iLuv iMM173 Alarm Clock and Dual Dock for iPod and iPhone (Black)

• Compatibility (plays and charges): iPod mini; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G; iPod classic 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G; iPod touch 1G, 2G; iPhone 1G, 3G
• Alarm clock has two docks for two iPods, two iPhones, or an iPod and an iPhone
• Dual alarm clocks lets you wake up to a buzzer, FM radio, or iPod/iPhone
• Features FM radio with 8 programmable presets; included remote control can be stored on the back of the device
• Backed by a 1-year warranty

The features of this product are great...the problem is the clock constantly freezes and/or locks up. Twice the alarm did not go off because the clock had frozen. I returned the product for a replacement thinking maybe I got a dud. Well the replacement does the same thing. So I emailed the company to see what could be done. Three suggestions were given:

1. Make sure you are using the iPhone dock adapter (well duh)

2. Turn the power off before inserting the phone (well ok but not sure how this would help the clock freezing in the future...it wasn't freezing when I was putting the phone in).

3. Power cycle the clock to reset...(ok I do this EVERY time it freezes).

So bottom line works great to listen to music...but if you need a clock or an alarm (which is probably why you are looking at an ALARM CLOCK) then this is unreliable and completely useless...just like the company's support.

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I was afraid that the iLuv Dual Dock would be too large for my end-table but it is the perfect size. I was also relieved to confirm that both docks will play and charge the 3G iPhone and newest iPods. The build quality is very high and the glossy plastic looks great but it is also a fingerprint magnet and hard to keep clean.

The reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is because I disagree with the other two reviews before mine that state that the sound quality was great. I think it sounds rather poor. I would rate the sound a 3 out of 5 at best. If I was using this for listening to music I'd send it back. It sound nothing even close to the Bose and Altec-Lansing iPod speakers i've listened to. Luckily I'm only using it as a clock, alarm and for listening to podcasts.

Note: It also comes with a nice remote that attaches to the back with a built in magnet.

EDITED:

Since posting the review I've had the iLuv "crash", "lock up", "freeze" a few times. I need to be able to rely on my alarm and this is a real problem. The clock stays showing the time of the crash and all buttons stop functinoing. I have to power cycle the clock to get it going again. I'm going to call iLuv and see what they can do for me.

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I, like others that have mentioned so here, had a lot of problems with my original unit. It constantly froze when I connected my iPhone3G, or I would get the dreaded "Accessory not compatible" message on my iPhone screen. I put up with this for about a week before I contacted iLuv about the problem(s).

To their credit, they handled the issue very professionally. iLuv/jWin utilizes an online-only support system, which I was a little sceptical about at first. When it comes to product support and returns, I would usually rather speak with a live person. However, the iLuv system is more like a blog where you can log in and see the status/comments associated with your trouble ticket, and any questions or comments I had were always answered within an hour. Not bad at all.

What ended up happening is that iLuv sent me a brand new updated unit that was labeled as "Version 1.1" (and even had a new "Time Sync" feature that keeps the time between your phone and clock synced at all times very handy. I didn't even have to set the clock initially it just took the time from the phone). The end result is that I have had the new unit for a week now and not one issue. The bottom line if you are having problems, contact iLuv. If you have version 1.0 of the product and are having problems with the iPhone3G, they will make it right.

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This thing sounds great. Works with Pandora streaming thru your 3G or home network to produce great sound. AUX jack out and in is nice too. Charges my iphone perfectly and I really like the radio alarm clock as the sound starts low and then goes higher. PROBLEM is the light. Even at the lowest level it puts off more light than I want. You can however turn the light totally off but then you have to touch the radio to see the time at 3 AM. Easy fix with some window tinting from Lowe's. The light probably won't bother most b/c there are 10 light settings so it's basically a flashlight at the highest level. But if you like cave darkness you'll have to make some adjustments. Other than the light this thing is a great little radio to have in any room and the speakers fill the room enough to listen to morning podcasts or radio/ipod/pandora. You won't be dissappointed!

I too, like many of the previous reviewers, was unlucky enough to get stuck with the very buggy, freeze-prone, Ver. 1.0 unit. You must contact customer support through their web-site, trying to reach them by phone is futile. Instead of being able to speak to a live person and get the exchange process handled quickly, you are forced to endure endless blog-type messages back and forth with customer "service." As I write, I have now spent over two hours trying to simply arrange an exchange of the unit. Perhaps I will get a replacement someday and that will be nice but this was definitely NOT worth the hassle. There are better units out there.

I am pretty tech-savvy but I find the controls on this unit very un-intuitive. I am constantly reviewing the very-hard-to-read instruction booklet just to remember how to select presets or set the alarm.

Really the only good thing I can say about this clock is that it can dock two ipods and it has a big, easy to read display.

Update Feb. 6: Received the new replacement unit today. Unfortunately they mistakenly sent me the old version 1.0 in a new version 1.1 box. So now I get to return two units.

Update Feb. 11: Finally got version 1.1. Now the unit works as it should, no freezing up, time syncs when you put iPhone in the dock. I still wouldn't go through this hassle again. Hard to get in touch with customer service.

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Chinon Portable AVI Digital TV with iPod Dock (Black)

• Digital TV System ATSC
• 7 in TFT LCD Screen
• AC or battery operated
• iPod docking and charging
• FM radio and alarm clock

I was quite surprised with the quality of this product. I was looking for a portable TV but had difficulty with finding one with regular replaceable batteries. This one takes 8 size C batteries so I get long battery use. The picture quality is excellent with the antenna it comes with and the Ipod feature is terrific. If you have a long term power outage, this is a great buy!

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When the all-digital TV came to town I had to give up my under-counter kitchen SONY radio with AM as well as FM signal and TV signal. Thought this Chinon would be an improvement because of the iPod dock. How wrong I was. The sound is inferior in all applications. The radio signals are fussy. The TV sound (which is all I care about) is equally mediocre. The picture is distorted but maybe you can adjust it for widescreen mode -I didn't try. Anyhow, this is another crummy made-in-China piece of electronic junk.

