Showing posts with label handheld embosser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handheld embosser. Show all posts

Friday, August 29, 2014

Ipega USB Charging Stand Holder For Apple iPad / iPad 2

Ipega USB Charging Stand Holder For Apple iPad / iPad 2
  • Your iPad sits upright in the charging stand as it syncs or charges, so it is perfect for a desk or countertop.
  • Connect the charger to usb port of your computer to sync and backup iPad.
  • The charger can hold your iPad at the perfect angle to compose email or to watch your favorite videos or photo slideshows.
  • With iPad charging, support horizontal screen / vertical screen display for iPad.
  • With one pc USB-DC cable

This product was pretty cheap so I wasn't sure if I would like it once it came. I never realized how much I needed a stand for my ipad. The cord isn't very long, but I almost never use it anyway.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Corsair Carbide Series Black 400R Mid Tower Computer Case (CC-9011011-WW)

Corsair Carbide Series Black 400R Mid Tower  Computer Case
  • Built-in compatibility for SSDs in the six hard drive bays gives you the flexibility you need.
  • Front panel includes USB 3.0, Headphone, Mic, and an LED on/off switch.
  • Keep your system cool with up to 10 fan mount locations (four 120mm, six 120mm/140mm)
  • Up to 316mm of length for modern GPUs.
  • Easily accessible dust filters keep the cool air flowing over your valuable components.
  • Captive thumbscrews make it easy to remove your side panels without losing the screws.
  • Install or upgrade your CPU heatsink quickly with the easy-access backplate cutout.
  • Optimize airflow and keep your system neat and tidy using the intelligent cable management system.

Corsair makes some of the world's best PC enclosures; just read all the critical acclaim and awards that their Obsidian and Graphite Series cases have garnered. I had the chance to review the Graphite Series White 600T about six months ago, and was impressed with its interior space, cable management, flexible cooling options and Corsair's attention to detail. Despite the impressive performance and features of the Graphite and Obisidian Series cases, there's no question that the premium price kept Corsair's enclosures out of reach for many people--until now.

To complete their offering of high-performance cases, Corsair has introduced the Carbide Series mid-tower case. As their entry-level case, the 400R promises "everything you need, nothing you don't" at an MSRP of $99.99. Let's see if the 400R lives up to that promise.

PROS:

Plenty of interior space

Supports up to 10 case fans

Built-in SSD mounting

Excellent cable management

Fantastic value

CONS

Reset switch too close to fan LED on/off switch

IN THE BOX

* Quick start guide

* USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 adapter

* Zip ties and wire mounts

* Motherboard standoffs

* Motherboard screws

* Hard drive and optical drive screws

* Power supply screws

* Fan screws

AESTHETICS

The exterior of 400R has a very clean and simple design. It doesn't stand out like the Obsidian or Graphite Series cases do, but the simple design will probably appeal to a lot of people. It's also a more typical mid-tower size than the 600T.

At 18.5 lbs, the 400R is almost 10 pounds lighter than the 600T. The dimensions are also smaller, all the way around. If you have furniture with say, a standard-sized computer stand or you just need something smaller for your space, the 400R should work out nicely. Like the 600T, the 400R uses a mixture of steel and molded ABS plastic.

As an added convenience, the 400R has a carry handle in the front, which makes it easy to carry around to LAN parties. I also use it to store USB cables for quick access.

INSTALLATION

Installing components in the 400R was comfortable and easy because of the roomy interior space. The 400R doesn't have the unique latch mechanisms for the side panels like the 600T, but I didn't mind using the standard thumb screws. The screws are also conveniently attached to the side panels so you don't misplace them. The muscular design of the side panels not only make them look cooler, but also increases the space at the sides. This made reattaching the right panel a lot easier. In fact, I didn't even bother spending the time to tidy up the cables on the right side because the panel shut easily without doing so. If you're a total neat freak though, there are a fair number of tie-down loops and Corsair even includes a few nylon zip ties.

