Emerson CKS2235B Jumbo Display Dual-Alarm Clock Radio with SmartSet Technology (Black)

• Emerson's exclusive SmartSet technology automatically sets the correct time
• Automatic daylight savings time and leap year adjustments
• Large, easy-to-read 1.4-inch red LED time display
• Touchless snooze control
• Extra long-life battery back-up system with included 3v lithium battery

I've had it for a few months now. Does everything right. Big red numbers that don't light up the whole bedroom. I was concerned about the new DST which started March 2007, but to my surprise it can easily be changed to the new settings.

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This is a great radio! Does everything I want it to. Lots of buttons and switches but the instruction manual explains them all quite well. It's fascinating how the clock sets itself when you plug it in. The clock even handles the new Daylight Savings Time date. I would definately buy another one.

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This is a great little radio in many ways. It sets itself automatically when you plug it in & when Daylight Savings Time starts and ends. It has a battery back-up for power failures & the dial is big and easy to read. It has one quirky drawback. The radio dial will not go all the way to the low end of the dial. We have a station at 88.3 that the dial will not reach. I returned one & the same was true of the replacement radio. Otherwise, it is a great product.

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The Emerson CKS2235B Jumbo Display Dual-Alarm Clock Radio with SmartSet Technology fulfilled each and everyone of my specifications and then some.

What I was looking for was an alarm clock that had dual alarms, could be set with different alarms for week and weekend, had a gentle but increasing alarm, a battery back-up to keep the time in the event of power loss, wasn't so large that it took over my night stand, and was easy to read in the dark without my glasses. Over the last couple months of looking, I found this to be a tall order. Each clock I found was missing one or more of the required criteria I set. Often the big stumbling blocks were the gentle alarm or the different settings for weekday and weekend for the alarm.

The Emerson CKS2235B does all I ask, plus sets itself to correct time on start up, has a built in radio, and even during a power outage the alarm will work. Sure it cannot display the time without the power from the wall, but the fact that the alarm will sound using just the backup battery is virtually unheard of in an AC powered clock. As for the radio, as a monophonic bedside device, it is just fine. It delivers clean, crisp sound at moderate volumes. It is not a replacement for a stereo system or iPod, but it isn't meant to be. Top it all off with a reasonable price.

It could have a hair smaller display with a slightly smaller case, but the footprint on my nightstand is fairly modest and the big numbers are easy to read across the room, as well as, from in my bed. This alarm clock radio is a perfect fit for me.

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Good clock. Small footprint on nightstand. Numbers are gigantic, I'm pretty blind but can see them without glasses. Alarm is quieter than expected on buzz but gets louder. Wave-to-snooze works better on this clock than my old Brookstone -just wave in front of clock and the alarm snoozes. Auto-set is fast. Numbers are bright but can be dimmed just enough so that you don't have a bright light in your face in bed. Basic alarm clock -but it does what it does well.

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TEAC AG-790A Stereo Receiver

• Product packaging includes - AG-790A receiver, remote control, user's manual.
• Delivers 100 watts per channel audio power for distinctly clear stereo sound.Four audio inputs.
• Digital FL display shows radio station numbers, selected input and clock / timer
• Built-in digital AM and FM radio allows you to select up to 30 stations for quick access using a built-in memory programming mode
• Sleep timer

First my qualifications: I am older, with a large collection of vintage vinyl, and a love of on-air classical music. My stereo system uses two Acoustic Research AR-2Ax speakers. I am not a modern audiophile.

That said, I am completely satisfied with the Teac AG-790A receiver. I required phono inputs, and this relatively inexpensive receiver has those and they work. I also listen to a local classical music FM station (Santa Barbara still does have one) and this unit has endeared itself to me by the way it locks to that signal. I have also used its video input to play the sound from a six hour VHS tape of swing band music.

In short, it has done everything I wanted. If your needs are similar to mine, you'll not go wrong with this unit.

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I had a 7.1 channel Home Theater Receiver (HTR), but I got rid of it in favor of this stereo receiver. For me, the HTR was excessively complicated with too many menus to work through just to play music from my collection of LP's, cassette's, or CD's. The Teac AG-790A is simple to use for playing music. This receiver can control four speakers. The description of this product does not mention that if you want to control two sets of speakers (4 in total), they should be identical. There is no way to adjust for differences between two sets of speakers with different sound qualities or power ratings. TEAC's manual makes the same recommendation for identical speakers if you are going to use four speakers. The controls are very easy to use, although as one reviewer mentioned, I too would have preferred more dials instead of buttons. I know, "old school". Still, the buttons are very easy to use. I have a phonograph, cassette recorder/player, and CD recorder/player all attached to this receiver with a couple of Bose speakers. The radio tuner is great too. The sound of music this receiver produces is fabulous. However, for those times when I want to emphasize the bass sounds, I might add a powered sub-woofer as my "second set of speakers". There are bass and treble controls on this receiver, which work great. I am really talking about the sound quality of my speakers and not the receiver. I am talking about really pumping up the bass beyond what my speakers can provide. A sub-woofer with its own internal power system connected as the second set of speakers will allow me to adjust for the differences between the different speakers independent of this receiver. With the bass, treble adjustments available on this receiver, there really is no need for a powered sub-woofer, unless you are a bass freak as I am sometimes. That is just a personal choice. This receiver provides a lot of adjustment with its bass, treble and loudness controls. The bottom line is I highly recommend this receiver for music lovers.

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The TEAC AG-790A could use some improvements, even considering its budget price. I have several complaints. From the moment I turn on the unit, there is an ever present background hiss coming through the speakers. It is especially noticeable during quiet passages in music, or when listening at low volume levels. The tuner sensitivity is very weak; only the strongest local stations come in good. One thing I find extremely annoying on this model is that some of the settings will always return to their default settings, no matter where you put them. For instance, when you select FM mono, it will return to stereo as soon as you change stations. Another is the tuning mode; when you select "manual tuning mode," it will keep returning to "preset tuning mode!" Speaking of presets, there are no numeric buttons for direct preset access on the unit or the remote, so you have to scroll through them all to get to your station. The volume control is another major issue. It tends to "jump around" if you are trying to make fine adjustments to the volume. It, like most models today, has the type where digital numbers appear on the display when you turn it. I will have it set to 10 and want to go up just one or two; as soon as I grab the knob, it "jumps" down to 8 first. I even had it jump to max volume while listening with headphones. I almost threw my headphones across the room! I prefer the older style volume control where you had a pointer on the knob with a numeric scale around it. Oh, and while we're on the subject of knobs, here's a neat trick: make the bass/treble/balance control buttons round so that in your frontal product photos they will look like conventional knobs even though they are actually buttons! To adjust the bass/treb/balance, you must press the button then turn the volume knob to make the adjustments. I hate this! I like to just grab a single knob and tweak my settings, not go through a two step process every time I want to make an adjustment. Another peculiarity is the sleep timer setup. The scale counts down instead of up. In other words, if you want to set it for 20 minutes, you have to press the button to go from 90, 80, 70...all the way down to 20. If the timer has counted down to 10 minutes and you want to add another 10, you must count down to 0 first and start over at 90 and count down until you get to 20 again! I have never seen a sleep timer on any other device that works in reverse like this one. They usually count up, so if you want to add time you just press once or twice. The functionality of the sleep timer is not usually a major consideration when I shop for gear, but it just seems a little strange that they would design it that way. Another thing that is worth mentioning is that the phono input sensitivity seems a bit low; I have to turn the volume control up to a fairly high level before getting a decent sound level when using my turntable, and I have a phono cartridge with a high output level. I originally purchased the Sherwood RX-4105, but I returned it because it did not have phono input or tape "monitoring."(see my review of the RX-4105) As far as sound quality goes, I think the Sherwood was a little better, due to the hiss I mentioned on the TEAC. However, the tuner was just as weak on the Sherwood. I went with these models because my old receiver gave out and I was looking for an inexpensive model to tide me over until I could save some money for a more expensive model. The TEAC fills the bill to some degree, but I wish I had spent a little bit more and got one of the Onkyo models. At least they have numeric preset buttons, and conventional bass/treb/balance knobs. This review may be too much useless information for some people, but I know the product specs and features list doesn't always tell the whole story.

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I bought this a little over a week ago and I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. I had a "bookshelf" stereo system in my bedroom where I have my home gym set up but after years of use it finally went on me. So, my intent was to by a reasonably priced CD changer and receiver to put in my bedroom and this fit the bill. It is a no nonsense stereo receiver. It is very easy to set up and sounds great. It really is loud, and I have some high end floor standing speakers that I attached to it and boy, it can kick some volume out.