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The TV is almost useless since you can't even hook up a portable dvd player either. With the hook ups in the back I thought this would be the perfect item for a weekend away scrapbooking, but the ipod and radio was all I could have so the TV was useless since I couldn't play my dvds and the antenna didn't so anything for me. My 2 cents.

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UNLOCKED QUADBAND DUAL SIM FULL-QWERTY MP3 CAMERA VGA GSM CELLPHONE WHITE T5

This is an awesome unlocked phone. We took it to Australia plugged in a local SIM card and away we went. The phone is also made well, works well, seems rugged. One caveat my daughter did not bring the original charger, since the plug matched her phone. Unfortunately, the phone did not actually accept the other charger, and it took some mix-and-match plugging to get it charged. So be sure to take the original charger with you when travelling.

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iHome iH55 Clock Radio with Dock for iPod (Silver)

• Compatibility: iPod mini 1G; iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G
• Wake to iPod, radio, or buzzer; sleep to iPod or radio with gradual wake and sleep feature that gently increases or decreases volume
• Full-function remote control
• Tuned Reson8 speaker chambers for rich, true sound
• Features line-in jack for playing other audio devices

at first i was very impressed with the iHome iH55SR. it boasted great sound, a nice remote, and simple controls in a sleek compact design. unfortunately, my delight turned to frustration shortly before bedtime when i realized the display was so bright it was as if a spotlight was shining into my bedroom. on the plus side the iH55SR does feature a dimmer which allows the owner to adjust the display's brightness. when on the medium setting the clock radio's display is a bit brighter than a child's night-light. however, unlike a night-light which is usually a warm color light (e.g. red, yellow, or orange) the clock's display is a cool blue which has a bigger impact in the dark. sadly, on the lightest setting the clock is barely readable, although this would not be an issue if the display would turn brighter when the alarm goes off. as it stands now i leave it on the medium setting when i go to bed, but i wish i would have just spent the extra $20 on the latest model.

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One daughter loves pink, the other loves blue; one falls asleep to music, while the other is awakened by it; one likes a little light in her room at night, the other likes her room as close to pitch black as possible; they both love listening to their iPod Nanos, and they both needed a new alarm clock. This iHome product was exactly what we needed! The sound quality is amazingly good for being a small alarm clock; my girls love the fact that it charges their iPods as well as plays them; and the remote control allows them to easily access the basic functions of the unit while half asleep. I love the fact that this unit sets the time automatically, has a simple switch on the back to adjust for daylight savings time, and also a battery backup in case of a power outage. Both units have been functioning beautifully since Christmas day and were easily worth every penny we paid for them!

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Great sound for a fairly compact radio. Remote control works great and is very convenient. I like the interchangeable color fronts that came with it.

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This looks good, and the sound is really very good. Unfortunately, I decided to purchase in spite of some of the negative reviews here, and I experienced the same issues. I'm not able to get clear FM reception no matter how I arrange the antenna wire or move the clock around the room. And while the dimmable display is great, once it is dimmed you can't read it unless you are standing on top of it, so forget seeing the time once you are in bed.

I am a college student. I have friends who have this item and I was excited to get one for Christmas. I will for sure wear it out, it works and sounds good, it was just what I wanted...

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Hot Wheels Screeching Projection Alarm Clock - Blue

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

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

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

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Grace Digital MatchStick (GDI-GFD7200) Charging Speaker Dock for Kindle Fire - Portrait and Landscap

++++++++++

Update:

I was informed by the Grace Digital MatchStick management that the battery pack that makes this product portable will be available in August of 2012. Its part number is AAC-GFDLI and it will sell for $29.99 on Amazon. This seems like a fair price and provides the added benefit of making your Kindle Fire and Matchstick Dock portable and easier to use. This is good news!

Here is my later video review of the Matchstick Battery pack and you can find it here.

Grace Digital Matchstick for Kindle Fire Rechargeable Battery Pack

I also attached the speaker system to my iPad 3 and iPhone using the included audio cable and the system sound was very good. This is ideal for watching movies or listing to music with your Apple devices to get much better sound quality instead of just using your Apple device for the sound. I have included a photo of my iPad hooked up. Make sure to turn-up the volume level on your iPad and then use your volume control on the MatchStick to set the volume. With the battery option this makes a nice portable sound system for picnicking or camping. Just connect your earphone output plug from your Apple device to the audio input plug on the back of the MatchStick and change the input setting of the MatchStick using the remote control.

++++++++++

This is an innovative docking station as this is the first one I have seen for the Kindle Fire. It is well designed and the audio output is very good. I wish I could have played some audio or a video for you in my video review but with the copyright laws I did not want to push the chance of making someone mad. The audio is just great and it provides a loud volume without distortion or cracking. The balance of bass, midrange and highs is well done and you can adjust the bass and treble to suit your needs.

I am convinced that this product is a winner but I am also convinced that having the battery pack is the way to go for people who are Amazon prime members and stream music or videos using Prime or another video streaming system. You could then watch movies and not be tied to the AC power cord. Please watch my video as there more details in it to help you evaluate the product.

If you have any questions please post your comments and I will try to respond to them.

Grace Digital MatchStick Pros

* Very nice sound with a good mixture of highs, midrange and bass.

* Good for watching videos or listening to music.

* Volume is quite good and the sound was still crisp without distortion.

* Remote control provided with bass and treble control.

* Auxiliary input cable provided.

* Landscape and portrait modes of operation.

* 50 and 38 degree viewing angle while in portrait mode.

* A good instruction manual is included.

* A hefty AC adapter to charge your Kindle Fire and the optional AC battery with the same device.

Grace Digital MatchStick cons

* 4 ½ foot power cord on the AC adapter can't reach to the top of a dresser or to the middle of a desk.

* Rechargeable battery option but no price or availability known at this time. If you are an Amazon Prime member this is a must have option to relax and watch movies without being tied to a power cord.

Overall analysis

* Easy to use and adds value to using a Kindle Fire for an entertainment system.

* Good sound for the money. It isn't a Bose system but it also costs 40% of the price of a Bose iPod AC powered docking station.

* If you are an Amazon Prime Member this is an ideal add on to enhance your audio enjoyment while playing music or watching a movie.