The motherboard was easy to drop into the 400R, even without a motherboard tray. Large heatsinks also aren't a problem because of the large CPU cutout. In my initial build, I had a stock air cooler installed and later installed a Corsair H80 water cooler. Because of the CPU cutout, I didn't have to remove the entire motherboard, just to install mounting brackets for the water block--score! The PSU install was also a cinch and I was able to rout the ATX 8-pin power connector to the motherboard via the cutout for it.

Like the 600T, the 400R has plastic drive caddies. I noticed that the caddies on the 400R are a bit more flexible than the ones in the 600T, but it made no difference in mounting the drives. Hard drives snapped right in to the caddies, without having to mess around with screws or rails. SSD drives can also be mounted into the same caddies, but with the use of screws. This means you no longer have to buy SSD desktop kits or use velcro to safely mount your SSD drive.

Optical drives are even simpler to install, since they use the same tool-free mechanism as the 600T. Just slide the optical drive in until it clicks and you're done; no screws or rails to slow you down.

Expansion cards pose no installation problems for the 400R and the bracket covers are vented for better airflow. You get eight PCI-E slots with support for up to 316mm (12.4 inch) long expansion cards. So yeah, if you want to set up SLI or CrossFire, the 400R has you covered.

The last thing I want to mention about working inside the 400R are the cable-routing holes. If you read my review of the 600T, then you already know how much I like Corsair's cable-routing holes. They allow me to keep the case free of cable clutter, resulting in unrestricted airflow and a better looking case.

COOLING

The 400R comes with three 120mm fans--one rear exhaust and two front intake. The front intake fans also have white LEDs. With the default number of fans, the 400R has good cooling and is pretty quiet. However, if you have greater cooling requirements, the 400R supports up to 10 total fans. You can even install a 240mm radiator at the top of the case. Obviously, cooling options on the 400R are plentiful.

MISCELLANEOUS

The 400R's I/O panel is conveniently located at the top and includes 2 x USB 3.0 ports, power switch, HDD LED, mic and headphone jacks, FireWire (1394) port, fan LED on/off switch, and a reset switch. The only issue I had with the I/O panel was that the fan LED on/off switch is located just above the reset switch. Twice, I accidentally hit the reset switch when I meant to hit the fan LED switch. Granted, this happened in the dark, but they're so close together, I could see myself and others hitting the wrong switch even in the daylight.

The 400R also comes with a USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 converter for the motherboard, which is a nice touch. Additionally, the I/O cables are neatly wrapped in a black cover and clearly labeled. I know it's minor, but it's probably the best looking I/O cables I've seen yet for a PC enclosure.

Finally, I just want to mention another example of the detail that Corsair paid with the 400R. To install optical drives on the 400R, you have to remove the entire front panel of the case. Seasoned system builders have performed this act, countless times in their careers. It goes something like this: unclip the stupid plastic tabs located all over the left and right sides, partially pull the front panel out, unclip the stupid tabs again that clipped back in, then finally remove the front panel completely.

Removing the front panel of the 400R is a different story and it goes something like this: pull the front panel out. Done. The 400R doesn't use plastic tabs. It's a little hard to describe, but the 400R uses a circular metal tab that when you give it a quick pull, the entire front panel comes out without fuss. Those Corsair engineers are pret-ty smart.

CONCLUSION

The Corsair Carbide Series 400R mid-tower case has hit its mark. For $99, you probably shouldn't expect too much out of an ATX case, but the 400R has raised the bar. The 400R gives system builders and enthusiasts an affordable alternative to Corsair's higher-end enclosures, without sacrificing a whole lot. You still get the same Corsair-grade build quality, support, tool-free design, cable-routing holes, roomy interior, flexible cooling and good looks. So yeah, you could say that the 400R has lived up to its billing, and is a great way to step into a Corsair case without breaking the bank. I highly recommend it.