The remote is standard/easy to use as well.

So, if you are in the market for a simple setup or if you are on a budget, I highly recommend this product.

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This receiver is great. It replaced a Technics receiver I had owned since 1977. I had recently replaced the surrounds on my woofers and this receiver with the 100 watts really tested my refurbished high end Epicure 3 way speakers. They sound as good as new back in 1977. It can blow the windows out of a 1200 square foot basement. Awesome!!!

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RCA Armband AM/FM Radio

• AM/FM radio with digital PLL tuning
• LCD display
• 16 station presets
• Digital tuning and volume controls
• Built-in antenna
• AM/FM radio - digital PLL tuning
• Adjustable armband
• Headphone jack
• Stereo earphones included
• 16 radio station presets

Just what I was looking for. Great radio for the price. I listen to talk radio mostly on AM stations and have had no problems with reception.I wear it on my arm and sometimes forget I have it on. Buy It ! you won't have any regrets.

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I was looking for an inexpensive option for music while walking at night with my daughter. This was the perfect solution. Couldn't be happier. Lightweight, great reception extremely happy with this purchase. We are still able to talk using the Sony Ultra Lightweight MDR-W08L Vertical In-The-Ear Headphones!

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Sometimes you get what you pay for. In the case of this radio you don't. $5.00 would have been more like it. The AM radio station I wanted to listen to 55 miles away would fade in and out while walking. I usually had to keep the radio in my hand and constantly adjust it. The ear buds are as cheap as they get. Sound quality is poor even for AM. At maximum volume you won't cause any ear damage. Plugging in my high quality Sony ear buds improved it significantly. My main reason for purchasing it was to use during my lunch hour while walking and listening to talk radio. The day I brought it to work the digital display was all messed up. Parts of the digital numbers were missing. It was unreadable. A day later is was ok again. Then several days later the top half of the numbers were missing. That was it, I returned it to Amazon and got my money back. This radio looked promising and after reading the 5 star reviews I thought I had a winner. It looks nice and is small and portable. But the electronics are bare bones basic.

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I remember when RCA was a respected brand, no more. The radio broke soon afer I got it, had to toss it. When tuning, it was very cumbersome. if you selected only 3 fav channels, you had to cycle thru all(20 if I remember)

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Item arrived on time. Volume and station clarity, while doing workout at gym, are low. Can't get decent response to make this item of any value there.

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Philips DC291/37 30-Pin iPod/iPhone/iPad Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Play and charge your iPod or iPhone or iPad simultaneously.
• Auto clock synchronization with iPod or iPhone or iPad when docked.
• Wake up to your iPod or iPhone or iPad music or radio tunes.
• Aluminum cabinet for quality look and feel
• Neodymium speaker driver for rich and clear sound

I was looking around for something to replace my "Moshi" talking alarm clock. I wanted something with a nice display, and realized that I had all these nice clock apps on my iPads (both 1st and 2nd gen for my son and I). So I started looking for better options that could use my iPad. Found several, but most were ones that held it from all sides, so would be impossible, problematic, or just loose with the newer generation of iPads. I didn't need rotation I have no need to have it displayed in landscape, so finally found this one here. Nowhere mentioned specifically iPad 2 compatibility, but after some google searches, found a webpage at one of the main electronic brick and mortars, which DID list the compatibility. So I found one locally, picked it up at their store, and brought it home.

Unpacking was easy, 2 AA batteries for the power loss backup. Getting it set up took about 2 minutes, including setting both my alarms, one for when I need to get up at my time, one for when I have to get up at my son's time. It supports 12 or 24 hour format display. Easy to see what alarm is on, time, and setting. So for a standalone alarm clock, it was very quick and easy to set up. And all of it can be done either on the unit or on the remote. Even the brightness can be adjusted from the remote, including shutting off the clock display altogether.

Then came the fun, and I plugged my iPad 2 on top of it. Instantly was charging. Changed the input to the iPad, and bang, there's my music. And I almost soiled myself at the volume levels and bass this unit puts out. I guess I'm so used to the tinny sounds from the iPhones and iPads, that while I was expecting more out of the dock, I didn't expect THIS much. Outstanding sound, 5 equalizer presets, fantastic bass response. Best at low to mid levels, but while it does get louder than I'd ever play it, the bass does get a bit muddied at those levels. I could've probably been tweaking it with the presets and the extra bass setting it offers, but didn't worry about it.

Fired up a few of my alarm clock apps, and all work just fine, sound comes out of the dock's speakers and everything is good. So now I can have a regular alarm clock OR use the iPad. Either way I'm set, and now have the added ability to listen to music while reading in bed... iPhone 4 had the same results.

All told I got this for a fraction of the list price since I had some points to spend with this particular brick and mortar, but even had I paid Amazon's price, or the $20 higher full price at this particular store I would've been happy. Worth every penny.

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The Philips DC291 has an impressive list of features that had me quite interested. Having iPhones, iPods, and an iPad 2, the compatibility with Apple products was a major draw. Overall I was pleased with how these features worked. There are some flaws (which I will detail below) but for the relatively low price, I'm willing to forgive these failings.

PROs

Handsome alarm clock is sleek and modern looking.

Sound is very good and very loud for the size.

The included remote control works well for basic navigation of your playlist.

Time is automatically set when your iPhone/iPad/whatever is plugged into it.

CONs

The numbers in the time display on the LCD screen are too small (< 1 inch tall).

The viewing angle of the LCD display is really bad.

iPhone 4 will not dock with Apple Bumper installed.

iPhone 4 gives sporadic error messages when docked.

iPhone 4

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The first device that I tried was my iPhone 4. Mine has the Apple bumper installed and when I docked the iPhone, nothing happened. The phone seemed firmly attached to the clock but the battery wasn't charging and I couldn't get any music to play through the clock.

On a hunch, I removed the Apple Bumper from my iPhone and tried again. This time it immediately made the "charging" sound and any music I played on the iPhone played through the clock speakers.

In addition to using the standard "iPod" app, I was also able to play the Sirius satellite radio app and Pandora apps through the speakers. The included remote control was able to pause/fast forward in the iPod and Pandora app but not in the Sirius app. I believe this is a limitation of the Sirius app.

One concern was periodic error messages that were displayed on my iPhone 4 while it was docked. I repeatedly saw "Charging is not supported with this accessory." and "This accessory is not optimized for this iphone." While these messages displayed on the iPhone, it continued to operate fine. I'm not sure what to make of these error messages but they didn't give me a good feeling. These errors generally popped up when I was fiddling with the iPhone (navigating through menus, etc...) so I assume they are due to the connection getting jiggled.

iPod Touch

---------------

My iPod touch docked perfectly and worked flawlessly with the DC291. Functionality was identical to my iPhone 4. When docked, the iPod touch charged and played local music, Pandora, and Sirius through the speakers without any problems. I haven't yet seen any sporadic messages from the iPod touch.

iPod (2nd Generation)

---------------

It's a marvelous feat of engineering that my trusty gen-2 iPod features the same connector as a modern iPad. As I expected, I plugged the old gen-2 iPod in and was able to play music. Unfortunately, many years ago, Apple changed the way that power is provided through the connector. This dock is unable to charge an old iPod which makes it fairly useless. This is not a surprise to me as no recent devices I've seen are able to charge these old Firewire-based iPods. But music playback was fine.

iPad 2

---------------

The Philips dock works great with my wife's iPad 2. The small plastic support tab that protrudes from the back of the docking station provides just enough support so that the iPad is solidly anchored.

The iPad worked fine and even could be attached with Apple's magnet cover attached in the "open" position (wrapped around the back).

One curiosity was not an iPad problem or an issue with the docking stationthe SiriusXM app will ONLY run in landscape mode on the iPad 2. This means it is always sideways when used from the docking station. I consider this a flaw in the SiriusXM app, not in the docking station!

Speakers

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The speakers on this clock are quite clear and surprisingly loud for the size. The bass is poor but that was expected. What wasn't expected is just how loud I could crank this thing. I was also surprised that the speaker did not distort as I turned it up uncomfortably loud. While these are not in the same league as one of my favorites, Klipsch, I was quite pleased with the performance of the speakers.

Clock

---------------

The display on the DC291 is the biggest source of disappointment. It's unacceptable in my opinion because the size of the clock numerals is less than 1" tall and the viewing angle is terrible. When standing in front of the clock, it is impossible to read the time because of the viewing angle limitations. The same is true for trying to view from the side: everything just fades away. In an age of retina displays, this clock features a display with 1980s era technology. Fortunately, this product is marketed more as a docking solution so I think the clock features are somewhat secondary.