* I wish it included the battery and would only cost say $30 more as a package. It would also have been ideal to use some of my rechargeable Sanyo eneloop or 18650 rechargeable power cells instead of a proprietary battery design.

I was provided a free evaluation sample to test and provide an honest and thorough review.

As a viewing stand, the GRACE DIGITAL MATCHSTICK DOCK is terrific. It holds the Kindle Fire a few inches above your desktop or tabletop at an ideal vertical or horizontal viewing angle. With slight pressure, the holder turns from vertical to horizontal and settles firmly into position, so that the Fire stays put.

As a speaker dock, the MatchStick is pretty good. With the Fire volume set to maximum, the MatchStick delivers sound that is perfectly satisfactory for a non-audiophile like myself. You get sound that is similar to what you get with the AmazonBasics Portable Stereo System, but a little fuller, with more maximum volume.

However, the MatchStick is not perfect.

ON/OFF SWITCH (KINDLE FIRE): When the Fire is in the holder, you turn it on or off with a button located underneath the dock. In one of the two horizontal positions (with the dock to the right), the button on my device doesn't work properly unless the Fire is pushed firmly against the dock again, or unless the button is held down hard (which usually triggers the "do you want to turn your Kindle Fire off?" query that comes up before you do a full reboot).

ON/OFF SWITCH (MATCHSTICK DOCK): To play music, you must turn the Matchstick on with a button located in the top panel above the right speaker. When the Matchstick is turned on, it automatically charges your Kindle Fire. When your Fire is fully charged, there is no way to turn off the charger. If you wish to listen to music, the charger continues to charge continuously while the speakers play. (The MatchStick dock has an upright plug that connects with the charger outlet on the bottom of the Fire.)

TREBLE/BASS BUTTONS (REMOTE): As I said previously, I'm not an audiophile. However, I noticed very little difference when I pressed the + and buttons for the treble and bass adjustments (on the remote), or even when I pressed the Equalizer button to reset the sound.

VOLUME (MATCHSTICK DOCK, REMOTE): To me, the up/down volume buttons on both the MatchStick top panel and the remote seem sluggish. Holding them down will adjust the volume, though. To get the maximum volume from the MatchStick speakers, you must first set the Fire volume to maximum. (The dock has an upright plug that connects with the Fire's earphone jack when you slide the Fire into the holder).

TEMPERATURE (KINDLE FIRE): When I'm using the MatchStick to play music, my Fire runs at a higher temperature than when I play music with the Fire alone or with the Amazon Basics external, battery-powered speakers. (All of my music comes from a wireless connection with the Amazon Cloud--no music is on the Fire itself.) I don't usually play music for extended periods, but for testing purposes, I played music on the MatchStick for several hours. My Fire, which started around 65 percent at 73 degrees, was fully charged after 15 minutes or so, and the temperature was around 92 degrees (as measured by the excellent Badass Battery Monitor (Kindle Fire Edition) (a free Android version of this app also works with the Fire). After about an hour, there was a music skip, then there were occasional, more frequent skips. Replaying indicated that the skips were not in the music recordings. After three hours of mostly playing music with the display off, the Fire temperature was at 94 degrees. When the music developed a bit of static, I decided to end the test. Playing music with the display off on the Fire alone (plugged in to the USB charger with an outlet adaptor--not the Fire charger), or on the Amazon Basics speakers (noncharging) resulted in temperatures in the high 80s or below. (The Matchstick uses an electrical adaptor like the Fire charger--one with a big black box at the outlet end).

FOOTPRINT (MATCHSTICK DOCK): This is strictly personal, but the MatchStick footprint is too large for my available tabletop/desktop space. The MatchStick measures 4" high by 13" wide, so that leaving the unit out with the Fire docked has the effect of converting my mobile device into a permanent, immobile installation. The Fire slides smoothly in and out of the dock, but I don't have space in my small condo to leave the dock out permanently, given that it lacks superb sound quality.

I like the MatchStick dock, but because of its various drawbacks, I won't be using it regularly. For this reason, I rate it at 3 stars ("it's okay" on the official Amazon scale).

This review is based on a product supplied to me by the manufacturer free of charge for review purposes. I have no financial interest, or business relationship with the manufacturer, and this review represents my independent opinion of the product.

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**UPDATE: I've noticed a few reviewers mentioning that it's hard to turn your Fire on and off. My personal experience has been that this is a very easy process. There is a button at the base of the input port, raised and easy to feel if your Fire is vertical. When I push this, my Kindle turns on immediately. You don't have to use the Kindle's power button.**

I am really impressed with the MatchStick. I don't listen to a lot of music on my Kindle Fire but I like to watch videos. But the Kindle Fire sound system was moderate at best. The MatchStick is a great solution to plug in your Fire and either listen to music, watch videos or whenever you want sound.

It plugs in securely to the audio output and the charging port of your Fire which means that it will charge the Fire while docked. The Fire can be displayed in three positions: vertical, horizontal left or horizontal right. So you can flip it either way. And the plug seems to be secure enough in any direction.

The unit has a great benefit beyond using it for your Fire. It has an auxiliary audio input that attaches to any mp3 player including an iPod. So, in one speaker set, I can use my Fire or my iPod. The best of all worlds!

The sound quality is good. It is not perfect, especially as the volume increases but it is comparable to other smaller speaker sets like this. Unlike some other similar speaker sets this has an added benefit of an equalizer including base and treble control (but only through the remote).

A nice unit with a dual purpose.

(This unit was provided to me at no cost for an honest review.)

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Overall, the Matchstick delivers decent sound from a relatively compact footprint while charging a Kindle Fire.

-PROS

--The Grace Digital Matchstick performs its two basic functions very well: delivering sound from Kindle sources (either locally stored .mp3 files or content streamed from the cloud (such as via Pandora or Amazon's cloud player) and charging the Kindle Fire.

--The Matchstick's cradle holds a headset jack (that provides audio input to its speakers from the Fire) and a USB port (that provides charging for the Fire). The Kindle Fire slides easily into the cradle, and the input jack and USB port are nicely aligned. The cradle itself can me manually rotated for either a portrait or landscape view of the Kindle Fire.

