, I tried creating a custom route, which turned out to be straight forward. I created waypoints on my Mac, downloaded it to the Zumo and created a custom route. Again the Zumo let me down; it was not able to complete the route calculation, just hanging at less than 100% calculated.

I do believe the Zumo has the potential to be a very good motorcycle GPS unit. I also believe Garmin did a disservice by releasing the unit before it is fully baked! Hence the one star. Actually I would give it a zero star rating as this unit is not yet ready for commercial release and review.

05/08/09 Update: Must have been "pilot error" on my part; searching by "Cities" works for Portland or any other city/town, contrary to what I first reported (I have no idea why or what I was doing wrong the first time) . Also, Garmin does now acknowledge a problem with maps not displaying city/town names. According to their tech support, they are working on a fix but do not have a release date.

Creating a custom route on the unit works well except for a quirk: I cannot make the unit compute a route that goes over Tioga Pass Road (I route I am planning for an upcoming trip to Colorado), hanging up while calculating the route and never finishing. Another quirk: the unit will not allow me to add Ely Nevada to a custom route via "Cities", only giving me Ely Twp, MI as the option when typing in Ely. Just happens that Ely NV is also on my planned ride to Colorado.

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PYLE PLD70BT 7-Inch TFT Touch Screen DVD/VCD/CD/MP3/CD-R/USB/AM/FM/RDS Receiver and Bluetooth System

• DVD/MPEG4/MP3/CD/CD-R/CD-RW Compatible - AM/FM-MPX 2 Band Radio - Brightness: 400nits - Anti-Shock Mechanism - Mute Control - A/V Input & A/V Output - Rear Camera Output - 11 Kinds Of Background Color
• Motorized Slide Down Detachable Front Panel - 30 Station Memory(18FM/12AM) - On Screen Display Title, Time, Chapter, - ESP Function - RCA Line Out - SD/MMC Card Slot - Parking Video Input - 320 Watts (4 X 80w)
• Treble/Bass/Balance/Fader/Encoder - Built In 7 Inch(16:9) Tft Color Monitor - Subtitle & Angle - LO/DX & ST/MO Selector - Preset EQ - Direct Connection Of Alternate - RDS-EON - Last Position Memory
• Volume PLL Synthesizer Tuner - Touch Screen Control Operation - Dolby Digital Coaxial Outputs - Repeat/Intro/Random - Subwoofer Output - Audio/Video Aux Line Input Jack(MP3/Ipod) - USB Connector - USA/Europe Frequency Switch
• Auto Store/Preset Scan - Resolution: 1440x234 Pixels - PAL/NTSC Color System - Clock Function - Selectable View Angle - Remote Control - Bluetooth A2dp&Avrcp Support - Dimensions:7.24''W X 2.13''H X 6.69''D

I like this unit but don't love it. I haven't decided if I am going to keep it.

It doesn't say if this was supposed to be a double-din unit, but to me it was more like a single DIN unit with a screen that stays out all the time. The back part of the unit fits into a standard single DIN bracket, but half of the screen hangs over the bottom so I had to mount it to the top slot of my 99 Ford Expedition. To get it to slide all the way back, I had to cut a piece of the plastic bracket in the rear of the radio slot used to hold the factory radio under the dash. The screen stays out all the time and slides down and out to reveal a CD/DVD slot.

My main problem with the radio is that it does not remember which input you are on, so it always starts out on the Radio. Combine that with the fact that the radio is much louder than the other inputs (including DVD). When I am watching a DVD or streaming bluetooth I usually have to crank up the volume to 20-30, but for the radio 8-10 is loud enough. So if I am watching a DVD, streaming bluetooth, or even listening through the AUX input, and I turn off the car, the next time I start the car it default back to radio and the volume is blaring. The rest I'll list below.

Pros:

Price

Nice size screen

Movies look great on it

Easy to bypass DVD so that you can watch while driving

Plently loud enough

Preamp subwoofer output

Fits in a single-din slot

Cons:

Covers half of my AC control panel, this might just be an issue with my ford Expedition

RDS does not work for US radio stations, at least not in my area factory radio RDS worked fine in my area though Note: if you want to try it you have to switch the radio to Euro mode a switch on the back of the right-side of the radio.

Does not remember last input (defaults to radio), but remembers last volume (see above)

Could not play videos recorded by my digital camera.

Can view photos from an SD card, but it is painfully slow (like 20 seconds) switching from one photo to the next

SD card slot is on the top of the unit so for me the Ford trim makes it very difficult to insert an SD card

USB slot is on the front, but you have to connect a small mini USB to full size USB cable. With this cable, the USB stick blocks a little bid of the screen.

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I like this unit. Installed this unit in a 2001 Jeep Wrangler. The screen slightly covers the climate controls, but when the screen is tilted, they can be accessed easily. The sound quality is good, all the connectors are solid, and the bluetooth works great for both calls and music. Use this with your Smartphone and stream some Pandora, it sounds great. Picture quality is good, and the touch screen is responsive for a resistive touch screen.

The only complaint is that the screen will show some artifacts when it is really cold. Get the heat goning, and it looks fine once it warms up.

Great buy for the money!

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ok I recieved the PLD70BT unit last week on friday, it arrived in perfect condition and on time!

(ordered from amazon not a third party)

I bought this unit for my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad cab.

a few years back I bought a Pyle PLD45MUT (3.5 inch screen and tv tuner built in.) which after about 2 or 3 years stopped playing the DVD's or CD's and thus was not much use as my kids love to bring CD's in the car and torture me! anyway, I had to buy a wiring adaptor for the old unit and I kept it all wired after I took it out of the truck and shelved it. so when I recieved the new unit I was thrilled to see thaat the Pyle wiring harness was exactly the same from unit to unit and I just popped it off the old unit and onto the new one and it slid right into place in the dash! so if you have a Pyle unit already You can upgrade to this one pretty easy!

ok, that being said let's talk about this unit. it's a good unit for the price and so far I am very satisfied! the sound is good(I will expand on this in a minute) and has adjustments and the menu's are easy to negotiate. the touch screen is responsive and easy to use, and the remote is good with the only complaint being that it takes the unit 1 second to respond to the command you send from the remote, if you get used to this delay it works great. now as for the sound, the radio is LOUD! it cranks and sounds good till about 2/3 up and then starts to distort just a bit, but not too bad. the thing is when you change to the card reader or CD, or possibly USB drive (I haven't tried yet) the volume is much lower, and you can literaly turn the unit all the way up and never get it as loud as the radio itself! I dono't understand this , but it's true of my unit. and the bluetooth MP3 player I connected was even quieter through the system, these are 320kbs P3 rips and they are just quiet via bluetooth, I plan to try other devices to see if maybe its an issue with my player or what.

while I had the factory stereo in the dash I had hooked up a couple of speaker line taps to go to an amp, when I hooked up the new system it was sounding crappy at first, bu then I took out the old connection and used the RCA outputs from the PLD70BT and it sounds better than it ever has! I use the connecter to connect to a 100x4 amp which drive a pair of 150w Speakers set to Low pass on the amp, and WOW who needs subs?!?!?! this thing kicks some serious BASS! it can sometimes be overwhelming if the loudness is on and a deep preset EQ is selected.

in all if you want a good system with some cool features this one will do! and nicely!