I loved that the clock set it's time to match my iPhone or iPod. Setting clocks is sometimes a tedious affair but this was very easy.

The battery backup feature seems to work well. To conserve the battery, when power is removed, the display turns off. Pressing any button will cause the time to briefly display. When power is restored, the time and all settings are preserved. You cannot use or charge your iPod/iPhone when on battery power; that is not a surprise!!

I love that I can set the alarm to only go off on weekdays or weekends. I think for most people, this is a great feature. Also, I appreciate being able to choose from my playlist, the FM radio, or the buzzer for sound to wake up to. You also get to pick the volume of the alarm so if you are listening to the radio loudly during the day, you won't be jarred awake by the volume being too high in the morning. This is a thoughtful feature.

Miscellaneous

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During normal operation, I measured the DC291 as using less than 1 watt of electricity. This is consistent with other digital alarm clocks in my house. At least you can know that it's not costing you money! While charging the iPhone/iPod or playing music, it used 5+ watts (depending on how loud you cranked the speakers). In my opinion, this is completely reasonable power usage in all modes of operation.

Summary

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If not for the lousy screen and the iPhone 4 errors, this would be a 5-star product. If these problems don't seem like they'd bother you, this is a fine product worth considering.

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This radio sounds very good considering the size and price. It includes an FM only radio, docking station for most ipods, iphones and iPad. I have tested it with the iPhone4 and ipod Touch 4. There is an input jack for non-Apple music devices. You can set 2 alarms and each can be set for everyday, weekdays only and weekends only. The alarm can be a sound, a specified FM station, or an Apple MP3 player with a playlist named PHILLIPS. Note that the actual station frequency is not remembered in the alarm it just uses the last station tuned in. This means you cannot go to sleep listening to one station and wake to another. The display is a soft white glow and there is a brightness adjustment for the display but it is of no value because it resets to full brightness whenever the radio is turned on or off. So for example you can set the sleep function and turn down the brightness but when the sleep timer expires and turns off the radio the display goes to full brightness. You might not want to put this near your face when sleeping for this reason. Every new computerized clock radio I have tried has this same stupid flaw with the brightness control.

The controls on the radio are not clearly marked and mostly use symbols that don't make it obvious what they do. However the remote control has clearly marked buttons and is easier than the on set controls.

UPDATE: After using this radio for a little over a month it has quit working. The radio will play for 5 to 30 seconds at a time then the sound goes off for 5 to 30 seconds. This repeats continuously at random intervals.

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To address some of the concerns others have had:

1) Screen Brightness control. Using the big centrally located sleep button allows you to control the display brightness. It even says brightness on it. Gets very dim and quite bright. Whatever you prefer.

2) Sound quality is good and volume excellent. Fills a large space. Bass isn't awesome, but bass is ulitmately about size and you can't make an alarm clock dock huge.

3) iPad dock support doesn't feel super secure, but it is ultimately just a "feel" issue. The dock holds the iPad and iPhone 4 very well even in a reasonably sized case.

4) Controls are a little on the complicated side, because you are used to Apple products, but hardly rocket science. Two alarms. Each can be set for Mon-Fri, Sat & Sun or 7 days. So you don't work a "traditional" schedule? Set it for seven days and then you can turn on and off the alarm with two taps of the alarm button.

5) The dock basically just hits play on whatever you have queued up on your iPhone/iPad/iPod as a default. What's nice is that it can do it with any music app as long as it is active on your iDevice. Pandora? Radio app? It works. That requires a little pre-planning the night before, so Phillips also enables you to create and name a playlist that the dock will instinctively use.

6) It is an alarm clock, it isn't designed to be a room clock. I can see the time just fine from across my brightly lit bedroom. Unless you use the very dim brightness setting.

7) Setting the alarm can be done by the hour and minute. One reviewer said it was the old 24 hour hold and scroll type. It is not.

Misc The gentle wake is quite nice compared to other products I've used that jolt you out of bed. Much more refresing to gently awaken to music than be jolted by that high energy song you thought would be a good idea.

It works and looks great and you can pick one up for about a single Benjamin Franklin.

Did I mention the iPad 2 works just fine? No issues. Very happy with the product. Losses 1 star for not being a "smart" alarm. If it was you'd be shelling out 2 bills.

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I had this unit for less than a week before returning it. It had great sound and looked sharp. It works perfectly with an iPhone 4 with the apple bumper on... charged and played music without a problem.

I returned it for 2 reasons. The display is a back-lit LCD. Even at the dimmest setting, it would keep me up at night as it bathed my room in white light. I had to turn off the display to sleep, and turn it back on again in the morning to make sure I turned off the alarm and check the time. Another reviewer also mentioned an odd feature with the dimmer feature of the display... the display will always return to full brightness whenever the radio is turned off. Whether you turned off the music yourself, or if you set a sleep timer! That was a rude awakening... to be lulled to sleep by the music, only to be abruptly woken by a bright flash of light moments later.

The second reason I returned the unit is that the battery backup will only maintain clock settings. It will not power the alarm in the event of a power failure! To me, what good is an alarm clock that will not reliably wake you up?

I think this unit would make an excellent clock radio if all you are looking for is great sound with the ability to charge and play music from your ipod touch/iphone/ipad or listen to FM radio (there is no AM tuner). I would definitely not consider this if you are primarily looking for an alarm clock!

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iLuv i199 High-Fidelity Bluetooth Speaker System with AM/FM, CD, Dual Alarm, and Dock for iPod (Whit

•  Works With All Ipods & Shuffle
•  Receive & Play The Music Wirelessly From Audio Device With Bluetooth
• Plays Mp3 Music Players, Mp3 Mobile Phones, Laptops, Etc.
•  Transmits Music On A Distant Audio Device With Bluetooth Wireless Technology Such As Stereo Headsets, Speakers, Etc.
•  Plays & Charges Ipod With The Integrated Dock

Cumbersome, slabby, placticky design. USB port secured under a pop-up panel that's hard to open without a pen or coin. Startlingly bad FM reception. Unable to access content on my jump drive; locked up when accessing content on my MP3 player, so that the off button didn't function and I needed to unplug the unit. Overpriced even had those features worked. I returned and went with the JVC EP-25, a less expensive, far superior product with approximately the same features.

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I wrote this review for another site but feel it is worth posting here. That being said I would give the iLuv i199 3.5 stars.

After looking for a long time to find a radio with features like the ILuv i199, I still feel like someone who has gone out on a date and spent all this money and still came up short... just a peck NO ROMANCE! I really wanted to like the i199 and I think with some improvements it will be a must have for iPod owners and anybody that loves the radio, music and the sonic vibes this machine is capable of. The CD player sounds great and makes this player shine!! With the added Bluepin (bluetooth) and usb support the future is looking up. The minus marks come because the i199 just doesn't have the chops and falls short on volume. Just when you think it will stand up and roar it loses it's voice. Also it NEEDS to have treble and bass controls! I known its the jAURA sound thing that they promote but it NEEDS a treble and bass control! The nice thing is this box is luscious and soothes your ears!! mmmmmm! BUT!!!!! I just can't get frisky with something that has all kinds of "Things" hanging off of it! Yech. The AM loop antenna has got to GO!!! I have a $25 radio that gets better AM reception without the added extra. And forget AM without the thing. FM fairs better but the unit also has to sport a second wire antenna to deal with that. The radio reception lacks and needs improvement maybe it's the antennas?? iPod convenience, charging and playback, not to mention the included remote control was a must and was just the thing for me! It works just great but I would pay more money for this if it had better iPod menu accessibility than just track forward and backward. This is something that would be right at home in any students room or family room with it's rich sound, solid performance and many features. It is my sincere wish that the powers that be at ILuv add and subtract to this product because it could really be a winner. Right now it is a wanna be. I give it a 6 out of a possible 10. I'm taking 1 point off because you can't crank the thing! Having a loud party forget it! 1 point off for no treble and bass controls. 1 point off for the lack of specific iPod controls and 1 point off for the tuner's performance, gotta have radio! And the antenna thing has got to be someone's cruel joke to turn this glossy black beauty into a shiny ugly duckling. Shame on you! Give me version 2.0 with the improvements and similar price and you've got a winner! Hands down!

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This sounds like a perfect product, however in function, there are several serious short comings. First and foremost, this has a very poor bass heavy sound. With no tone control, there's no way to compensate. Second, the radio reception with the included AM and FM antenna is very poor. Third, the Bluetooth adapter included with the radio does not work with most Bluetooth phones (including Verizon Motorola KRZR).