--Sound quality is very good (within the normal constraints of the lossy nature of either .mp3 or streaming sources). I judge speakers mostly by midrange sound and the clarity of guitars and vocals. You won't host a party with these speakers, but in a quiet room, they deliver a very good sound quality.

--The unit ships with an auxiliary cable, and will also accept audio output from non-Kindle devices (I tested with both an HTC Evo phone and iPod Nano 5G)

--Includes a nicely written user guide (useful even if it does contain some typos).

--The Matchstick weighs 4 pounds and overall has a solid, hefty field.

-CONS (all minor)

--You will be tethered to an AC power source. The user guide indicates a proprietary rechargeable battery unit is available (and the rear of the Matchstick contains a compartment for it), but I was unable to find the battery for sale on either Amazon or Grace Digital. Battery availability and increased portability would move this item to 5 stars. Contact with the vendor indicates the battery will become available in August 2012. According the the user guide, when installed the battery will power the speakers, but will not charge the Kindle Fire.

--Some controls (treble/bass/EQ) are available only on the remote. The remote is VERY small and very thin, Misplace it, and you'll lose these control features.

--Non-intuitive status indicators from two LEDs: the user guide contains a 31x5 chart of possible combinations of color and flashing/steady indicators from the Matchstick's two LEDs. Unless something is wrong: too hard (especially since many indicators address the apparently non-available battery!).

--Aux audio input is co-located on the rear/bottom of the unit near the AC adapter input. Placing the aux input on the top would have improved access for connecting a non-Fire device.

--Large "wall-wart" for AC adapter.

Overall, I found the Matchstick easy to use and liked the quality of sound from its speakers. This costs enough to not be considered a casual purchase, and at that price I wish the battery capability was available in order to make this unit truly portable.

Note:

This product was provided at no cost to me by the vendor.

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Ordered 2 days ago. Much intervening regret for spending so much. Arrived 5 hrs ago and since then all regrets vanished. The device is very solid. It can orient your kindle in any direction. Mainly the sound is wonderful. I'm slightly hard of hearing but wish to play it low so as to not impose my music on townhouse neighbors. I think I'm playing no louder than formerly yet I can hear so much better. Don't understand this but am willing to accept it. I agree with all who say this transforms the kindle fire. It does!

Only regret: It's heavy so picking it up from table to lay on my generous midsection to read will require gentle care. There's no handle to lift it so there's the temptation to contact the speaker face with the thumb. This would eventually rub a hole in the fabric covering the speaker. A solid plastic carrying handle would be a nice bonus.

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Jensen AWM975 AM/FM/CD/DVD/USB/WB/iPOD Ready Wallmount Stereo with HDMI Video Output

• Fully suspended slot-type CD/DVD deck mechanism
• 30 programmable station presets (18FM, 12AM)
• Front USB support playback MP3 /WMA/ JPEG format
• Alarm clock with sleep timer
• Full iPod® audio controls & charging

This is a pretty ordinary product. I got one with my new RV. The DVD plyer is actually ok. The Cd player sounds bad. The sound is dead and lacks realism and frankly I am at a loss as to how Jensen pulled this off. After all this is an old technology. The radio lacks am sensitivity but Fm is ok.Believe it or not..it lacks a scanning feature. You skim through the dial one agonizing frequency at a time. I note that other manufacturers make similar products though as far as I can tell you will not find them on Amazon at least for the moment. Overall I think you can do a lot better.

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Was a replacement for another Jensen that stopped working. Only issue was the height was approximately 1/8 inch more than the opening in the cabinet.

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Well constructed with easy install. Directions and diagrams are accurate and helpful. Speaker separation works beautifully. DVD player works very well and the added benefit of hearing the movie or TV throughout our camper(or wherever we want it including just to our outside speakers) clearly and as loudly as we want it (rather than depending on the speakers of the TV) is awesome. Great product!

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My wife and I have a Jayco Eagle TT that came with one of these units. We had to replace it before our warranty was up and now the replacement has stopped working as well. Of course we are now out of the warranty period. We will be looking for other options. We have no intention of going for round 3.

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Uniden TRU9466 2-Line Expandable Cordless System with Dual Keypad and Call Waiting/Caller ID

• IntegriSound life-like audio
• 100-name phonebook with 2 phone numbers per name and up to 100-number Caller ID memory
• 7-way conferencing and DirectLink 2-way radio feature
• Transfer phonebook memory between handsets along with intercom feature
• Trilingual menus

This is a very high quality telephone system at a fantastic price. Admittedly, some will wish that this phone had other features, but I bought it because it matched my needs exactly:

1. Handles two lines.

2. Expandable without needing a phone jack connection for each handset.

3. No answering machine capabilities (we have, and prefer, voice mail).

4. Able to mute all ringers (handsets and base) for a sleeping baby.

Beyond this, we just needed acceptable range and sound quality -nothing extravagant.

I'm happy to report that these phones have excellent range, exceptional sound quality, and are a snap to set up. The expansion phones set themselves up by simply placing them in the base for a few seconds. It couldn't be easier. The menu system (on each handset and the base) is very intuitive (similar to cell phones), and offers many functions we will never use -but they never get in the way of the simple things.

Plus, the price was right. This has turned out to be a very successful purchase.

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System Design

I've never owned a Uniden multi-phone system before. I started with the old Siemens stuff (utter garbage) in the 1990's and really liked the panasonic multi line systems that I've used in a few locations since they released them. Enormous frustration with the user interfaces on the Panasonic Hybrid PBX system in my office lead me to flee from Panasonic to try another vendor with this system.

The low cost of the phones and the ease of registering new handsets are terrific. My favorite feature is the programmable banner on each phone. Once the banner is programmed in, you can use the intercom feature on any other handset to call another location by NAME, not handset number! Really brilliant! A great design, if only these things had the range or a way to switch like a cell system to another base location.