I will post an Update and a video review later in the week after I get time to play with it some more.

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Work great..Had it for a While Some kinks. Runs every cd,dvd ect...It's great when out camping or driving with the bluetooth..

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I got this stereo and installed it in my 1990 Dadge Ram W150. With a few adjusments it fits in there comfortably. The sound quality is perfect and everything works just had a problem conected with bluetooth. Trying to get it resolved so that i can connect with it.

I looked closer at my owners manual and the code for the bluetooth is under the BT information.

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Memorex Dual Alarm Clock Radio for iPhone/iPod

• Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
• Dual alarm lets you wake to iPod, iPhone, FM radio, or buzzer with separate settings for weekday/weekend
• Automatically syncs the day and time from your iPod or iPhone at the press of a button
• Battery alarm backup with two AAA batteries makes sure you wake up even in the event of a power outage
• Alarm volume is increased gradually every 5 seconds until maximum volume is reached

I'd been primarily looking for a speaker/charging dock for my new iPhone. However, when my alarm clock began acting up, I took the opportunity to look for a new one that was iPhone compatible.

I initially purchased an Emerson iC2196 iPod Dock Alarm Clock Radio. It was quickly returned to Big Box Store for refund. Not only was it not actually compatible with the iPhone (my bad), it was a real piece of junk!

After some research, I decided to try this radio. At twice the price, I had high hopes that it would be 'the one'. Well, I couldn't be more pleased. The following things highlight the pros and cons of the unit so far.

Pros:

1. Alarms are easy to set and customize.

2. Alarm can be set to Radio, iPod (iPhone), or Line In.

3. Alarm volume level is adjustable.

4. Comes with a very easy to follow, yet thorough, instruction manual in both English and Spanish.

5. Radio presets are easy to set and use.

6. With five brightness levels, the display won't keep you up at night.

7. Includes Sleep and Nap functions.

8. Snooze button is huge so you don't have to open your eyes to locate it.

9. Despite it's relatively small size, the unit has beautiful sound that you don't generally get out of alarm clocks.

Cons:

1. The included remote is pitifully small and it is not intuitively obvious how to use it.

2. Contrary to another review, the alarm cannot be set to a single day. Options include 7 days, weekdays, or weekends.

3. Unit does not remember what track to play from iPod/iPhone. You must turn on the alarm, power the clock unit off, and set the track on your iPod/iPhone you want to wake to before docking it. This can be a more tedious process late at night than it's worth.

4. Similarly, if you want to go to sleep listening to one playlist, you will have to use that playlist to wake to.

5. You have to power the unit off to set the nap feature. Don't forget to turn it back on!

Bottom line:

I'm impressed. This unit is feature rich without being too complicated to use. And the price is very good for what you get. It gets four stars instead of five because I wish each feature had it's own button instead of a set/preset and sleep/nap button.

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I LOVE the Memorex Dual Alarm Clock Radio!

The sound is amazing, it's really user-friendly, and looks nice and sophisticated.

I must have read over 100 reviews before picking this one. And I'm so happy I did!

Here's what i was looking for:

1) Amazing Sound Sound Sound! I'm really picky about the quality of speakers. I have bose in ear headphones and paid a lot for them actually, so you can imagine how good the speakers must be on these! To tell you the truth, i went to Fries (A cool electronic store) to test out all the ipod dock alarm clocks with my own ipod to see which one had the best speakers, and Memorex was the BEST by far! I immediately came back home and ordered it on Amazon. To tell you the truth, i never thought such a small thing could sound so great! and especially for this great price!

2) A dual alarm. (for those of you who don't know what that is, it's when you can set two different times on the clock to wake you up, which is really efficient for me and my husband).

3) Something that is compatible to a lot of different ipods. I have a 2nd Gen ipod but my husband has an itouch, and Memorex plays just about every type of ipod out there, and also has a port for mp3 players as well! How convenient!

4) I didn't want the light to by shinning in our faces at night. Memorex has a really nice reverse lcd backlight display that looks really cool. (Which is basically a dim light in the background of the display, and the numbers are white, and even though you would think that the dim light is adding more unnecessary light, it actually makes the whole display very dim and almost sets a nice ambiance) It is in no way annoying. And the best part? There are different settings to control how bright you want the display to be. How cool is that!?

5) I badly wanted a remote, and this one has it! A small compact one that is so cute! What I love so much about this product is that not only is this an alarm clock, but also makeshift speakers for your ipod! You can use the remote to turn on not only the system itself, but also your ipod to turn your music on! So you don't have to get up to turn your ipod on to play it through the dock! You can even change songs and control the volume in the comfort of your bed! The remote works from almost everywhere in a fairly large room which is always a plus!

6) I wanted the dock to simultaneously charge my ipod. This is a great feature that believe it or not, not all ipod clocks have. This product beautifully charges my ipod to always full, but stops charging it once it is full. It's always important not to overcharge anything or else the battery will loose it's power. So anytime I take my ipod off the dock to play in my car or to go jogging, I never have to look at the battery indicator, praying that the battery won't die on me. How cool is that!?

Some cool extras in this product is that it will sync the day and time onto it from your ipod. Or you can do it manually, it's up to you. It has equalizer settings that you can change depending on your personal music taste. To turn off the alarm, you just have to push the power button which turns off your ipod, but your alarm isn't turned off for the next day! So you don't have to remember to turn your alarm back on! And you can choose on which days of the week the alarms will wake you up! So no longer do you have to be woken up on Saturday mornings when you can sleep in for a chance!! Too cool! I don't really use the radio, but that is a plus for some people. You can even preset your favorite radio stations!

I would suggest this product to anyone who is looking for a great alarm clock which will wake you up to your favorite songs with awesome sound and pretty cool features that make your life just a little bit easier!

Read Best Reviews of Memorex Dual Alarm Clock Radio for iPhone/iPod Here

I bought this item at Target, and it had all the features I was looking for. The only problem was the display. My spouse and I wear glasses and when we dimmed the display at night, it was impossible to read the time without putting on our glasses. Without glasses, we can both read the time on our old clock radio which has a .6 inch red LED readout. If it had not been for this problem, I would have been happy with this product. It has great sound for a clock radio, was the right size, has 2 alarms and can charge an iPod. I hope Memorex will develop a similar model with a different display.

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So overall, I'm happy with this alarm clock. It's got a lot of great features -the gradually increasing volume alarm, option to have two different alarms, brightness control, remote, size and placement of the snooze button, etc.. All that's worked great. The snooze is in 10 minute increments, which is different from most alarm clocks, but not that big of a deal. So, starting with what would have been a perfect 5 star review, I have to work down to 3 stars because of one very big and two little issues.