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First I'll start by saying this does what it claims to do, all the functions work and I've never had any issues with that. Except for the radio reception, which is sketchy at times. But if I keep the antenna in the same exact position (wrapped around a reading lamp next to the unit) it works ok. I've had it almost 2 years, but I still find it frustrating. The most annoying thing I find in this unit is the very strong light that it emits unless you turn the display off. I use this as a bedside unit, but I have to turn the display off every night because it fills the room with a large amount of blue light. It's like the biggest (and brightest) nightlight I've ever had, even at the lowest illumination setting (there are 3 intensities of illumination and "off"). So, while I do use it as a clock radio/alarm I can't keep the clock on to see what time it is during the night.

The alarm clock features are fine, the dual alarm is excellent, no complaints there. But the huge issue I have with the clock is that it doesn't keep time correctly. It is FAST, so about once a month I have to reset the clock because it has picked up 8-10 minutes.

The CD player is very slow to start playing, but sound is decent enough. It's no Bose, but it works for the bedroom.

Finally, the most tedious and annoying thing and this is just my own personal issue b/c I think it's dumb. ON the display, the features of the radio scroll by. (CD, USB, radio, ...) over and over and over. All the time. I contacted their customer support to find out how to turn this off, figuring it was some sort of store display mode, and learned that you can't turn that off. It just scrolls by incessantly, forever. Why would I want that? Why would anyone need that? The fact that I can't turn that off astounded me and in all the electronics I've purchased over the past 20 years, this seemed like the stupidest "feature" I've ever seen.

great sound, amazing sound quality from a compact devics . Could probably use a base & treble function but great out of the box

great features,USB, ipod, CD & remote work great

poor radio receptionmy last kmart boombox had much better FM reception . You would think that a company that has the capibility to put out such a high quality device could do better in the radio reception area. I'm experimenting with a dipole external anntenna

overall excellent buy for the $$

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ETON G5 AM/FM/Shortwave Portable Radio with SSB (Single Side Band)

• AM (520 KHZ-1710 KHz)/FM-stereo (87.5 MHz- 108 MHz), LW (150 KHz - 510 KHz) and Shortwave (1711-29999 KHz) Single Side Band (SSB); Digital Phase Lock Loop (PLL) dual conversion
• Digital Display world-band radio
• Station name input features allow a 4-character input of the stations call letters
• Synthesized tuning system with digital tuning methods including Auto-Scan, Manual-Scan, Direct Key-in and Manual Tuning
• 700 programmable memory presets

I have had this radio for about a week now..

the instruction booklet is a little skimpy and setup can be confusing, however this is a fine radio.

FM selectivity is good, and quality through earphones is excellent, on SW the SSB feature is necessary to listen to HAM radio..its just a shame its not synchronous sideband detection..you must fine tune to select USB or LSB...Other than that the sensitivity is good, my only conclusion is that its not as good as my Satellit 800, but its also 1/20 the size and < 1/2 price.

There is a nifty "time zone" feature that allows the traveller to easily select which time zone he is in..the glaring omission however is that while GMT can be set (=UTC or world time and the basis for SW radio) all time zones are simply linked directly to GMT..or put it another way, there is zero capability to deal with any summer time...you need to muck about faking a time zone for BST, EDT or whatever.. this is a silly error.

The feel of the slightly rubberized surface is excellent, as is the display lighting and three methods of tune .. a rotary know (thankfully), seek, and direct frequency input.

If you are looking for a decent portable radio with SW, packed with the necessary features for enjoyable listening and without unnecessary frills, i cannot think of a better buy.

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Extremely nice, easily configured potable radio. AM broadcast band and FM performance is exceptionally good. SSB (Single Side Band) although BFO tuned, is very good. Shortwave performance is on par with radios in the $300.00 price class. Display back lighting is great and the display is easily read. Although a bit more expensive than the Sony ICF-SW7600GR, and does not offer synchronous detection, it is worth the price.

Note: Some offerings includ ear buds, travel case and roll-up antenna some do not. The manual indicates these are are included although that is not always the case.

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The Grundig G5 is a fine performing world band radio. It just isn't worth the price IMO. I also own the Kaito KA1102, and Sony ICF-SW7600GR. The Kaito costs 1/2 the price and performs equally as well. IMO, the KA1102 is the best deal in world band receivers. It's not quite as easy to use as the G5, and the sound isn't quite as good, but it is a much better value. The Sony costs slightly less than the Grundig, but performs equally as well on AM, and beats the Grundig on SSB. Mainly due to its synchronous detection circuitry. The one thing I like about the Grundig over the Sony is the fact you can charge the batteries in the radio. You can also do this with the Kaito. You can't do that with the Sony, and it also doesn't include the AC adapter. All in all, you can go wrong with any of these 3 radios. But I can't see paying twice as much for it over the Kaito, and the Sony is a slightly better performing radio, that costs slightly less.

04/2010 Update:

Wow. Since my review from 2008, the price of this radio has dropped from $140, to under $90. At this price, it is a great bargain. It's easily a 5 star radio at it's current price.

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This radio is good it has the continous 150 to 29999 kHz with no boundries. The AM and FM reception is superb, but LW and SW bands are medrocre. The LW band is fair to poor you would need a tunable loop antenna that covers 150 kHz to 520 kHz to pull in distant LW stations. The AM band is real good and the selectivity and sensitvity is good and well performing. The shortwave bands are fair to poor unless you use a external wire antenna with the G5. I could not pick weak signals, I hope I can get mine fixed. Please be careful not to use the radio in areas with high static electricity. When used with a Active Antenna or long wire antenna use an attenuator or preselector with this radio. There is a good line out jack on the right side so you can connect your radio to a stereo system or minidisc recorder to record your favorite shortwave radio programs. The radio requires 4 AA batteries, and sometimes it needs reset, the good thing is that the "reset" feature does not erase your preset memories even when the batteries are taken out. The SSB reception is very good if the reception was better.

This radio is a great shortwave portable when used with low gain active antennas and not so

big wire antennas. This radio is recommended for FM and AM DXing as well as shortwave radio

broadcast DXing.

This radio requires a special AC adapter that is 8 volts, and does not require more or less than that.

This is my first shortwave radio. I'm very pleased with it. Have had it about a month and use it daily for about an hour. Original set of Duracell alkaline batteries are still good. Good reception on all the local AM and FM stations. I am 20 to 40 miles away from the transmitters. I pick up many shortwave stations from inside my home using just the telescopic antenna. Routinely listen to Radio Romania, Radio Havana, China Radio Intl. Have also received broadcasts from Vietnam, Egypt and Africa. Get a lot a spanish speaking stations but I do not speak the language. I have no other shortwave experience but I would not hesitate to purchhase this radio again or to recommend it. I use it exclusively with headphones so I can't comment on the speakers. Clock and time zone were easily set. The page memory system is very easy to use once you try it a couple of times.

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Memorex MI4604P 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock

• Powers and charges your iPhone 1-3 & iPod devices. Charcoal black, also available in white
• Ultra simple alarm settings (wake to iPod, radio, or buzzer)
• Digital FM radio with station presets, includes FM antenna
• Line-in jack to connect other audio devices
• Includes AC adapter, battery backup for time (uses 2 AAA batteries not included)

I was looking for a small footprint alarm clock that had a really good dimmer on the clock and I could wake up to music on my iphone 4 through decent speakers. I like the compact looks and the dimmer is nice-I use the 2nd lowest dim and can still see the time day and night. The display is very easy to read, even the alarm clock set time is readable in the corner. The alarm is easy to use too, once you read the basics. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the speakers are for a small unit.

I have one major complaint: The wake to ipod mode does not let you adjust the VOLUME you wake to. It automatically starts at 20% of a built in ALARM VOLUME-which you cannot adjust (I've tried every which way!) and quickly gets louder and louder. It's WAY too loud for me to wake to. It kinda startles me awake and I reach for snooze quickly because it's about to get even louder! yuk! I can turn off the alarm and use the alarm app on my phone, but it just plays a 30 sec ringtone song and DOESN'T USE the alarms speakers-unless you leave them turned on with a lighted button all night. No thanks! If you dont mind a loud alarm this will work great, if not, I would pass.

I'll keep it, but it's not prefect!

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I bought this to work with my new iPhone after I discovered that none of the iHome models currently support the iPhone 4. I just returned an iHome to Costco when it wouldn't even charge my iPod Touch 4Gen. So I was happy to read on several tech blogs that this one would be compatible with the iPhone 4. So is this one truly functional for the new iPhone? Yes and no.