Reception and Range

I should have trusted my instinct when reading about the 5.8 GHZ systems. If you read carefully, you will note that they do not make a comparison to 2.4 GHZ systems EXCEPT to note that the 5.8 GHZ systems won't interfere with most 802.11x networks. Unforutnately, when I replaced my 5 year old panasonic 2 line system with this, I noticed a significatn decrease in transmission range especially through the old stone barn walls of our house. I suspect the higher frequency just can't penetrate the old thick walls like the 2.4 ghz systems can.

Even though this system is supposedly spread spectrum and frequency hopping, if i have a bad connection and move around the house, the connection stays bad, even if i move right next to the phone.

I would love to find a consumer version of the panasonic cordless system that offers multiple "cell" locations on an internal phone systems. The engenius systems still seem like they aren't ready for prime time.

If you buy this system, be prepared for a decrease in range versus 2.4 ghz systems.

If I could find an alternative that's as well designed, I'd repalce this system quickly.

Read Best Reviews of Uniden TRU9466 2-Line Expandable Cordless System with Dual Keypad and Call Waiting/Caller ID Here

First, a couple of things.

There seems to be questions about whether the handsets support two lines. This confusion is created by very poor sales documentation, and even the manuals are week. I can tell you that yes, the additional handsets not only support two line, but do it very well and intuitively.

Secondly, those that gig this phone a star for not having an answering machine. Well, that just doesn't make sense. It doesn't have an answering machine on purpose! If you want an answering machine, buy the next model up that has the answering system you need.

For those of us with multi-lines and voice mail, this is the perfect phone. In fact, after a month of research, I do believe this is the only phone on the market equipped like this (multi-line, VM support and NO answering machine). All the others have answering machines you have to pay for, then never use.

Setup is a snap. The interface is very clear. The displays are very clear. The two-line operation is excellent.

Range has not been an issue for me at all.

Voice is clear.

I purchased 3 additional handsets.

If I HAD to gig the phone for anything, it would be that you cannot change the ringer sound on the base station. You can set one of 20 to each line on the handsets, but the base is fixed. I do find that weird.

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I have bought and tried many brands of wireless phone before, from Casio to Panasonic, from the cheap ones to the high end ones. But nothing can beat this phone. It is very easy to set up (especially to synchronize extra handsets), very clear reception and doesn't interfere with my network at home. This is exactly 2 line phone that I have been looking for all this time, believe me, I have searched many option and so far Uniden is the best choice.

I have tried so many and returned all of them, until trying this expandable phone system from Uniden.

RCA, Panasonic are really badly made and unreliable, ...this system is superior to them all.

Crystal clear reception, no interference in our high rise office building.

Plus the pricing is excellent if you shop around.

This is a purchase you won't live to regret.

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mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black

• World's smallest digital audio player, at 0.63 ounces and 0.94 inches square
• 1 GB memory holds 16 hours of MP3 and 32 hours of WMA audio
• Plays MP3, WMA, and secure WMA (compatible with online stores and subscription services)
• Integrated FM radio with 20 presets and record function; built-in microphone and voice recorder
• Unique OLED display; internal lithium-polymer battery charged via USB connection or AC adapter

A few months ago I saw the MobiBLU Cube on some weekend morning news show. At the time I did not have an MP3 player, which is kind of strange since I am what you call an "early adopter." I liked the looks of the MobiBLU Cube. It's a small (approx. 1") cube that fits in the palm of your hand. A couple of weeks later I went to Wal*Mart and bought the black one. I wanted the pink one but that is only available online and I didn't feel like waiting. I purchased the 1 GB player and it was $129.00.

The MobiBLU Cube comes with the mp3 player, a pair of necklace headphones that double as antennae for the FM receiver, an ac adapter, USB cable, instruction manual, software and a rubbery protective thingy.

I should say right off that I am not a music person. I like music, of course, but I don't obsess about it. I can't really tell the difference between good sound quality and great sound quality. I can tell bad quality, though, and the MobiBLU Cube does not have bad sound quality. It may not be great quality but it is at least good quality--and, it may be great quality, as far as I know. All I can really say is that the sound quality is sufficient for me and would probably be sufficient for most people.

The MobiBLU Cube has some neat features. It can tune in FM radio stations, although in my area this feature doesn't really work. It has a microphone and can be used to take memos. You can also record from the FM receiver and add the recordings to your playlist.

I find that the included earbuds get really uncomfortable overtime. They came with spongy cover things but by the time I realized they had come with it one had already fallen out of the package so I don't know if that would help with the discomfort. My guess is that it would not help much because the discomfort is a result of the somewhat large size and slightly odd shape. I'll probably eventually pick up new earbuds one of these days.

The Self Emitting Blue OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) Display is ultra bright. Sometimes I use it in the middle of the night to find things when I don't feel like turning on the light, it is that bright. I also haven't had any problems reading the screen outside and I don't exactly have the best eyes in the world.

The random play feature needs some work. I currently have 66 songs on my unit (and yes, I paid for every one of them--I don't steal music), 26 of those songs are Big & Rich (two full albums). That's just over 1/3rd of them so at that rate B&R should be player approximately every 3rd song but typically it plays about 5-6 B&R songs in a row and then will play 1 of my other songs and a lot of the songs almost never come up on random play. Interestingly the B&R songs that are playing are almost always from the Coming to your City album. So, I have songs from one album playing repeatedly while other songs aren't playing at all. Now, obviously I like Big & Rich but come on, there's a limit to how many times I can listen to Jalapeno in one sitting! I frequently skip several songs in a row when I am listening in random play.

The product manual claims that with the screen off and the volume under 20 the MobiBLU Cube can play for up to 10 hours. I don't have the patience to wait out 10 hours to test it but I do know that I have never had it stop playing while I was listening to it. The most time I am likely to spend listening is maybe 2 or 3 hours. The one thing that really bothers me about this MP3 player is that the battery doesn't hold a charge when it is off. Every time I want to listen to it I have to recharge it even if I haven't been playing it and the battery was full a couple days ago. This may be the case with all MP3 players, I'm not sure.

I had trouble using the included software. I would drop the files to the player and the files would come up on the player as zero length files. Then I reformatted it and tried using the WMP sync function and it worked perfectly. When I got my new laptop I didn't even bother to install the MobiBLU software, I just use WMP and everything works just fine.