Big Issue #1 (minus 1 star): Occasionally the alarm goes off, but doesn't actually make the ipod play. This, as you might imagine, is very bad. The alarm goes off and the ipod wakes up, but stays in pause mode and doesn't play. I've experimented with several different scenarios trying to figure out what combination of events causes this to happen, but haven't figured out why it does it. I have a classic ipod purchased in September 2008, for reference. If I use the remote to get the ipod to get to whatever song I want it to wake on, and then turn off the unit with the remote while the ipod is playing, it seems to avoid the issue. That being said, if I have to catch an early flight, I use the radio setting on the alarm.

Small Issue #1 (minus 1/2 star): Setting the radio preset stations was not what I would call intuitive. I had to pull out the manual for this and it seemed like they should have put one more button on the device to make this easier.

Small Issue #2 (minus 1/2 star): After the alarm's been going off for an hour, the device automatically shuts off. Even if you're in a snooze mode at the time, so when you hit that sixth snooze, it won't be going off again. I only tend to run into this on weekends when I'd set the alarm planning to get up early and exercise or get stuff done around the house and that plan ends up not sounding as good in the morning. So not a big deal, but it would be nice if the alarm had some sort of lock out mode that wouldn't let you snooze it again if it's going to shut off during the snooze.

like many others, it works for a while, then you stop getting sound. I unplugged the machine for a few minutes and the sound came back. Then the alarm, using the ipod music, did not work anymore. I had to return it.

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Phone Charging Dual Alarm Clock Radio

Great little clock radio. The couple of things I purchased this clock for were the USB charging for my phone. It makes it so I have one less power cord to deal with. Also, the auxilary port that it has, so I can listen to the music that is on my phone. The numbers aren't to bright to be bothersome at night, but can still be seen very well during the day.

Not easy for my daughter to use the alarm

The radio reception is not as good as an old one we had

Buy Phone Charging Dual Alarm Clock Radio Now

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Sangean PR-D8 Portable Digital AM/FM Stereo Receiver with SD-MP3 Recorder and MP3/WMA Player (White)

• Time Record AM/FM/Aux-In/SD Programs anytime automatically
• 2 Alarm Timers-Radio and Buzzer
• 5 AM and 5 PM Presets
• Line out for external amplifier
• Recording Code: MP3 format, stereo, 64k/128k/192 kbps

Radio section works really well. You'll need headphones to hear stereo on FM. AM section does a good job of pulling in weak signals, but does not feature RF selectivity filters to control whistles and adjacent channels, just three audio filters (Music, Norm, News) which control tone. On very weak AM signals, the built-in MP3 recorder creates enough RF noise to add noise via the built-in antenna. The Scan button is extraneous, as holding the tune-up or tune-down button scans in that direction. The scan button only scans up in frequency. Radio will not automatically pick up and program the station presets, like good in-dash car radios often do.

Unit takes 'C'-size batteries, and seems to go through them pretty fast. Much, much shorter battery life than the C. Crane CC Radio which uses D cells.

The white finish seems to resist scratches very well, but will show smudges and dirty fingerprints. Key-lock feature blocks button inputs, but the volume control is NOT locked it's a real potentiometer, not a digital volume control (pros and cons to this).

MP3 controls are horrible really needs a firmware update to de-bounce the fastforward and reverse functions on the rocker. Will only go one speed in FF, when it would be nice to have it speed up after 5-10 seconds depressed. Navigation of folders and MP3 files is really crude. Records in 1-hour per file. You can't use the Fast Reverse to access the end of a file, and if you're patient enough to hold the FF to get there, any hesitation on the button will bump to the next file.

Buy Sangean PR-D8 Portable Digital AM/FM Stereo Receiver with SD-MP3 Recorder and MP3/WMA Player (White) Now

I ordered the Sangean PR-D8 months ago before it was actually even released, and after shipping delays, my order being canceled due to uncertain shipping date,etc., I re-ordered. I am glad I did! I love this radio (and I hate to call it that because it is SO much more!). The reception is fantastic on this (and I do not even put the antenna up!), the speakers are awesome and sound like a very large boom box is in the room, rather than this tiny radio. It is just unbelievable! There are 3 sound settings (news, music, and something in between which is what I usually use, as the music setting seems too boomy and the news seems to sound better for talk). Anyway, I just love the SD card player! I have looked for something like this forever!!! I put about 20 CDs on my 4GB SD card, popped it in, and it played them all w/out any problems at all. There is a search button that shows you all the folders on the SD card, so you can choose which CD you want to play. I have this stereo in our large bathroom, and it fills the room with music while I shower. I was considering the Sangean shower radio before purchasing this, but I really wanted the SD card feature, which that model did not have. I mostly use this on AC, but have tried it on batteries for an entire day and it did not really use them much at all (there is a battery indicator on it). Only 3 things I could wish for with this: 1) that when running on AC, the light should stay on (rather than go off after a set period of time) so I can see the clock from across the room, 2) I wish it had some way to hang it on the wall (ie. bracket or holes on back), and 3) the AC plug comes that out of the side should be an "L" shaped plug so it is more invisible when you are trying to hide the cord... it just sticks out way too far from the left side of the radio. Overall, I am very happy with the Sangean PR-D8, and I am so glad I waited for this model! You will not be sorry if you order one! In fact, I want a couple more for other rooms now!! (I just wish the price were lower though)

Read Best Reviews of Sangean PR-D8 Portable Digital AM/FM Stereo Receiver with SD-MP3 Recorder and MP3/WMA Player (White) Here

We use this in our newly remodeled master bathroom. FM reception is great. We have always had issues with getting good FM reception where we live and that is why I purchased this brand. The SD card option for mp3 is also perfect. I put in a Class 6 8Gig SD card and navigation around the sd card is nice and fast. The ONLY thing that this radio is missing is a handle. I knew that going into it. Everything else on my list was either satisfied or exceeded with this radio.

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I have been looking for something that does what the Sangean PR-D8 for a long time. I'm a big fan of NPR and I also listen to a lot of spoken word presentations like audiobooks, podcasts, and the such. I have my what my wife calls a fetish for radios and have over a half dozen radios of all shapes and sizes. When I do work around the house or relaxing in our hot tub, I'd like to be able to listen to a podcast or maybe baseball or football game. And listening off my MP3 player with earbuds is either impractical or a bit of a pain after several hours.

For years, I've wanted something to playback audiobooks or podcasts with an external speaker. I had been using MP3 playback CD boombox but had going through three of those over the past 5 years. I also had purchased an small MP3 player with an external speaker, but that little speaker just didn't have enough power to be heard more than three feet away.

There was just nothing on the market that did what I wanted -that is until Sangean offered up the PR-D8. This is nearly everything I wanted and more. I now have a radio that plays back MP3 files with a robust speaker. Plus I also get a device that allows me to record over-the-air radio programs and has an Aux-in jack for recording. Woo-woo.