* Review sample provided by Corsair

Buy Corsair Carbide Series Black 400R Mid Tower Computer Case (CC-9011011-WW) Now

I purchased this case the end of December 2011 and did not have USB 3.0 functionality on both front ports testing with 3 different USB 3.0 storage devices. The back Intel DZ68BC board USB 3.0 header/ports worked fine. Corsair sent a replacement that appeared to be used (visible using a 10x loupe) that was received the first week of January 2012. Of the two USB 3.0 front ports with the replacement, only one functions as USB 3.0. Corsair will again send another replacement front header that is supposed to be "new". Either I am unlucky or who ever makes the parts for Corsair is using inferior parts for their series 400 R cases regarding front USB 3.0 front headers.

Beyond the USB 3.0 front panel connectivity issue I really like the case overall design.

Read Best Reviews of Corsair Carbide Series Black 400R Mid Tower Computer Case (CC-9011011-WW) Here

Coming from an Antec 900 (still in use), can't help but compare:

Antec 900 Pros: Somewhat better build quality. HDDs and drive bay covers screw in. Cooling is better out-of-box, with the helicopter fan on top, and fan switches to control speed. See-through panel. Looks sleeker, IMO.

Carbide 400R Pros: Cable management and ergonomics. No contest here. With all of my drives and Corsair TX750 transferred from the Antec, it was MUCH easier to tuck cables out of the way behind the motherboard panel, thanks to lots of rubberized holes around the motherboard mounting, the rear-facing orientation of the hard drive bays (the HDD trays fit the drives very snuggly), and the extruded side panel. Makes for plenty of room in the case for GPUs. Looks stodgier by comparison, but I don't really care.

Couple gripes: the HDD trays -if you try to install an SSD, the retainer clip for HDDs gets in the way. Also, what's with the current fad of putting USB ports right above optical drive bays? Sure it makes for easy access, but dangling cables can block ejecting trays.

Really nice case overall. Would buy it again for a new build.

Edit: You can remove the pins in the HDD trays for mounting an SSD by removing the entire pin bar.

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This is a really great case, and the radiator of the H100 water cooler that it's designed to hold fits great... Until you try to put the motherboard in. Once I put my motherboard in, the radiator (plus stock fans) was touching parts of the board, and totally blocking access to the fan plugs along the top edge of the board. Now this might not be the case for your board, but in general I would have liked to have seen extra space to prevent this.

My solution was to put the fans for the radiator on the outside of the case (top) and put grills on them keep anything from getting in the fans. It looks silly, but luckily I'm more interested in performance than looks at this point.

If the case would have had more room to keep the H100 away from the board, I would have given it 5 stars.

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This is probably the best case I have ever owned.

Pros:

Cable Management

Easy Access to the CPU for Aftermarket Coolers.

Crazy amount of space.

Cons:

was not free

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Uniden USB-1 Scanner Radio PC Interface Cable

Uniden USB-1 Scanner Radio PC Interface Cable
  • For PC to Radio Scanner Hookup.
  • Fits Most Current model Uniden Scanners.
  • For BCD-396XT, BCD-996XT, BCT-15X, BC-346XT, BC-95XLT.
  • For SC-230, BC-246T, BCT-15, BCD-996T, BCD-396T, BR-330T. (Not for Home Patrol)
  • Use instead of supplied serial cable for USB connection to PC.

I bought the Uniden USB-1 programming cable to complement my Uniden BCD-396XT digital trunktracker scanner. It did not come with a driver, so I searched the 'net for an appropriate driver, loaded it, and after that, and also after installing appropriate software (I chose Freescan), I installed it without any problems whatsoever (Freescan even auto-searches for an open COM port).

Does it work? Yes indeed; the cable itself is sturdy, well engineered, and seems to be immune to inferference from the computer. With this cable hooked in to my scanner, I can not only program it whenever I want, but can also control the scanner through it! What an incredible luxury to do that, in a stationary or mobile environment (autologging when traveling is an incredible tool).

Sure, you can cobble together your own cable from bits and pieces, but I think this cable was money well spent; YMMV of course .

73 de KC5JLA

Buy Uniden USB-1 Scanner Radio PC Interface Cable Now

The product works fine, but you have to install drivers with this cable. Why not take the Serial cable that is included in the box with your scanner and connect it to this inexpensive TRENDnet USB to Serial Converter TU-S9 (Blue) serial adapter... Your computer will recognize it immediately, and no extra drivers are required. Your software will work fine with this inexpensive alternative.