As far as durability goes I have had no problem. I have been using it for a few months without any problems. I have definitely dropped it once or twice and my cat is certain it is actually a cat toy. If I look away for just a second he will pick it up and run off with it and bat it around for a while. It still works despite a bit of abuse and that's a good thing. The iPod we got my nephew for Christmas stopped working before the New Year and he was treating it like vial of nitroglycerin! Apparently those things break if you look at them wrong.

The MobiBLU Cube is not without its flaws, but it's a cute little device. It's lightweight and really simple to use. The 1 GB capacity holds up to 32 hours of music (in WMA format). For the price it is probably the best deal on the market. It used to only be available from Wal*Mart but now you can find it all over the web including at TigerDirect, Target and Amazon.com.

Buy mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black Now

No need to repeat all the features, but the FM tuner functionality and recording capability is invaluable to me. The microphone is very high quality for its type -I've used it to record lectures, public announcements, and live music, and it's performed admirably in all cases. FM reception isn't too strong, but some is better than none!

One other note about the device's design: the dime's width screen makes for a surprisingly effective user interface, but don't expect to see track information while your files are playing -it just scrolls the filename. If you have 2gB of music loaded, that can be an annoyance.

Some people have complained about the service and quality of the device. I just got my 8-month-old unit back from the service center, so I can comment accurately on both issues.

The quality of the device's physical construction is very impressive. It comes with an impact guard, but it seems fairly indestructible. In 2/3 of a year of active use, there's not a scratch on the unit.

The one weak point is the OLED screen -blue, beautiful, and bright, but extremely weak to burn-in. That is, if the screen is active and displaying the charging screen -as it is when you connect it to your computer -the pixels that are on will noticeably weaken and fade. It doesn't make it unusable, but it's a flaw in the software. Using a wall or car charger does not cause this problem, so I recommend you do.

My unit's problem was corruption of the firmware. I don't know whether it was the player's fault or my computer's (I've had weird USB problems for a long time). In any case, the device would -every twenty syncs or so -get a bit corrupted, so that the options screen no longer worked. I had to reflash each time (though contrary to what another user complained about, you're not forced to delete all your audio files to do so). After months of this, a reflash failed, rendering the player unusable.

I emailed MobiBLU support about it and got no response. After a week, I called their customer support line. I talked to a very courteous representative who told me to resend the email. I did and got a response the next day. (I can only guess they have a zealous spam filter.) I sent the unit in, they replaced the firmware, and sent it back express. I got it within a three days of them receiving it.

Here's the best part: the new firmware performs a self-check on startup, which probably would have prevented my problem for occurring. The new firmware also improves navigation in the file structure and features a new "Favorites List" functionality that seems very useful. It doesn't appear to be up on their site yet, but it probably will be soon.

So: the firmware seems a little bit buggy and susceptible to corruption. Customer support requires a bit of effort to work with. Despite these problems, it's been a quality piece of equipment and the company has acquitted themselves well in our interactions.

If you want a tiny, light, convenient, inexpensive player, you can't do better than this one. It's not perfect, but I wouldn't trade it for anything else on the market.

Read Best Reviews of mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black Here

If you are introverted, don't buy a MobiBlu cube, people see it and want to know what it is without fail wherever I go. They will try to engage you in conversation and want to touch the cube. Once they find out it's an MP3 player, they shake their head in disbelief. It's roughly one inch square. They could probably make these even smaller but why, they'd be less usable and harder to manipulate.

In the gym I see people struggle with their oversized iPods (iPaid2much is a better name!) latched onto their arms like some plastic, electronic leech. The Mobiblu cube hangs neatly below your neckline via the supplied ear phone cord and is so light, you don't even notice it after a short while. If I am doing some very strenuous or exercising with lots of movement, just a quick tuck of the Mobiblu inside the shirt keeps it neatly and safely stowed for about anything you can think of.

Things I really like about the cube is that it recharges quickly. I can take 100's of songs with me to the gym, more than I can even listen to in the two hours I'm there. The sound is easily shaped to anyone's tastes and the construction is very sturdy, I was quite impressed by that when I first pulled it out of the box. The buttons have a nice tactile feel with sure clicks. The OLED blue screen is extremely bright and can be adjusted to further conserve battery life.

All in all, I think this is the best MP3 for the active person. This is the MP3 player that Apple wishes they were building.

Want mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black Discount?

I have had the mobliBLU 1GB for about 6 months and I use it for Mp3 music only. Although it can play WMA files, I believe the battery may last longer with Mp3 files recorded @128kbps. I set the LED display to ALWAYS ON only when charging for long periods of time (ie. overnight) so that it does not overcharge the battery. I had to reinstall the latest firmware once about six months ago, but it has worked reliably ever since. Seeing the display in *bright* sunlight is a problem. Selecting the music to play is fairly easy, and I have never had a problem with "random" mode. I really like the equalizer which has presets, but allows you to configure it anyway you want. The earbuds are a tad larger than I would like, but they seem to have excellent sound quality.

The FM radio only works for strong local stations. The 1GB is too small-I am sure the 2GB is a better value. Copying music and deleting th music is a piece of cake using My Computer or Windows File Explorer. The iPOD Nano is nice, but it does not come with the necklace earbuds which are $39.99 from Apple the last time I checked. You must also use iTunes to load and remove music, which I found cumbersome. I recommend the mobiBLU for those who want to try something diferent and easy to use.

I've had my little mobiblu 1 gb player for a year now so i know a lot about it. In the begining i was so excited to have it. the easy copy paste music feature is a nice touch.the size is obviously small and convienient. but that is also its down fall. It may be to small for it's own good. small buttons, small screen, small, small, small... you get the picture? The sound quality is alright but you really need to turn it up to hear it (not to say the volume is bad). the blue screen is nice and bright easy to see in the dark, and the unit is light and not even a bit heavy...It has a radio but the reception is bad. th clock and voice recording features are a nice touch as well. plus the same cable that you connect to the computer can be plugged into a wall outlit to power it as well. plus it also can get it power from the computer

now for the problems i've had with mine.