The speaker is mono-only, but that doesn't bother me since I primarily use it for play back spoken word presentations. The sound the speaker's put out is a real joy when I think back to having to wear earbuds in the past.

I also like folder style organization of files. The files are on the SD card just like a folder on your computer. And there's no need for music management program that forces you to do things only the way it will allow.

I have recorded a couple programs off the air and it worked quite well. I will be using it to transfer over a large cassette collection very soon.

I do agree with people who think that is sort of bulky. I didn't read the dimensions and was sort of surprised by its size. I was expecting something about the size of a portable transistor radio, but it certainly is not pocket-sized by any means. My biggest concern about size was that I was hoping to take it when travel and I'm not so sure that this will work.

My biggest problem with this unit is the fast-forward feature or really the lack of a practical one. Although, the controls look much like an early iPod controls, the rewind on MP3 back just doesn't work at all and fast-foward feature is almost impossible to use. I've twice been into a one hour program when I wanted to go back and listen to a segment. When I attempted this, the rewind took me back to the beginning of the segment. Then when I tried to fast forward, the player would jump forward to the next file 4 or of 5 times and when I did get the fast-foward to work it only creeps along at around twice the normal speed. One slip of your finger while fast-fowarding will also make you skip to the next file. Plus it has no bookmarking feature.

So, listening to long audio segments isn't always the most practical thing do on this device. Despite this critical failure, I'm still happy with this device as it is a long sought after device.

It also has a great sleep feature which I use every night. I'm sure I will learn more trick soon as I have only had the unit for about a month.

PROS

MP3 play back with a decent sounding external speaker

Good AM & FM radio reception

tons of recording options with line in and over-the-air recording

External inputs

Uses SD cards which are plentiful and cheap

takes rechargeable batteries

lighted control panel (great for night work)

CONS

It's a bit bulky

Fast forward on MP3 play back is frustrating and almost impossible.

No bookmarking of files

BTW: When researching this device before purchasing it, I actually called Sangean because their website said that they would be introducing the PR-D9 soon and I wanted to know if they were fixing some of the flaws with the D-8. I spoke with a representative of Sangean and he said they were not going to include MP3 playback with the D9. So, instead of waiting for something new to appear on the market, I went with the D-8. I just hope it gives me many years of service.

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As a highly anticipated gift for Christmas, I received this radio/recorder for the specific purpose of recording Coast2CoastAM in the off hours for later enjoyment. It is a very good AM/FM receiver and has an equally good MP3 recorder built-in. It has all the necessary features to start and end recordings at will. One issue I have with the playback of MP3 files is the FF>> button is hard to keep from actually stopping and thus resetting the counter back to zero very annoying. Also, the 3-way tone switch is not tailored to the sound frequencies I'm accustomed to. Finally, the price is high for a unit without an SD card and rechargeable batteries. Bank on spending another $50-$60 for those items. Although this is a niche device, I absolutely recommend it for the purpose I'm using it for and wouldn't be without it by my side. Throw in the batteries and SD card, then it would be a perfect 5!

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

• 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs with 1.54 Inch TFT LCD display
• 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

But it's not a Nano. Once you get that, the rest is easy. It's also a bit of a mixed bag.

**Update** (09/12) All-new 7th Generation Nano with much larger 2.5" screen, Bluetooth, and video playback announced by Apple. =]

Clip is gone though, and @$149, it ain't cheap. =\ **

**Update** (10/11) Version 1.2 Software Update released that

includes option for Large icons (but not large fonts)

allows Fitness/Nike+ app to work without an add-on device

includes more Clock faces & Wallpapers

Price also drops $20 (8 GB), or $30 (16GB). **

**Update** (02/11) Version 1.1 Software Update released that

1) Finally allows users to turn the Nano COMPLETELY OFF by holding down the Wake/Sleep button. No more 'it only goes to sleep'.

2) Sets the Wake/Sleep button as a 'Next Song' button, double-click to advance through your songs or radio presets.

This change also improves battery lifefrom AWFUL, to merely poor (5-6 hrs) as you're now less dependent on the power-gobbling touchscreen to advance songs.

Due to these improvements, am upping my review rating to 3 stars (battery life & pricing remain issues).

End Updates. **

Many ppl are confused about the radical re-invention of the Nano, not realizing that the Nano is, essentially, dead. The Nano's mission was to be a compact player that still did some higher-end stuff such as video and picture-taking-a nice portable 'media' player. No more.

The new Nano, aka Super Shuffle, is focused on a different task entirely, and much the same one as the regular Shufflethe gym. To that end, Apple radically reduced the size and gave it an integrated clip on back a la the regular Shuffle. It is now 'wearable', and is the 'Shuffle with a screen' that some have wanted for a long time.

The downside is that others loved the 'true' Nano, and now they can't have one unless they go running for the old 5th gen models before they're gone. Some will wonder why this was an 'either/or' thing for Apple, i.e. couldn't the Super Shuffle and 'true Nano' have existed side-by-side?

Still others might say the Super Shuffle is inadequate even for the gym. "I don't want to look at a SCREEN to switch songs or change the volume!", they'll say.

But to be fair, you don't have to look at the screen much, because

The Super Shuffle has physical volume buttons. They're small, but still easy to use. And with the 1.1 SW Update, you can double-click the Wake/Sleep button to advance songs/stations, a MUCH-needed improvement.

It has the 'Shake To Shuffle' featureliterally shake it to advance songs. However, STS is clunky to usesee notes @end of review.

It supports VoiceOver. But to use all VO features requires the Apple Earphones With Remote & Mic, which aren't included (Apple either wants another $30, or still hasn't solved the sweat/moisture issues those 'phones have had in the past).

So, some caveats aside, the Nano/SS now works fine in its role as a 'gym' Shuffle with a screen.

Features-wise, it does photo-viewing (but not taking), audiobooks, podcasts (minus any video), voice memos (w/the optional 'phones w/Remote & Mic), is a pedometer, and does FM radio besides. And stations do sound amazingly clear in any halfway decent reception area. Even low-power college stations usually come in cleana BIG plus, since they often have more innovative music programming than commercial FM.

The Nano also keeps the 30-pin dock connector, so you retain access to the universe of iPod accessories (for some examples, see 'iPod Nano 6G Docking Options' on YouTube). This is all well and good.

So MY BEEF with the Super Shuffle (aside from battery life) isn't that it killed the 'true' Nano (enough demand = they'll bring it back), but rather the level of 'milking it' Apple's gone with here. While I own/use one, it just isn't worth the additional $$$ over a regular Shuffle.

They do much the same thing, after allthe features it adds to the Shuffle are fairly minor (for example, ever try to get consistent FM reception inside a large concrete building, aka your typical gym? Best be at the window).