Read Best Reviews of Uniden USB-1 Scanner Radio PC Interface Cable Here

This might be a great cable to connect your computer to a Uniden digital scanner but I discovered that the new Uniden BCD996XT I purchased from Amazon ALREADY has a serial port cable included. If your computer doesn't have a serial port, it's probably a good idea but I spent almost 40 bucks for nothing. Restocking fees prevent me from sending it back. Heads Up!!

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Works great with Windows XP and my Uniden BCD396XT scanner. Basically XP thinks its dealing with a serial port. Not much to say really, it just works.

The cable does exactly what it's supposed to do, but when spending $450 on a high-end scanner and finding out that the cable that comes with it only works if you have a 10 year old computer (with a serial port). Oh wait Uniden will save the day and sell you the cable that should have been included with your product.

I love Uniden Radios, but this is not the right way to treat customers who spend top dollar on a scanner. Uniden should change the default cable that comes in the box to this cable.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-49WG 4 port USB DB9 Adapter

Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-49WG 4 port USB DB9 Adapter
  • Serial Adapter allows up to four serial devices to be connected to a single USB computer
  • Plug-and-play convenience?DB9 serial ports are seen as COM ports by your computer, and are available for use by any program that accesses COM ports
  • No need for an external power adapter?draws power directly from your computer via the USB connection
  • DB9 serial ports support data transfer rates up to 460 Kbps?four times the speed of a standard built-in serial port
  • Connector 14x DB9 Serial
  • Bus Powered: No external power adapter required
  • Plug & Play: Appear as standard COM ports

I've been using this USB serial interface for a couple of years now. I've used it under Windows XP, Fedora and Ubuntu Linux. The Windows XP drivers are available on Keyspan's website. Fedora and Ubuntu (except version 7.10) include the drivers in the standard distribution.

The serial interfaces are solid, providing good RS-232 drive levels. The interfaces can also handle decent bit rates. I've used it up to 115200 BPS. It's also very convenient the way it is packaged. Especially in embedded systems programming, it's nice to have four serial ports right on your desk top with just the one USB cable running to the computer.

Buy Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-49WG 4 port USB DB9 Adapter Now

This is the absolute best USB to Serial Comm port adapter.

You'll never need to unplug and replug it in.

You'll never need to go into Device Manager and change the COM port number.

It is a good performer and works well.

Tripplite/Keyspan has 64 bit driver for windows XP/Visa/W7.

I have used this device on 32 bit Vista and on 64 bit Vista.

Read Best Reviews of Keyspan by Tripp Lite USA-49WG 4 port USB DB9 Adapter Here

I have used Keyspans individual port adapters for several years. They work flawlessly and are quite fast. I do a lot of work on high speed serial devices running without flow control. The devices keep up.

I found that I often had 4 single Keyspans cluttering my desk. I wanted this device. When I finally found it, it was a no-brainer. It works flawlessly. (I had hoped it would be less expensive than 4 singles and it is just a little.)

A nice little benefit is I use their static mapping tool to make the ports appear as COM11 thru COM14, eliminating past confusion about which port goes with which device.

Serial is officially a legacy device. New PCs don't have serial ports. But, if you have a lot of serial devices to manage, this is a great way to simplify cabling and management hassles.

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This thing works. I am an amateur radio operator (ham operator) and I used an old 486 computer to run several communications and logging applications in my ham station. The applications control my equipment -changing frequency, logging contacts, sending/receiving Morse code, teletype, and other modes. When the old computer crapped out I had a real problem: The old computer had lots of COM ports -new computers have only USB ports. I purchased two different USB-to-serial adapters -neither of them worked reliably. I was a bit reluctant to pay the price for this one but, after reading the comments, I bought it.

This thing is great -it setup in seconds. I connected my equipment to three of the four ports, set up the ports in Windows XP Device Manager (had to set the baud rate), started my old applications and everything worked perfectly.