The clock does charge the phone without any annoying prompts, however the Play/Pause/FF/RW buttons do not work when you play songs via iTunes. Yet, those same buttons work fine when I play songs via Pandora. The thing I was really hoping for was some integration of the built in iPhone alarm. There is none. The options are to wake to a tone, a radio station, or whatever the last song you were listening to on your iPod/iPhone. All of these start out at 20% volume and slowly increase to 70%. Personally, I think I'll stick with the built in one one the phone and just use the clock to charge the iPhone.

Some of the other parts of the clock I like are:

Nice sound, not too tinny; Line-in jack; great dimmer on the clock face; can sync time with phone easily; battery backup; iPhone lays down on an adjustable support; mannish good looks.

Some of the hokey parts are:

No AM radio, no option for line-in alarm; setting the time (manually) and alarm involves spinning the volume knob many many times.

All in all it's a decent way to charge your phone by the bed if the price doesn't bust your budget.

Read Best Reviews of Memorex MI4604P 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Alarm Clock Speaker Dock Here

I am beginning to wonder if these reviews are written by real people or competivie vendors? I already own one of these and was surprised that some info metioned in the reviews is just blatently not true?

for example:

You CAN wake up to ALARM TONE or RADIO or IPOD music!! why did i read 2 reviews that said you can only wake to a buzzer?? for those of you that didnt read the instuctions just push the source button whenb your setting your alarm!!! my gosh? really it isnt that confusing or difficult?

AND yes you can TURN OFF the alarm like one person said you cant??? there is a button on the face of the unit (near the clock readout) that says ALARM ON/OFF lol hmmm not to confusing for me?

I concede that the only method of alarm is cascade style. I was in the service and worked in avation so my hearing is poor. I usually dont like cascading alarms. this one though becomes VERY loud? anyone who reports other than that and suggests that they may be less sesitive to sounds really is just using your empathy against you. cmon? this reaches VERY loud levels. usually the first level of cascade wakes me however I never was able to sleep through the second volume increase? and we live in the city.

To the guy that said "my IPOD IS a alarm in itself and it is silly to use the radio as a alarm feature" Some of us like a hardwired battery backup raido/alarm on the nightstand it is more than convienient to have a iphone/ipod dock so we dont need a extra white apple cord drooping around the nightstand. i dont want a pwerstip on my end table? thats my feelings about "why".

The dimmer? I also read people complaining about the brightness? hmmm that is so odd? beacause you can virtual make it undectable from one side of a queen bed to the other? and on the flip side the brightest can be seen so easily in FACT these were the first white digit/black background clock face i ever owned, it is amazingly easy on the eyes.

ONE THING OF NOTE THAT IS TRUE AND SERIOUSLY NEGATIVE (reason for 4 out of 5 stars)

It is totaly true about the cases for your unit this device for some reason has now allowance for a case of ANY kind. you must remove the case before connection. if i didnt love this clock radio i would not accept this fault .. but EVERYTHING ELSE is EXACTLY what I am looking for.

all in all I LOVE this thing I really looks good especially with my contemporary decor even get nice remarks about it ocaasionally from guests.

Hope this rewiew helps give you some insight with your shopping :)

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I went though several iPhone clock radios before settling on this one. Great radio sounds nice charges iPhone does not take up too much space on my nightstand. A winner.

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I wanted to get a clock for the stand next to my bed, and I figured why not get one that is also a dock/player for my iPod Touch. I wanted one that was on the cheap end of the scale, because after all, it's just a clock/radio and that should be really inexpensive. Checking the customer reviews for the various items in the price range, I looked for ones that didn't have reports of really bad sound, and very importantly, ones that would work with the 4th gen iPod Touch model that I have. I saw that this item fit the bill for what I was looking for and decided I would take a chance with it.

I found it very easy to set up and start using. The time can be set by pushing a button to sync it with the iPod's time, which is convenient. In the dock the iPod lays nearly flat (with an adjustable support column underneath it to handle various models/widths), which makes it easy to use the iPod while it is docked. If you want to play music from the iPod, you can push the power button on the MI4604P and that will turn on both the speakers and the docked iPod. On the iPod, you can play your own songs, or you can use your various music apps that play songs or radio channels from the internet. Voila, instant internet radio.

The sound is really good for a box with such a small footprint. It's great for listening to stuff while you are at your desk or lying in bed. The built-in alarm is okay, but my personal preference is to use the iPod's alarm, because that is what I'm used to. With all the other options available these days, I don't listen to radio anymore at home, so I haven't tried the radio on it.

Love the small size, nice styling, and great sound.

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jWIN JL-616 Modern Design Touch Sensor Snooze Alarm Clock with AM/FM Radio (Giftbox)

• Large LED Display
• Touch Sensor, Snooze Alarm at Front Panel
• AM/FM Receiver
• Sleep to Music
• Wake To Radio or Buzzer; 9V Battery Back Up for Clock (Battery Not Included)

This FM/AM radio alarm clock has a high profile and small footprint and is perfect for cluttered desks/nightstands. It has a nice brushed steel appearance for those tired of the usual dark colored plastics. A convenient snooze sensor is located on the front of the clock for those who don't want to fumble with buttons in the dark. Great for those seeking something simple yet stylish.

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I like the looks and small amount of space it takes up on the nightstand, but it appears that if you touch it anywhere when the alarm is going off, it goes into snooze. I thought I turned the alarm off this morning, but the radio was back on when I re-entered the bedroom from having my coffee. The display is very bright also, and I like it dark when I sleep. Of course, I haven't read the manual. My last clock radio had 2 settings for the display. I can only hope....

Read Best Reviews of jWIN JL-616 Modern Design Touch Sensor Snooze Alarm Clock with AM/FM Radio (Giftbox) Here

I suppose I could have attempted to return the item but the cost and trouble of returning it would have matched the cost of the item. The volume control is defective. It is either no volume or blaring loud and nothing in between. Sometimes what you set it for at night is not the volume it goes off at in the morning. Never had this problem with any other alarm clock. Very junky item.

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I bought this for the same reasons as the others...cheap and cool looking. However, within one week the front "touch censor" snooze button stopped working. Had the same issue with the volume not working and the night and day alarm not going off at the correct time. I'm so bummed! I love the looks and that is all. Now I don't have the money to get a new one....frustrating!

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Eton Rukus Portable Bluetooth Solar Powered Wireless Speaker System (Black) - (NRKS100B)

• Bluetooth Sound System with Solar Panel
• Play music from Bluetooth enabled smartphone, tablet or PC
• AC power and/or solar power
• E Ink Display
• USB port for mobile device charging

The Eton rukus is a well made boombox with the key feature of having a solar panel to charge the battery. Unfortunately, it seems most of the product cost is going to the battery and solar panel rather than the speakers themselves.

The sound from this unit is ok, but not great. You'll get sound similar to lower priced systems, but you do get the added benefit of a long lasting battery and the solar charger. The speakers are two small full range drivers. They are not ported at all, and their positioning makes the sound come out in a pretty directional nature.

The volume can be controlled on the unit or by your device. Cranking it all the way up, it's not all that loud for filling a noisy room or playing to a crowd outside. That said, the distortion isn't all that bad, either. What it lacks in sound, it makes up for in portability. The handle and design of the unit is very good quality. It feels sturdy.

I like that the elastic band to hold your music player is recessed and protected, although the down side to this is that it's on the underside of the Rukus, and you can't see it unless you take it back out. Therefore, you pretty much have to be resigned to set a playlist then walk away. Since it's bluetooth, there's no way to skip/reverse/pause from the unit. The only sound customization is a "bass" button, which adds a little, but unfortunately there's no indicator on the screen to let you know if it's on or off.

The e-ink screen is good, no complaints and when it changes, it doesn't flash completely black like some ereaders. It simply updates. Unfortunately it only displays battery level and the input (USB, Line in, or Bluetooth). It does not indicate volume or if the bass boost is turned on. I really would have liked those to be displayed.

In all, if you want something portable and solar powered, this would be an ok choice, just realize you're spending some of your money on those features vs. sound quality.

[Update]

Just wanted to update this review with a few more observations. The Rukus doesn't really charge via the solar panel while indoors. If it does, it's not strong enough for the charge indicator to come on. It will charge outdoors, even in fairly overcast skies.

Another good use for the Rukus is that it can charge any device via the USB port. To do this, you have to have the unit turned on, then you have to press the USB button. It will still play via bluetooth, but just plugging something into the USB port doesn't automatically start charging it. This makes sense in that you might not want to drain the Rukus' battery every time something gets plugged into the USB port. This also makes the Rukus a choice for disaster preparedness, travel (like mission trips or when you're not sure when you'll have power available), etc.