Sure, you get the touchscreen, which is sharp/clear, fun to use, and almost eerily resistant to smudges/fingerprints (nice). But the screen's also REALLY small going larger would make it less 'wearable' which compromises text readability and ease-of-use ('fat fingers' syndrome). And it scarfs WAY too much battery (see notes @end of review).

You do get 6GB more storage than the Shuffle (though that cost Apple $8 to put in there). But a 'gym' Shuffle doesn't really need to hold 2,000 songs (4000 if you opt for the 16GB), nor does the tiny screen lend itself well to navving through all that. The capacity and price points are Nano legacies, but as we know, this ain't a Nano.

All in all, the advantages don't add up to the price charged/value provided. You can buy 2-3 Shuffles for the same money.

A 4GB model for $99 would've made sense, as that's about what a 'Super Shuffle' is really worth. Sure, a Shuffle with a screen is COOLjust not cool enough to justify the $140 (as I found out).

I do want to dig ya Super Shuffle, but the pricing/value-for-money is your Kryptonite. =[

Also, as mentioned, battery life is poor (see below) and there's some minor bugs/interface issues (also see below). Oh, and durability? So-so. I finally dropped it after 22 months, from less than 3 feet, onto asphalt. Result: Marfed-up screen corner, and a hairline crack running the length of the screen on the left side. Disappointing, but at least it didn't die.

To be fair, with the 1.1 SW Update finally making song-advancement easy, and the price drop, Apple HAS been improving matters. But some things won't change 'til the hardware doesnamely, it desperately needs more battery. With that and a $99 price point, the Super Shuffle would be an out-of-the-ballpark home run.

But Apple wanted it supermodel-thin, and the profit margins fat. The result is something pretty, expensive, and high-maintenance.

_________________

Note #1 (Colors): The casing colors are more muted than they appear in pics. Example: the blue Nano is a very pale, smoky blue in person. The exception is the Product Red model (only in Apple Stores), it's a VERY vivid red in real life. But the other, more subtle colors aren't bad, and do look 'more grown up'.

Note #2 (Battery Life): This is VERY dependent on how much you use the touchscreen. Playing around with it lotswhich is exactly what you'll do when you first get onejust KILLS the batt juice. No way around it: the T-screen, while fun, is a HUGE. BATTERY. HOG.

And the screen sleep behavior makes it worse, by keeping the screen lit way too long after a touch. This isn't changeable in Settings either.

Thus I HIGHLY RECOMMEND putting the screen to sleep MANUALLY via the Wake/Sleep button EVERY time you're done touchscreeningdon't let the screen turn itself off, it's VERY SLOW to do so. Your battery will thank you.

Oh, and Apple's claimed 'UP TO 24 hours of battery life' seems to assume no screen usage. NOT realistic, since you do have to use the screen at times. Be especially careful with the touchscreen radio tunertaking too much time looking for that 'perfect' station = pure battery kryptonite. (Tip: Set up your radio presets, and turn off Live Pause toosome report battery issues w/it).

Even being careful, you'll avg only 5-6 hrs of battery life, real-world. Be aware the Battery Life icon is VERY schizo1st use after a charge can read as taking NO battery, while a similar later use can read as taking HALF the battery. You'll be recharging lots regardless. Reducing Screen Brightness may help a bit.

Note #3 (Bugs, Interface issues): aka 'Things I hope Apple fixes in future Software Updates'.

Some touchscreen controls need to be upsized. My hands are medium, yet I still hit the wrong controls often with my now suddenly 'fat' fingers.

In low-but-usable radio signal areas, you'll often get erroneous 'No Radio SignalPlease plug in headphones' messages. I get 'em WITH my 'phones plugged in, on stations that are coming in a bit quietly but otherwise fine.

When using the Wake/Sleep button to song advance, volume will at times jump to MUCH louder for a moment (may be a weird interaction with Volume Limit, which I use).

If you set text to 'White on Black' in Accessibility (which improves contrast/readability/looks cool), all icons & wallpapers get turned into weird photo negatives of themselves. Whaa? This should affect text & solid-color backgrounds only, not images.

The Battery Life Icon and Time should be visible on ALL screens (such as 'Now Playing'). Navving back to the Home Screen just to see these is annoying.

'Shake To Shuffle' needs help. Technique-wise it's too iffy, and since STS only works with the screen ON (Apple fears accidental triggerings), it's inconvenient to use, as you have to hit the button, THEN shake.

Kudos to Apple on the 1.1 & 1.2 SW Updates. But they still need a 1.3, with a focus on power-saving.

Note #4 (Protect Your Hearing): Volume Limit in Settings is your friend. Best procedure: Set your max volume w/it while in a QUIET room. At the gym, loud equipment can easily make you 'crank it up' to the point of causing permanent hearing damage, given enough exposure time.

Volume Limit is a hearing saver. Use it.

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

With the announcement of the new Apple TV, and now the release of the drastically revised iPod Nano, it would appear that Apple is in the process of re-evaluating its product line and re-tooling the entries to match what it perceives to be the needs of the consumer.

With the Apple TV, they have correctly, I believe, simplified the complexity of the original offering, removed any notion of storage, which tended to confuse the average user, and prepared it for an app driven iOS future. They claimed these changes resulted from a close look at the usage of the current Apple TV, and that they made the changes they felt were needed to more closely match what was desired.

The Nano, I believe, follows the same path.

I have an iPhone and and the new Nano. I also have the previous generation Nano. I tend to agree with Apple: I never the older Nano once to watch a video. I never used the contacts, the calendar, nor did I play a game on the Nano. I bought it for jogging, I only used it for jogging.

All those things removed from the new Nano I currently do on my iPhone. These removed features were worthless to me and will not be missed.

But the Nano did do exactly what I wanted it to do: become smaller, and be easier to use. Though I am getting used to a virtual pause button vs. a physical button on the older model, I find the new Nano to sound a little better and is less intrusive during running.

Apple has apparently moved away from the "same feature set, different design" view and has moved to "what's best for the intended useage?" model. They now have a mature line of music players, each with a clear and intended purpose.

The Classic is for those who wish to carry their entire music collection with them.

The Touch is the top of the line universal player and application machine. Not intended for exercise, but rather for those who don't have an iPhone but want its best features.

The iPhone, a Touch with a phone built in. Same positioning as the Touch, but replaces your phone if you are in the market for a phone.

The Shuffle: the low cost entry point into the Apple ecosystem. Probably the only way Apple could offer any product under $100. With its small storage, and lack of screen, it appears to be essentially a gateway device for some to enter the Apple world.

And finally the Nano. Not the universal player anymore. Not the smaller iPod Classic, like its predecessors were. The Nano seems to be targeted to the highly mobile exercise crowd. The Nano is really only good for playing music, which, along with the Shuffle, make it the only "pure" iPod left. If you want a music player, and you want more than 2GB or storage, but you don't need apps or video or games because all you want to do is listen to music, than the Nano seems ideal. It fails when we try to make it something is clearly not intended to be. And for those who grieve at the loss of the features, I am sure Apple's answer is that "you really want a Touch." They're right, too. The days of the Nano needing to be a stripped down Touch or Classic vanished the day the Touch was released.