From all the reviews on amazon i've read. all of the other people who have this little system have different unique problems...Mine are as follows

The system after a long period of time would not turn on when i press the play/on button and the system had 3 bars full power and i had to constantly press the reset button on the bottom of the unit to get it working. When that did not work i went to my computer, and had to delete everything on the system to get rid of any file corruption that might be making the unit malfunction and reinstall the firmware that came from the disc that comes with the unit. I've had to do this twice over the course of me having the unit.

Well that my scoop on the mobiblu dah 1500i

It nice for novelty and having people stare at it ask "what is it?" to you. But you would be better off spending your money on another better mp3 player like the creative labs or the ipod players

Pros: It's small, Lightweight, easy to put files on it, easy to manage.

Cons: It's Small, you might experience a problem or two.

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XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X

• Powered by Android 4 ICS and team behind XBMC who brings you the Official XBMC development platform.
• Built in 10/100 Ethernet connection and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connections for all your audio, video streaming demands from internet, networked or DLNA devices.
• Get the latest Internet technology on your TV including a web browser supporting the latest HTML 5, Adobe Flash 10.x, Chrome V8 and Java support.
• Support weather, calendar and hundreds of desktop widgets such as weather, calendar, clock, search, internet radio, photo album and hundreds more!
• Supports a wide range of USB peripherals such as XIOS Sence wireless motion remote, wired/wireless keyboard, mouse, webcam, card reader, digital cameras, and more

Update 01/28: Netflix issues fixed for ICS, check yt v=hdCNZrStoYg

Update 10/09: Major updates for XBMC both Linux and Android, synced with XBMC mainline, most add-ons now work without issues.

Update 8/13: XBMC Linux port released

Update 8/6: Latest GB based released with support for Bluetooth devices.

Update 8/6: More elaborate review for XBMC (most recent version has compatibility for usb pointing devices), check YT video v=6SnPveEkNPc

Update 8/5: The wifi antenna reception issue fixed, check YT video v=cQysHr8mcJg

Update 7/14: Pivos got XBMC running on the XIOS-DS, check YT video v=y4o-k1DxF5w

Pivos just released an Android based super slim box to complement its successful AIOS HD Media Center, Full HD 1080p, Gigabit Network, USB 3.0 data, Flash Reader, 3.5" SATA 2 ? Is Android really the holy-grail of media players ?! well ... read on and tell for yourself.

Unboxing:

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

Check my pictures in the gallery section, a DVD used to get an idea about the size of every thing in comparison.

The retail box: though small and humble is huge compared to how small the actual XIOS is.

Package contents: No quick start leaflet included, quick start guide printed on the inner box. You get an HDMI cable (for the only output port on the box), XIOS itself, an IR remote (modest with only few buttons to navigate, change volume and turn on/off the box) and the 5V/2A adapter.

The XIOS: 3xUSB, LAN, mSD slot, power button, firmware recovery/upgrade hole, and the ONLY output is HDMI.

XIOS .. the ICS update ..

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

The box comes with Android GB out of the box, I am not going to even bother with that GB is not meant for a big screen display, ICS is already out (posted on the official forums) and takes about 10 minutes to apply, the rest of the review is of Android ICS running on the box.

XIOS .. The good ..

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

Once ICS is installed there was no issue running MKVs up to 1080p/11GB (over wired network).

After that size, things gets pretty unstable. The majority of my rips past that size are ISOs which isn't supported any way.

YT HD is running without any issue, Flash HD is running fine in Dolphin browser (stick the preloaded 10.2).

Wireless keyboard/mouse combo works fine with the box, but there is no way to turn the box off without the original IR remote (even the motion remote doesn't have a power button) unless you reach for power button the box itself (alternatively you can install widgets from the market to reboot and turn off the box right from the home screen).

ICS comes with the latest Google Play store, app visibility is on bar with all other android devices I have owned.

Experience is as rich as you expect from any ICS based device, Plex works mighty fine additionally there is reports about limited support for webcams and USB microphones.

XIOS ..The bad ..

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

Couple of inconveniences, video playback apps doesn't seem to respect scaling settings, you wouldn't notice this issue if you have a display with no over/under scanning, in which cases you can use a "screen size" setting to adjust the output to your screen size, that said, once video app loads it will automatically revert to the original scale.

Another minor is windowed playback (YT or flash in YT app or web browser), once the video starts, it automatically revert to full screen then "crops" (not minimizes) back to window size, if you would then click on the full screen button at any time you would get proper image.

There is currently no multichannel audio passthrough support (DTS/DD and their HD versions are stereo downmixed).

Some reported issues with the ICS NF app (pausing for buffering after 5 minutes of playback).

XIOS vs. AIOS

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

Android is what makes this box shine (and similar boxes), for example when you capture a picture/video with you Android phone while doing your grocery it gets automatically uploaded to your dropbox accounts which is then immediately accessible on your TV with your android media box.

Its not meant to be a power horse (thus lacking with higher bit rate files that the AIOS plays it without a problem), but its meant to offer a way better overall experience. Not to mention I was able to hit 13 mbps MKVs without a problem (which isn't even half bad).

So its a better device all around, but what can the AIOS do that the XIOS can't do ?..

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

In a nut shell ?

Not enough power to process high bitrate MKVs (over the network XIOS panic at > 13 mbps while AIOS panic at > 25mbps)

No ISO playback support (Android thing).

No BDMV playback support (Android thing).

No DTS/DD/DTS-MA/DD-TrueHD passthrough/bitstreaming (Android kernel thing).

No output A/V outputs beside HDMI.

For those running the GB firmware and complaining about long strart ups, just move as many apps as you can from main storage to external storage.

Final words

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

Its really refreshing to be able to get Android on your big screen, compared to other GoogleTV devices the XIOS is priced right, comes pre-rooted with full Google Playstore access. True the ride is as rough as any other Android tablet/phone but its for sure a step in the right direction.

XIOS .. Set up .. (for the techies)

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

Playback done over wired network.

Accessed SMB shares are mapped using the included CIFS manager.

All playback attempts were done using the moboplayer app.

========================================================

Sample video details of the 1080p rips that worked ..