Lastly, I'm still not overly impressed with the sound. It's ok, but not on par with other docks. I believe that the size of the speakers and volume limitations are probably a design choice that helps conserve battery life. Driving bigger speakers louder would certainly take more power thus reducing the length of time you can play on battery power. I do like how it can be laid flat or be stood on end. By standing on end indoors, it helps disperse the sound as it hits the ceiling.

[Update #2]

I used this as an iPhone charger at a baseball game. My phone was about 50-75% depleted and the Rukus had about 3/4 of its battery left. I was using a baseball scoring app that drains the battery pretty quickly. It was bright and sunny and the Rukus was in direct sunlight. I was just able to get a 100% charge before the Rukus' battery was completely drained. Once drained, it shuts off. I guess the point is that if your iPhone needs charging and you plan to have it on using apps, it will drain the Rukus faster than the solar panel will charge it. I thought this might be useful info for some people.

[Update 7/2012]

In my quest to be green I placed the Rukus outside to charge the battery, then forgot about it. It rained. Now water is clearly inside the unit as the solar panel is fogged up. I'm trying to let it dry out before powering back on. Lesson learned: it's not water resistant. Not sure if I will let it dry out on its own or try to open it up to dry out.

Also, the plexiglas panel covering the solar panel is easily scratched. I took it to a baseball game (very dusty) and was placing a cooler and my drink on it since it provided a nice flat surface. Now there's a bunch of fine scratches on it. Doesn't seem to affect anything other than aesthetics, though.

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Eton is known for their emergency radios and the like. This isn't one. There is no radio on board so if your "device" quits you have a solar powered paperweight.

This is a great little unit for beach, poolside, tailgating, camping and all your bush parties. Probably not for hiking because it weighs close to five pounds, too heavy for a backpack. The sound is good with bass boost. There is a 50 to 70 foot range from your iphone. Don't know why this would be important but it's true. I think I would be more comfortable with some sort of protective cover over the solar panel when it's not being used but maybe it's tougher than I would expect.

I guess everyone is expected to be tech-savvy these days but the instructions are very sparse. There is a pamphlet which tells you how to charge the unit and that's about it. The online manual has about eight pages in english. The picture, naming the parts, is labeled wrong. Of course the 4G iphone is simple. Hold the bluetooth button on the unit for three seconds until you hear the beep. Tap "rukus" on the phone. If it asks for a password put in 1234. That's it, but not much info on connecting anything else. There is a USB port to charge you phone if needed and a little pocket on the back to store your phone securely.

There's a code number for three months free access to MOG music downloads ($30 value) but be sure to keep track of your registering date. You will be signed up and charged for a membership if you don't cancel in time. One of those deals.

Read Best Reviews of Eton Rukus Portable Bluetooth Solar Powered Wireless Speaker System (Black) - (NRKS100B) Here

I spend allot of time on my deck when it is warm out and have been struggling to find an elegant solution to listening to music downloaded to my phone when I am out there. Enter the Eton Rukus Solar Bluetooth Sound System. This device has thus far fit my needs perfectly.

(1) I charged it once a few days ago...since that time, my battery has continued to stay full. The built in Solar Panel keeps it charged continuously throughout the day.

(2) It was a breeze to connect to my Android phone. Once I paired the device through my Wireless Manager, it now automatically streams to the player if the Rukus is on and within range. No user intervention on my part.

(3) Sound Quality is just fine. It is certainly not high fidelity, but should meet the needs of 99% of all people.

(4) Not clunky, ultra portable.

(5) Stylish and slick looking in an old school way! My neighbors saw mine, and they liked it enough that they also ended up purchasing one.

(6) Its just reliable. Works when you want it to work. I can't recommend enough.

(7) Left it outside overnight and it rained! The Rukus is no worse for wear and playing just fine afterwards. Very durable it seems!

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Finally, a product that has what I'm looking for!!! This just arrived yesterday and I love it. Turned it on, paired with my phone in about 10 seconds, and started playing music right away!

Pros

1) The solar panel is pretty big and seems to work well for charging small devices. Gonna see how quickly it charges my iPad...a slightly bigger draw.

2) I love that it has a USB port and not an iPod specific port like some iPod docks, so you can charge any low power USB device from it.

3) You can turn charging on and off while a device is connected (so it won't charge if you don't want it to; and you can use the Bluetooth connected device while another device is plugged in and charging.

4) It's pretty small, lightweight, and easy to carry (even though it comes in a box way too big for it's size).

5) Some reviewers have said the speakers were weak. I haven't played it outside but in my house it was pretty darn loud and the base was decent. I will update when I come back from a beach trip next week.

6) The Bluetooth range is about 40 feet or so line-of-sight, a little less with walls in the way, so you can keep your "player" in your pocket and use it as a remote.

Cons

1) The one thing I'd love for this to have is a water-resistant and dust-resistant design like the Eton Soulra.

2) The design of the iPod compartment leaves a little to be desired; it is only a black elastic strap, not very secure especially for small iPods.

3) Not sure how scratch resistant the solar panel is, I'm leaving the protective cover on for now. I might decide to put an iPad screen protector on it, trimmed to size.

4) It doesn't have an AM/FM tuner. I'm really tired of companies not making products with tuners...the circuitry is so simple now...just put it in. That goes for Apple's products as well. I'm not going to "stream" everything over my data connections when the AM/FM airwaves are all around me.

********* I will update with any new findings after my next 2 weeks of use. ***********

Update 8/30/2012

The sound is not LOUD, but it is definitely loud enough for it's purpose, which is a decent set of speakers that you can play in your vicinity and never run out of power (ahem...during the day). It was certainly loud enough for what I had it for, which was to play some tunes while sailing down the Chesapeake Bay and lounging on the beach. You will not be able to throw a party with just this little guy...but for two 2-inch speakers...it worked just fine.

*********

Update 9/17/2012

I've discovered a few quirks that are worth sharing.

1) It seems that you cannot turn off the Bluetooth. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, but it's constantly on when the unit is on.

2) The charging takes quite a long time. It has a fairly large battery so you can fully charge your phone and play for a few hours, but the solar panel takes a good bit of time to charge this battery back up. This is compounded by a quirk in the software that causes intermittent charging. When you place the unit in the sunlight, it doesn't automatically start charging; you have to push the power button to turn it on for it to start charging. This is a problem because if you're just charging it and not using it, you want to turn it off so that the system (and the Bluetooth) is not on, draining your battery. When you push the power button again it does indeed turn off and continue to charge UNTIL the sun fades for longer than about 1/2 a second, after which it does not continue charging. So if a cloud rolls by or you cast your shadow over it by walking in front of it, it will stop charging and you won't know it. You have to cycle the power button to get it to start charging again. This is disappointing design to me; you would think that anytime it has light, it would attempt to capture that automatically by charging, bu this is not what happens. This means unless you place the unit in direct sunlight, you have to nurse it.

3) USB connection This is a more minor one, but you cannot hook your device up to the unit with USB in order to play music. The USB is a CHARGE ONLY port, it does zero data transfer. This also means that either Bluetooth or analog stereo-mini jack is the only way to play audio.

Forget all the snobby audiophiles who might scare you away from this product. If you are honestly expecting this to replace your existing home stereo system then yes, you might not love it. If, however, you want a quality speaker source to play your favorite tunes from your mp3 player... through bluetooth... and to play them all day thanks to the solar charger... and to provide a loud, crisp quality sound far beyond what most would expect from such a little unit... while also charging your phone!!... then this product is for you. Works great on the boat dock and is plenty loud for everyone to hear. A great little piece of innovation that my entire family loves. This was a gift for my son, but I like it so much I may get another one just for me.

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American Red Cross ARCZG100W ZoneGuard Weather Radio (White)

• S.A.M.E (Specific Area Message Encoding) Technology to receives alerts for your area
• 3 level High-visibility color alert light bar (Green - Watch, Orange - Warning, Red - Alert)
• AM/FM/NOAA Digital Radio with6 preset stations
• Digital Alarm Clock
• Elegant, thin form factor with angle stand and wall mounting options

This is a really nice radio....BUT only after you have it set properly!!

I highly recommend people to have 3 new AA batteries for setting this up. It does not come with batteries. Comes with an AC adapter, and a plastic stand you install in the back to have it "sit" upright. The reason I recommend batteries is that it will be much easier moving it around for setting it up.

Also set aside a good 30 minutes to program this radio. As I will go into, everything is there in the book, but it can be puzzling on moving the arrows up, down, left, right, menu to get everything done properly.