So, though not perfect, I think the design and intended use of the Nano fits in nicely into the Apple music player offerings.

Read Best Reviews of Apple iPod nano 8 GB Graphite (6th Generation) OLD MODEL Here

Bought this for the Nike + feature...liked the idea of a music player built into a system to track my runs. The Nike + part of this unit worked great, easy to understand and easy to use....in fact I like it so much I am going back to my old mp3 player (creative product) and getting the nike sportsband so I can keep using the Nike + features. However I have sent back two different ipod nano units due to serious problems with the music component of this device.

1) This unit does not have a way to completely shut it off...only a sleep wake button. If you do not make absolutely sure that all music is stopped, the radio is off, this thing drains battery life very quickly because you cannot fully shut the unit off.

2) The headphone jack is not very secure...using the ipod's headphones and another set of headphones from a different mp3 player the cord came out easily, when the cord was jostled sound would cut in and out making listening to the music annoying. Also becuase the radio antenna is the headphones it was constantly losing radio reception or unable to locate stations.

3) Volume control seems like it would be easy with buttons on the side..however on the units I tried the volume would lock itself to either no sound at all or set so loud I could only keep one port in one ear. I like to be able to adjust volume as I am running or working out based on the song, the environment, etc...not very happy with how difficult it was to deal with the volume.

4) When I could get radio reception and made sure not to jostle the cord (sitting down outside) the unti shut itself off after 60 seconds unless I kept hitting icons on the unit. It didn't do this when I was playing from my songlists...just in the radio mode.

5) When you want to shuffle a song while running...you have to wake the unit up then either figure out where on the screen to tap (without getting your sweaty fingers all over the unit and without tripping as you look at the screen) or shake until hopefully the device realizes you are trying to change songs (I was not very impressed with the shake to shuffle feature).

6)This device does not come with a manual...you have to go to the apple page to get the manual and download it. Customer service was useless. THank goodness for Amazon's amazing return procedures!

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Nice for music, but that's about it. I bought this to listen to Audible.com books, and it does not keep your bookmarked page beyond a day or two. I have to keep a pencil and paper with me to write down where I stopped reading and manually fast foward through chapters and pages to find approx. where I left off. This is a big discussion on the Apple Nano forum, and various fixes have been tried. Including at iTunes. Nothing works so far. I like the size and clip because I listen to books and music while I work. However, I going back to my Sansa Fuze for listening to books. Sure wish this new Nano had worked out. It's a clever little concept!

I could not be more disappointed in this Nano 6th generation model. I have the Nano 5th generation and the only thing missing was a clip. That is what lured me into ordering this 6th generation, the clip. Now that I have it, I am sorry I bought it. All the good Nano features are gone. The size is too small. The tiny touch screen does not work well for me at all. I don't know why they couldn't keep the familiar Nano style and features and add a clip. There is also no lock like the former Nano models. I would not recommend this 6th generation to anyone. I don't know how they even have the nerve to call this a Nano. Buy a 5th generation and you won't go wrong.

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Nokia C1-01 Unlocked GSM Phone--US Version with Warranty (Dark Grey)

I picked this guy up after my beloved Samsung T-509 (it won't let me product link it) started to die after five years of trusty service. My last few phones had been Samsungs, but I didn't find one that was cheap enough for what I wanted.

I just needed a simple phone I could use for my T-Mobile service. I don't web browse on my phone. I don't really use my phone that much to begin with actually, so while I had a normally billed plan, I was planning on switching to prepaid as I discovered it was $10/mo cheaper, and didn't lock me into a contract. My first ever cell phone(s) were Nokias, so I figured I'd go back to my roots and pick this one up.

Long story short, it does exactly what I hoped it'd do. All I needed it for is calling and occasional texting. While I don't find the texting to be quite as intuitive as it was on my previous Samsung phones, in all fairness I have to concede that that might be due to the fact that I'd had Samsung phones for several years, and my first forays into texting were on them they were all I ever knew.

The only gripe I have with this phone, besides the aforementioned texting learning curve, is that there's just a tiny bit of lag time for it to execute a command. It's not terrible, but it is noticeable. Oh, and the camera isn't much. I daresay my old T-509 had a better camera, and it was five years old! But then again, I wanted a basic phone, that is what I paid for, and that his what I got.

What I like about the phone:

Battery life I'm not sure if the claimed 10.6 hrs of talk time is accurate, but it is a solid battery

MicroSD I can put pictures and music and whatnot on there, and use them as my background, or ring tones (free, simple, and unlimited possibilities), or play them through headphones (standard head phone jack!)

Radio A feature I'll probably never use, but is kinda cool. You HAVE to have the headphones plugged in for the radio to work as they are the antenna, but reception was surprisingly solid when I was testing it. However, you can't play songs from the radio on speakerphone for all to enjoy the way you can with songs off the MicroSD card.

Small Fits in my jacket pockets well, the keys autolock to avoid too many pocket dials.

I had no trouble getting it to work with my T-Mobile service. I just popped in my SIM card and it worked. I did have to call T-Mobile tech support to have them help me with SMS messages, which weren't going through or coming in. They had to send me some text that wrote some settings to the phone's memory, but it was quick and painless. It also survived the conversion to prepay and is working just fine on that plan now. For $50 I'm fairly satisfied.

Great little basic Cellular Phone. Allows one to do embarassing things, like talking to another person. Sound quality is good, Loudspeaker on-board and a simple camera too. Dialing digits are big and there are many features available. If you prefer a Dumb Phone instead of a Smart Phone...........this is the one for you. =:)

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This phone is your basic phone for your basic needs. my only problem is it doesn't recognize that i have a data plan from t-mobile so i cant use the browser. all in all the phones is awesome for the money.

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This is a great little phone if you like the candy bar format (as I do). While it's great to have a camera, radio, mp3 player, qwerty keyboard nearby, to me the most important feature of phone is how is functions as a phone. This one is perfect for making and taking phone calls on. As silly as that may sound, I cannot say enough how much I abhor trying to hold an I-phone up to my ear for any length of time. It just doesn't feel right. This one has a great feel to it. Very sleek and discreet. Big clean display relative to overall size. Nice audio quality and still slips into your shirt pocket without you even knowing it's there. ATT has informed that I will have to get a different phone as they will be shutting down their 2G network in May. Hopefully this one still works.

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I was looking for a phone to replace my Nokia 3100 which has been a diehard. After reading the first and only review i took a chance and could not be happier. What made it even better was my wife's excitement about the phone. She is not very exciteable. So it was a real plus when she told me that she really like the phone. I was just looking for a good basic reliable phone, and got many more features than expected. I knew that it had a music player, but the 5 mp camera was icing on the cake. If you're willing to spend more, I'm sure there are better phones. But thus far me and my wife are very satisfied!