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

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 26mn

Bit rate : 9 205 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 17mn

Bit rate : 13.3 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 1 080 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 42mn

Bit rate : 14.0 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 798 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Format settings, GOP : M=4, N=48

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 57mn

Bit rate : 9 169 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 54mn

Bit rate : 8 020 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

MKVs that didn't work smoothly (some would require repeated buffering, others would cut and skip randomly)

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

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 34mn

Bit rate : 8 849 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 11mn

Bit rate : 15.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 27mn

Bit rate : 20.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Buy XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Now

To be honest with you, I was waiting for the Apple TV Gen 3 to be jailbroken, so I could install XBMC on it. With the recent announcement of XBMC for Android, Apple's device can now be put where it belongs: A hard to use, locked down machine suitable only for playing iTunes stuff. Sorry Apple, but I've had enough fooling around with a Gen 1 unit to last me a lifetime, and your reluctance to make a device that's hacker friendly is understandable, but annoying as all get-out.

On to the Xios. It comes in a nice box with the player, remote, wallwart, and HDMI cable. Amazing it took this long for someone to include ALL the proper cables with a device, but there it is. Hookup is easy. HDMI and power to the box, HDMI to the TV, and you're off. It took me 15 minutes from UPS dropping the box on my door to playing a shoutcast stream on the TV.

While I have not had a whole lot of time to play with it, here are some observations:

A USB keyboard and mouse make things easier.

If you plan on using wired ethernet, turn it on in the settings first.

Set your TV resolution in the settings while you're there. If you don't know, leave it alone.

You'll need the mouse to accept the marketplace terms. I could not get it to work any other way.

And, link it to your current Android account (if you have one.) This allows your applications to sync.

I'm planning on playing more with it over the weekend, and installing XBMC on it as well. I'll report back when I know more.

Edit:

You have root right out of the box.

I deleted Facebook (ugh) and froze Crackle, as they wanted to run in the background all the time.

The ICS upgrade is available in the Pivos forums, but I have not applied it yet.

The remote is primarily for the media player functions; you really need a keyboard and mouse to use the desktop.

Update 1-19-2013

After playing with this box for a while, I decided to try the XBMC Linux build. It's easy to install, just drop the .img file on a small uSD card, insert it into the slot, and hold down the reset button (on the bottom) while applying power.

It's pretty much all you need. Now, I know this thing is kind of lo-powered these days, so mega-bitrate stuff may not play well. But, everything I currently have is SD, and it works great.

For anyone having trouble connecting a Synology Diskstation to one of these, either enable the uPnP media station features on the NAS (XBMC sees these no problem!) or the more tech minded can edit the userdata files in $home / .xbmc / userdata according to the methods laid out in the XBMC wiki.

Read Best Reviews of XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Here

If you only used the XIOS as it comes in the box, running Android 2.3 and a handful of pre-installed video players from the Google Play store, you could be forgiven for thinking it was awful. However all you need is an SDMicro card and an easily downloaded update file from PIVOS's website to turn this ugly duckling into a swan that lays golden eggs. Or is that a goose? Swans lay eggs too, though, so I'm going to let that mixed metaphor stand. Anyway, the update process takes no more than 5 minutes, and most of that time is just waiting for it to finish. The only effort is downloading a file and copying it to an SDMicro card.

Once you get the XIOS updated to run either Linux or Android 4.0, and then launch the XBMC program that is included with both, what you end up with is a stream box that can play just about any downloaded video file you can throw at it. It handles multiple audio tracks and subtitles with ease. It can work as an AirPlay target for your iPad or iPhone. It can index and catalog your collection of music, movies and tv programs. It can load files from USB devices or over the network from Windows, OSX and Linux computers. You can control the interface using a free app available in both the Apple and Google app stores. These are just the highlights, the device is capable of a lot more, both natively and through easily enabled plugins.

The WiFi performance is acceptable, and the wired performance is excellent for the 100mbit interface that it comes with. The device is so small and light that it can easily be tucked behind a wall-mounted flat screen or placed anywhere in your home entertainment center.

If you are looking for a set top stream box, and can download a file to an sdcard, you'll be very well served by purchasing this device and updating it. If you just want to open the box and have something that works straight away with no fuss, you might be better served by looking at another unit.

Want XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Discount?

My primary use is for XBMC. Before purchasing the XIOS DS I was using a laptop w/ XBMC. I was looking for something cheaper + smaller; did a lot of 'online' research of many different products, and chose the XIOS DS.

After I played with the Android GUI for about 5-10 mins (the unit came with v4.0.? installed) I dropped it in favor of Linux.

There are still bugs on the software side which is expected (it's still in BETA), however do not let that discourage you from purchasing; visit the Pivos forums a couple times and you'll see these issues are being worked on daily (there are also 'unofficial nightly builds' of the main codebase). For me it is 'exciting' visiting the forums and seeing a new build and the list of issues it fixes. For upgrading the software (and if you have a large library) I recommend purchasing a MicroSD card. Upgrading only takes about 5 mins. SSH and SCP can be used for direct management of the box and file transfers, however depending on your usage may not be necessary.

The provided remote is as described by previous reviewers (loud, sometimes unresponsive). I tested out my old Windows MCE remote and that worked better out of the box, however I still use the provided remote.

My library consists of MKVs and ISOs from DVDs and Blu-rays in my collection (sitting on a NAS box). This unit can play 1080p blu-ray rips just fine. All the video codecs I tried worked fine with the current exception of the VC-1 codec, but this is a known issue and a quick search on the forums shows the developers are aware and working on a fix. DTS HD sound is not supported (it does not say anywhere that it was 'supposed' to be supported so this is not an issue for me). DTS and less work fine.

Props to Pivos and XBMC on the XIOS DS + Linux port, this little box is great and I will be buying a few more.

Every Linux dabbler or pro will love this thing. Add a micro SD card and WinSCP into the thing and upload the latest beta linux firmware from the pivos forums then SSH into it using "root" "letmein" then "reboot recovery" and install the firmware. Then soft link addons and userdata to your micro sd card and it works great! Below is a script I made to make soft links easy. Enjoy!

========> Start copy below this line End copy above this line

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