Next, you had better have good lighting as the directions are VERY small. A magnifying glass might help. You can go to the homepage of ETON:

there you will find PDF instructions you can print and/or which you can enlarge.

The alert settings can be confusing. A menu button followed by four directional buttons around it are what you use to set the alerts for the weather alerts which are voice, siren, or silent.

It ships with ALL counties around you to be alerted for weather alerts. However you can set it for your county single, or whatever counties you prefer.

Here is where Eton makes no mention of what they mean when they say "codes." The average person is not going to know what they mean by "codes." When Eton says "codes" they are referring to the NOAA Weather Specific Area Messaging Encoding (SAME) codes that are available for all of the counties in the United States and it's properties and marine. You can find the county codes at the NOAA website listed state-by-state.

When you program the codes (see instructions) the screen defaults to the number 1 through 25. Meaning the first would look like: "01Code"

second

"02Code"

Setting up your local NOAA radio is simple as there are only 7 to choose from, then you click the memory button.

Also you can listen/store AM/FM radio channels. 6 AM and 6 FM presets.

Telescopic antenna that rotates.

You can store 25 SAME county alert locations.

I think it's terrible for Eton not to give any detail on how to find them or give a description other than saying "codes" in referring to the weather alerts. And also to give instructions in such small lettering. For all of this I'm taking away one star. Otherwise it would be a five star radio!

It is a great radio to notify you of storms! You are always one button away from your local NOAA radio.

The screen is a bright blue screen. You may need to hold the radio at various angles as the lettering is block style, not all connected.

The speaker is good. The volume is very good. Just at a 2-3 is loud enough.

The top of the radio flashes and lights up various colors depending upon the weather alert. Red for the Warnings, Yellow for Watch, Green for Advisory.

Siren goes off for about 5 minutes. And it's loud enough to wake (most) people.

Also there is a digital clock on the front. And it has an alarm feature you can set.

There is a battery indicator on the upper right corner of the screen.

Lightweight, easy to carry.

There are holes in the back for you to mount it on a wall (screws are not included).

Keep in mind the alerts are 24/7. So if you have the siren on and you have a tornado warning when you are sleeping, it will wake you up. Could save your life. Also if you have it set for ALL counties, it will give you alerts to neighboring counties which you do not care for. And here is why the SAME codes are important.

Also if you click the RIGHT arrow at anytime, it will scroll for you previous alerts or say NO ALERTS.

It "holds" the information you program it to for a few seconds. I tested it by removing the batteries, then putting them back in. I'd say it took around 20 seconds. My advise is to always keep batteries inside it (regular batteries, NOT charging type as it does not charge batteries), and you can keep it plugged in.

This radio would come in very handy during a severe storm. As long as you have power and/or batteries you'll be able to listen to weather alerts, and AM/FM radio.

Again, if the instructions were larger and gave more detail. And details on the SAME codes were either provided or an Internet address was provided for them I would of given it five stars.

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I like the basic design of this -the small sleek size, nice layout of buttons, large display. The radio reception seems to be decent, although mounting it on the wall is not possible in my area, since I have to turn it various directions to get a couple of local AM stations. Weather band reception is OK, as is FM reception.

That's about where my positive feelings for this little radio end.

It is way too difficult to set up, NOT with regard to the physical aspects of hitting the correct buttons in the correct sequence, but rather in terms of deciphering and understanding the instructions. The instruction leaflet, such as it is, is written in such small type that it's nearly impossible to read. I finally went to the Eton website and downloaded the instruction manual there, then "zoom"ed it so I could read how to set the time, store radio stations, etc.

Then there's the issue of the S.A.M.E. codes. I had never heard of this technology before I got this radio. NO WHERE in the included instructions is there any mention of NOAA, or even the "S.A.M.E." designation. On the Amazon product page, there is a mention of "S.A.M.E." in one of the product features bullets, and "NOAA" in another product feature bullet on the product page here on Amazon, but nothing that explains what "S.A.M.E. codes" actually ARE. The instruction manual tells you how to "Select the county" -OK, so what does THAT mean? The instructions don't tell you that "Select the county" really means "enter the NOAA S.A.M.E. codes." You're not "selecting" anything; you need to know the S.A.M.E. code(s) for the desired area(s), and then ENTER those according to the instructions.

This was my first weather radio -and I'm generally fairly good at figuring things out -but this had me confused for a good 15-20 minutes while I searched via google for "county code," "weather county code," etc. Finally found the NOAA site and the codes, and entered the one for my county.

And I STILL don't know what "Setting Defeat" means. I mean, I know how to set it, and I can read what the manual says, but it doesn't really tell me WHY I might want to enable or disable "defeat," and what, precisely, it enables or disables ("ENABLE: Alert when receiving a message. DISABLE: Displays the message on the LCD when receiving a message" -does that mean that when it's enabled, you DON'T get a message displayed on the LCD when receiving a message? What kind of Alert happens when it's enabled? the flashing light? the siren? what, precisely, am I "defeating" with this??)

I have no idea if the weather alert part of the radio works. We've had one National Weather Service-issued high wind warning here in the Pacific NW since I received and programmed the radio, and it didn't set off the alert -no light flashing, no "message," nothing. I intend to take this along on an extended road trip this summer (reprogramming the S.A.M.E. codes along the route), and I figure I'll probably encounter some sort of "alert-able" weather event along the way. I'll update this review then if that part works.

Meanwhile, I'm giving this 2 stars -it works pretty well as a compact "clock radio," doesn't take up a lot of space, and has decent reception. But Eton REALLY needs to do something about the instructions. The ones included with the product are useless, and the copy on the website isn't much better.

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The American Red Cross ZoneGuard Weather Radio made by Eton is unimpressive at best. It feels cheaply made, and just doesn't work all that well. For my rural area, the reception is horrible when compared to my Midland WR-300 unit. Where the reception of my Midland unit is crystal clear on the local station and 2 other nearby stations, this American Red Cross radio only picks up the local station with so much static it is barely understandable. When the alarm does manage to go off (it misses 4 out of 5 alerts when compared directly to my Midland unit), it does not auto-shut off; the weather broadcast will keep playing indefinitely until the radio is manually reset back to standby mode by the user.

The one nice thing this radio does have is a slim design with keyholes that allow it to be mounted to a wall, but with the radio failing to function in a reliable and useable manner, it is rather a moot point. I would recommend looking to other models with better reception if you rely on weather radio for your alerts. NOAA WX radio are the alerts direct from the proverbial horse's mouth the instant they are made, so having a weather radio actually capable of receiving these alerts is a good idea, just make sure you get a model that has good reception.

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The radio is a radio...not great sound or anything fancy. The weather band picks up clearly and works fine seemingly. We haven't had any alerts for me to see the colors flash, but I am currently in Pittsburgh, so it unfortunately won't be long. The directions are super tiny, but I found them to be easy to understand and was able to program the radio with little difficulty.

I consult for a parking company and knowing the weather and road conditions is important. The office is horrifying and disorganized. Mounting this flat radio to the wall was perfect. The weather now plays softly in the background and you almost don't notice it unless there is something that piques your interest.

I would recommend this radio especially for the very low profile and the ability to hang it so neatly on the wall. The functions aren't super high tech, but this is an inexpensive weather radio.

I am a fan of Eton products and trust their durability and quality.

Let me start by saying that we have a regular weather radio that works perfectly and doesn't have all the bells and whistles. My 7yo son is scared of extreme weather and always asks a million questions when ours says something, so I thought this would be great for him in his room. I loved the idea of the color changing light bar, so that he has a clue what is going on without having to immediately freak out. I also liked that it could be programmed to only make noise for certain things.

Well, the excitement stopped there for me. It showed up with a tiny instruction booklet with an even tinier font and unclear instructions. So, I came here to see what other reviewers were suggesting and from there went to the website and understood a little better. After a little time and frustration my husband was able to get it set up for our area and where it would only actually make noise when there is a tornado warning. We keep it in my son's room so that he can look at it whenever he wants. As far as how often it goes off, there has been no extreme weather at all around here in the last month, so I can't say how it does in those situations yet. I put batteries in it so he can unplug it and carry it around with him for the music or even take it to his safe place in a storm. I'll update my review whenever we have bad weather and it sounds the alarms.

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World Band Am/Fm/Shortwave Radio With Digital Display Headphone Jack

• Receives SW 1 and SW 2 world bands.
• Digital LCD display.
• High-performance telescopic antenna.
• Integrated 3" dynamic speaker.
• Clock and alarm functions.