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Altec Lansing iMT702 inMotion Max Speaker System for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Supports most iPhone and iPod models with Universal Dock Connector
• Precision-matched speakers and XdB bass enhancement deliver crisp, full-spectrum sound
• Included remote controls speaker system functions, FM radio, and playlist and song navigation
• Auxiliary input for connecting external audio devices
• FM radio with four user presets

I've read a lot of reviews online for this product, and the biggest hangup seems to be with the ipod related features, overall looks, button sensitivity and so on. Very few actually focus on the sound quality, which for me is by far the most important factor in choosing a sound system. I've owned the IM600 and Logitec Pure-fi Anywhere speakers, and this system is light years ahead of those, and any other similiarly priced portable ipod speakers in overall sound quality. This system in on par with the Bose SoundDock II portable system and is quite a bit cheaper. The only drawback to the sound is that it isn't going to blow you out of the water with incredibly deep bass. That being said, I don't think there is a portable system out there yet capable of producing significant bass due to their smaller size. Bottomline, if sound is your driving factor in choosing a rechargeable ipod speaker system and you don't want to pay $350 for the Bose SoundDock portable, the InMotion Max should be your #1 choice.

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I am disappointed in this product, which is unexpected because I love the IM600 that preceded it. I decided to give this one a try because it looked like it would have better sound with the 4 speakers, and I wanted something that I could use with my iPhone (the IM600 only works with iPods).

Maybe I was spoiled by the IM600, but I was disappointed with the inMotion Max IMT702 from the beginning. I still would have kept it, but the unit turned out to be defective (explained below).

I will try to give information to help readers decide whether to buy this based on features. The first thing that I didn't like is that rather than have physical buttons to press, there are touch sensitive areas on the top. I prefer, as on the previous model, to have physical buttons for the tactile feedback they offer.

I have the unit on a table next to where I sit. Because I am on the same level, I can't see the top of the radio, so it is awkward to use the buttons.

The cradle area where the iPod / iPhone goes initially didn't want to pop out for me but after some use it does so, but not "convincingly". Rather than a nice click, it has a mushy feeling, it comes out just a bit, and then I pull it out the rest of the way.

The sound at low volume is not as good IMO as the IM600. However, this unit can go louder without distortion, so for me it was a wash. There is not much bass, so I use the equalizer of my iPod / iPhone to obtain more bass. It would be nice if the unit were designed for more bass -I know this is possible because I have other kinds of audio devices that are smaller and put out more bass.

Even when I first got the unit there were very infrequent "glitches" or pauses in the music. It concerned me, but they were so infrequent that I didn't worry too much about it.

Tonight though, the unit has been having major problems. While playing, it all of a sudden cut out. I turned it back on, and it worked for a very short period, then it started making popping noises (on low volume) about every second. I turned it off and on several times to try to fix it, and I made sure that there was a long interval between some of the times. Then two other problems happened. One, occasionally the unit would say "Reset?" in the display, and all of the lights flickered. I didn't know how to reset it (there doesnt appear to be a reset button) so I tried the buttons on the top and it seemed to reset, and then the messages "Region 1... Region 2 ... 4" came up.

Then, the volume would increase by itself. I had it low, around 15, and it would go up to 40, and make the popping noises.

I treated the unit very well, it never fell or anything. Right now it is unusable. Even with the design IMO not as good as the IM600, and sound quality not as good as I think it should be, I was willing to keep it. Now I will need to return it to Amazon for a refund.

Oh, one last thing. The FM antenna on the IM600 pulled out and it was a metal telescoping antenna. The FM antenna on this unit is a wire that is loose that needs to be attached when the antenna is used (or kept on, but if you use it portably, you would want to detach when carrying around).

I rarely give 1 star to an item, I wanted this to be a great item, but regrettably this unit gets one star.

Update:

About a week ago I contacted the company's support line and received a voice prompt to leave a message. I offered to send my defective unit to them with a detailed description of the problems to aid in their diagnosis of the problem and product development. I did not get a response. A proactive company, in my opinion, should use such opportunities, especially when my defective unit does not appear to be an isolated case based on other reviews here and elsewhere on the Internet.

Update:

Amazon processed the return and refunded the entire amount of my purchase. Because the unit was defective, I was able to print out a mailing label for the return and I didn't have to pay for return shipping. This is one of the reasons I feel comfortable buying from Amazon.

Read Best Reviews of Altec Lansing iMT702 inMotion Max Speaker System for iPod and iPhone (Black) Here

I bought the iM600 over a year ago and was looking for a replacement. The inMotion Max is a GREAT update of the iM600. The iM600(original version) does not charge my new ipod nano, the new Max does. The sound quality of the iM600 is a little crisper at low volume than the Max BUT once you play a song with a little bass and want to turn the volume up, the iM600 sounds cheap compared to the Max. The Max also displays your music selection on its screen, something the iM600 did not do. The control buttons on the Max have also been updated (they are touch control), the iM600 has regular button controls. However, the iM600 does have something the Max does not have, you can update your ipod without removing it from the dock....the Max does not have that feature.

The main reason I wanted to replace my iM600 is because of the sound quality when I would turn the volume up(and it would not charge my new nano). Altec Lansing improved the sound quality in their newest version(Max) and I am glad I chose this product to replace my older version. Also, I liked the fact that it is rechargeable, one of the very few on the market.

UPDATE!!!.........I've had the Max for about a week now and having both the iM600 and Max playing side by side, the iM600 sounds better at low to normal volume(the sound is crisper and richer). But the iM600's speakers start to rattle and sound constricted when you turn the volume up. The Max has a fuller sound and does not rattle when you turn it up. I am still satisfied with the purchase. I now hear that they are updating the iM600 to be able to charge the new ipod nano, even if I knew that before I bought the Max, I would still have bought the Max because the inability to listen to my podcasts or music beyond a certain volume became annoying. (By the way, I'm beginning to notice that the Max keeps turning "off" my equalizer. I set my EQ to 'treble booster' on my Touch and Nano and I always have to keep resetting it. That does not happen with the iM600.)

FINAL UPDATE!!! this product stopped working. It cuts off and starts FLASHING, playing no sound. Plugged in or not, it WONT work.

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I just got the iMT702, and it's exactly what I was looking for. The speakers sound great. The unit looks incredible sitting on the buffet in my dining room. The unit comes with a universal-style iPod dock, with five different adapters for the various iPods and iPhones. The unit is shielded, so that you don't have to turn off your iPhone when it's in the dock. The FM radio also sounds great. The remote has four presets for the radio!

Most of the available docking stations look like they belong in a teenager's bedroom. Or you can overspend ($300+) for a Bose. This unit has both good looks and good sound, and it's on sale at Best Buy.

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This product was defective twice bought it for a Christmas gift. Shortly after setting it up, the sound started cutting in and out, the controls wouldn't respond to touch (could not turn it off until we unplugged it), radio station presets would get lost, etc... We thought we had just gotten a defective system, so we returned it only to have the same issues quickly show up on the 2nd unit.