HAVING HAD SUCCESS WITH PREVIOUS COBY PRODUCTS, I WAS DISSAPPOINTED WITH THE AM BAND RECEPTION WHICH WAS SO DISTORTED WITH PERSISTANT BACKGROUND STATIC THAT IT MADE THIS UNIT USLESS FOR ME. THE FM AND SW BANDS ARE EXCELLENT.

Save 44% Off

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UNLOCKED WIFI QWERTY DUAL SIM GSM CELL PHONE

I received this phone two days earlier, and customer service is excellent, but please do not spend your hard earn money on this phone, it looks good, but most of the features will not work, I use Digicell & Lime Caribbean, the only thing I can do is make and receive calls and text, the networks does not recognize the phone so it is not getting any package from them, Digicell operates on 1900, while lime operates on 850, I tried using the phone-book and keep getting the message no network available, a simple thing as phone-book. I choose image 1 for my wall-paper and it keeps going from wall-paper 1 to 3 to 5 then to 2, and theme picture. Anyone selling this phone needs to use one before selling it. The battery gives you only 4 hours use, I have to travel with the charger whereever I go.

I haven't use the phone yet as i bought it to use when i go the Caribbean but I tested it and it seem to be working just fine. The screen is very sharp and the sounds are very clear. The phone is very attractive. I would recommend it.

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todo bien muy bueno llego perfecto a venezuela los recomiendo como vendedores gracias por el equipo y la atencion prestada

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All XPHONEX brand phones are junk after about 3 weeks my phone stopped charging with the charger,so i had to get a universal charger to charge phone,then the phone keeps powering off if you have it in your pocket.I won't advise anyone to spend money on this brand of phone,waste of time & money.

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The phone it's self is very incredible.. It has all the same features as the Blackberry Touch, and half the price. But most important is the service that Ovy Exports provide. It's outstanding!! They really care about customer satisfaction. I never in all my year buying online experienced quick and caring service.. Thank You Ovy Exports..

James Lujan

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N9770 (U920) - 5.08 inch MTK6577 1.2GHz dual core CPU android 4.0.4 ICE CREAM SANDWICH 3G smartphone

This seems to be an excellent product. It's dual core, so it does seem faster than our Samsung Galaxy, yet it can do everything the Samsung can do, plus. It also comes with 2 batteries, so you have a backup battery you can pop in. You can charge the device in your car outlet as well as home outlet. The screen is easily scratched (no gorilla glass here), so I purchased a plastic cover for it, even though it comes with a protective case. You can purchase a microchip for extra memory, though I haven't had to do that yet. It is a dual sim, which is awesome when you need phone service, or even 3G. We will get 3G service when we travel in Europe so we can be connected to the internet virtually anywhere we go. =) I have dropped the Samsung while out hiking so many times and it's incredibly tough, I can vouch for that. Once it landed directly on a rock and wasn't the least bit phased. I take great pains not to drop this one as it might not hold up to that test. I would say they need a catchy name like Samsung.

I currently live in the Dominican Republic and Took me 30 days to receive the phone but I was properly informed by Amazon. No complains about it specialy after I tried the unit. I love it, because everything it has worked as advertised and them some. I'm not tech savy and needed a little help from my service carrier to set up the internet software due to country location since this phone works just about everywhere in the world. Everything else worked on the fly and I'm already very confortable customizing it to my needs. Worth every penny!

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I received this phone 3 weeks ago, installed a SandDisk 32GB class 10,yesterday appeared damaged,I formatted it,but the SD is useless. on the other side the phone work fast, better than a StarI92220 that I bought for my wife one month ago, it is more slim, has a dual core MediaTek processor compared with a single core of the I9220, I thought that I got a better product for the same price with the N9770, I was wrong.

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So far I am very happy with this phone. I initially got an iphone 3gs and returned it because I did not like the small screen and the fact it is apple. This phone is great (the samsung galaxy 3 or 4 comes with a better android os). You do not have to jailbreak this phone to write code on it. It is perfect for me. I am using H20 service for just text and talk, so I have no internet. But when I'm in range of wifi i can use the internet and make free phone calls through google talk and receive free phone calls. I really wanted the new galaxy but I hate contracts and did not want to fork out a lot of money just for phone. The phone came with two batteries. I have only had it 3 days and have used it heavily without having to charge it. I will probably need to charge about every 4 days. I hope the batteries last.

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I can compare with the original Samsung Note 1.

It sure is faster than the above mentioned, the touch screen works great and the resolution, although lower, is more than acceptable.

The problems I see with this model are:

Memory: Although it says 500 Mb, you can only install a few applications before Android starts complaining that its out of memory. My Note has 1 Gb but I can install 20 times more applications than on this model. I understand that the bloatware that is already installed on the phone reduces the amount of available memory for downloaded apps but still when installing memory seems to go down faster than it should.

GPS: is shaky at best, works sometimes, doesn't at others, in general I would say acceptable.

For the price, great phone but if like me you like to install lots of stuff (I have 230 apps installed on my Note), stay away from this one. If on the other hand you're happy with 20-30 apps, than great phone.

Used it in Canada, China and France with local SIMs from these countries, picked up all the configuration automatically without a glitch.

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iHome Dual Alarm Clock Radio iPhone

• UPC: 047532897296
• Weight: 2.200 lbs

The product really met my expectations. Easy to use, reliable alarm, great sound for an alarm clock, the dimmer is perfect. Highly recomended.

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Very usable item. Love that it does more than one thing, and let's me charge

iPAD at same time. Since I use it daily, I hope it will last awhile.

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I love this alarm clock. However, when I first got it there was a problem with the lights. in the bottom corners it would be dark and then slowly get brighter to show words down there. This would happen every time I wanted to say, set an alarm or change radio stations. It was so annoying! So I decided to return it and the new one turned out fine. I really like the fact that you can set two alarms and the dimming function. For me to sleep it has to be pitch black, and you can make the image dim down until its gone. Overall, it has a sleek styling and great audio.

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This item works well with both iPhone and iPad. It has good sound and remote control. We don't get radio reception here in rural Alaska, so I can't speak to the radio function.

When I purchased this it was going to be my Christmas present for myself. I opened it and to my shock there was no remote or instruction booklet inside.

I wrote emails to try to get them to replace it and send me a return label since it came without those important things. Not my fault.

At first they wanted me to return it at my cost but I was upset with that because it was not my fault. I paid ship costs once.

This went on for awhile and I believe they finally refunded me.

But I still needed the instructions and a remote I believed. So I went to iHome and looked up my model and purchased a remote from there.

It does not work well with mine. I am not sure it is the right one.

I had also asked them to just send me the remote and a instruction booklet please and besides that all could be fine and that never happened.

That is when I ordered the one that does not seem to work well.

But the reviewers I read that all liked this one I read those again and noticed that one mentioned that the remote was not that important to that person. Matter of fact said it was kind of useless and all was done with the buttons on top. That gave me hope cause the one I bought would only turn it on and off and nothing else.

As for the rest it is kind of hard getting an IPAD on it. I just received the new IPAD for XMas and I have only tried my old one on it and have not done anything the helpful reviews explained that was helpful.But I have not tried my phone or the new pad yet. I wondered if others had to work it a bit to get their Ipads connected? I also wondered if it could be used only by the buttons on top and in back as was so well described and so helpful for me without instructions? Or with my newest IPAD? Since you seem to need to use that for the app download. For all the cool features.

I really liked the looks and use with phones pods and Ipads. Also the idea of being able to get all those stations with the download of an app.

I still wish I had been able to just get them to send me the missing parts. It was not to much to ask I did not think. But the reviewers all of you were so helpful I almost believe that using the buttons will be enough. Thanks. As for the problem with the connection of my Ipad being hard to connect each time is a bit scary as Ipads are very expensive and I certainly do not want to mess that up! I can say it is nice looking to me and I personally liked the lighted blue which is large and easy to read and asthectically pleasing looking on my side table. Has anyone had trouble with connecting their Ipad? It is not worth having to replace that for sure. And the sound is okay for an alarm clock. Hope I can use with just the units buttons and the Ipad will connect easier with time. And lastly does anyone use the newest ipad with one? That would be the worse thing if it messed up an expensive Ipad. Please let me know if any of yu have had this awkward connect problem with Ipads? Thanks and Good Luck. I love my new Ipad. Do not want to break it with this alarm clock. Especially since I still have no instructions exept from reviewers. Thanks Alot. Maybe instructions might explain the awkwardness of connecting one. Thanks to all reviewers. Maybe instructions would have a tip on Ipad connecting.

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