This is too bad the system looks and sounds great with just the features we were looking for.

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Kaito Emergency Radio with LED Flashlight, KA011

• AM/FM/SW radio with wide frequency coverage and digital tuning
• Four power sources: Solar, dynamo, battery, AC adaptor
• Built-in automatic battery charger, Super bright Super bright LED flashlight & alarm clock
• Built-in efficient DYNAMO CRANKING SYSTEM can also charge the internal NiMH battery pack
• 30 days money back guarantee and 1 year limited warranty

This radio is about what I expected and wanted. It is by no means a fancy unit. The case seems relatively cheap and fragile. However, it does what I want and I am satisfied. The white LED is not, of course, as bright as a 'real' flashlight, but it works for me. The tuning is analog and so-so, but again works OK. I don't understand the power selection switch: Batt, Dyn, Solar. Seems like the radio should be smart enough to handle the power source automatically. Maybe a switch to disable the batts from being used unless you really want to would be logical. Overall, I like it.

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I purchased this little radio two years ago for use during hurricane season. I actually use it a lot more, almost every week.

The Kaito should never fail you for lack of power. It can run on batteries, with an AC adapter, by using the hand crank and by solar cells. As long as there is some sunlight, the solar cells charge the batteries for hours of use. I leave the radio in a south facing window letting the solar cells charge it up during the day, so it is always ready.

During Hurricane Ike, the little Kaito did exactly what it was supposed to do. It provided news and information until power was restored days later.

Now, sound quality is ok, but do not expect high fidelity audio. This is an inexpensive emergency radio. The tuner is difficult to use. Even with the digital readout, the tuning knob doesn't allow much fine tuning since the actual tuner is analog. The unit lacks automatic frequency control so FM station tuning drifts over time. I haven't used the shortwave much. Again, tuning is tricky. It is much like the early transistor radios I grew up with in that respect. However, even with those limitations, it does work reliably and is able to pull in stations from out of area.

A small LED flashlight built into the side of the unit can provide emergency lighting even when the batteries run down. Just give the crank a few whirls.

So, yes it works as advertised with and without batteries or plug-in power.

Update August 22, 2012

The Kaito is the little radio that could! Originally I had considered it disposable, because I didn't expect it to last this long. This is hurricane season #5. It's still providing reliable portable radio whenever needed. Everything still works as if new. I am impressed.

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I've only had this radio for a couple weeks so far. Using alkaline batteries as well as just using the internal batteries, charged from the included AC adapter, I've been pretty impressed with the reception I get listening to this radio inside my home. Operation on AM and FM bands is pretty easy, with shortwave listening requiring a delicate touch to really fine tune a station using the one knob. I was able to listen to a number of foreign broadcasts using the included wire antenna. The hand crank dynamo in this radio feels pretty sturdy, but I think it would take quite a while to really charge the radio using just that. I used the crank for about 2 minutes when I first took this radio out of the packaging and I only got a couple minutes of radio at low volume from that. The instructions even say that using the crank to charge fully depleted internal batteries will take a significant amount of time. It will work though. The one thing I haven't really experimented with has been the solar panel. If I get the opportunity to give the panel a decent test I'll update this review.

I only give this 4 out of 5 stars because even at this price point it would have been nice to have some better feeling switches and knobs on this radio. I recommend this radio if you're a casual listener, want a radio that doesn't break the bank, offers the ability to be used even though you're out of batteries and is simple to operate.

You shouldn't consider this radio if you're serious about DX'ing. You also shouldn't consider this radio if you want to use it as an alarm clock, as the clock resets when you change power sources, and there's no buzzer setting, which means you have to leave the radio volume at a high enough to wake you. In my case that would preclude any bedtime listening to get me to sleep.

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With all of the storms, this has been a life-saver. VERY clear signal. And it's nice and small. I keep it in a readily available spot, and I'm ready for the next power failure.

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I researched solar powered AM/FM/SW radios until I was blue in the face and eventually decided on this one.Unfortunately,it wouldn't charge correctly by A/C power right out of the box.When I eventually did get the radio charged,I was greeted with horrible FM and SW reception.AM reception was actually quite good and I believe the LED flashlight could run for days if needed.I returned the KA011 and purchased an Eton FR-160 which is AM/FM/Weather and highly rated here at Amazon and elsewhere.My search for a usable,affordable solar powered shortwave radio goes on. :-(

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Aquabourne FM Bath / Shower Radio, can be used as an MP3 speaker. Built in stand can also reversed f

This is the best shower radio I've ever used.

Important facts not included on Amazon details:

Measures roughly 5"x4"x1.5". It is smaller than it looks in the picture

Uses 2x AA batteries for radio. Does not come with these batteries.

Uses 2x 76+ GA button batteries to run the clock/temperature display. These batteries were included in shipment, but appear to be DOA.

Pros:

-Clear, verbose sound. Not tinny like most shower radios I've used in the past

-Long battery life. Bought this in June, used it every morning for ~20 minutes, and I'm still on the same pair of AA rechargeable batteries. My old clock radio went through three AAAs every month.

-Has an Aux 3.5 MM port, so you can plug in an MP3 player, laptop or anything else, in addition to listening to FM.

-Small form factor. Very light. Measures roughly 5"x4"x1.5". The picture makes it look bigger than it actually is

-Hanging hook can be reversed into a stand.

Cons:

-Not mountable to the wall by itself. This can also be sort of an asset as you can quickly take it with you to the closet (if that NPR story is just too riveting). I hang it from one of those 3M adhesive hooks in my shower. It works great.

-Clock batteries were dead on arrival. I have never used the clock/temperature functions on this, so I can't appraise that part. I only care about the radio so I was not much bothered by the dead batteries.

-Aux port is located on the back. I would prefer it be on the side since I hang it against the wall in the shower. It's not a big deal but it causes the clock radio to hang askew when I'm using the 3.5MM cable. It sits fine when I'm not using the cable.

That's about it. If you're looking for an FM radio for your shower and you want it to be small, clear, loud, cheap, hook to MP3 player and get good battery life, then this seems to me to be the best option out there.

This radio has worked perfectly for us. It's been hanging in our shower for about a year. The batteries last longer than expected. The radio picks up stations as well as our stereo and the aux line allows us to listen to podcasts and internet radio. It doesn't take up much room and you can still work the knobs with wet, soapy hands.

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Opened the Amazon box and was shocked to see how small and cheap this product appeared. Looked like something you would pick up on a dollar isle. Also, the bottom is rounded so you have to hang it on something or lay it down. Can't believe this received a favorable review and can't believe I payed too much. :(

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Bought this for the shower to put on my shower rack. With in a couple of months, it lost volume and I couldn't hear it anymore.

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The clock, calendar and thermometer worked fine but the radio did not work at all. The connection to a MP3 player did not work either.

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