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I bought both the 4 port Keyspan USB-serial adapter and the single adapter after trying IOGEAR versions. I had various software issues with the IOGEAR when switching ports or plugging in different devices, as it would constantly assign a higher port number. I can only think it is a result of its incompatability with Windows XP (in the fine print of the instructions). The Keyspan USB-serial devices have worked extremely well and can easily switch ports. The difference is huge.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Rapid Wall Home AC Charger for the Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone - uses Gomadic TipExchange Technolog

Rapid Wall Home AC Charger for the Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone - uses Gomadic TipExchange Technology
  • Gomadic Powerful High Wattage wall charger for home or travel use. Customized circuit design is based on the latest in power regulation and is tailored to the precise output voltage and resistor ID requirements of the Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone (accurate to 0.1v!)
  • Advanced state-of-the-art internal circuitry protects the Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone from power surges, overcharging, and short-circuiting, to significantly extend the internal battery lifecycle.
  • Power Sleep"" feature reduces vampire power draw 99%. Charger will consume less than 0.1W of power when in ""dormant state"" (e.g. not connected to the Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone).
  • Specification: Input Voltage (100 - 240vAC), Cable length (50 inches), Transformer Dimensions (2.0 X 1.75 inches), Foldable Adapter (Yes), Circuit Design (Siemens SX56 Pocket PC Phone Specific)
  • A quality product intended to be the last home/travel charger you ever buy! This product is backed by the Gomadic Lifetime Warranty.

If you have numerous electronics and need many different charger, this charger allows you to change out only the tip, which eliminates the need for many chargers. They have a wide assortment of tips so you're bound to find the ones you need and the tips are very inexpensive.

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Sunday, May 11, 2014

BestDealUSA Hand-held Mini Super Mute USB Battery Operated Cooling Fan Green

BestDealUSA Hand-held Mini Super Mute USB Battery Operated Cooling Fan Greenlove it. it is helping with my hot flashes. It is exactly what I wanted. Thank you very much for this product

I got these fans to use in a smoke filled casino. They do draw some attention, from the smoker that they combat, and non-smokers that want to know where I got it.

Buy BestDealUSA Hand-held Mini Super Mute USB Battery Operated Cooling Fan Green Now

A little bigger than I expected, but works great. Puts out a good breeze, however, it's pretty noisy. Overall a good product.

Read Best Reviews of BestDealUSA Hand-held Mini Super Mute USB Battery Operated Cooling Fan Green Here

Ordered this for my wife. The product is well built and feels like it will last a long time. Actually ordered 2 more. One for my wife's office and one for her co worker. Need I say more?

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It was gift for my little friend. He was very glad and happy together with his parents. Thant you so much for everything what you are doing for your customer. I.G.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Simplism Japan Silicone Case Set for iPad mini - Mustard (TR-SCIPDM12-MD/EN)

Simplism Japan Silicone Case Set for iPad mini - Mustard
  • Silicone case with Protector Film .
  • Anti-bacterial case and Crystal Clear film with 100% Silicone material.
  • Thin but tough.
  • Direct access to all controls.
  • Protects lightning connector and earphone holes with caps.
  • Anti-bacterial Crystal Clear film.
  • Anti-dust coating to prevent dust accumulation .
  • Leveler to squeeze air bubbles under the film.

This thing is seriously dust/dirt proof. Took it to the beach, hiking, I've even spilled a bunch of grinded marijuana on it and nothing got stuck on. It shook right off. Silicone is extremely durable to stretching. I've had mines for 3 months and no deformity or stretching has occured.

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

BoxWave Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector (Single Pack)

BoxWave Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector
  • Award Winning Anti-Glare Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Screen Protector
  • Dust Repelling
  • Bubble-free Application
  • Fingerprint Free
  • Sized to specifically fit the Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS

This protector exactly fit my Canon PowerShot SD1100 and was easy to apply. According to the instructions, it is reusable. Once applied, you can't even tell it's there so it doesn't take away from the look of the camera. So far, so good!

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Friday, March 28, 2014

HTC Green and Red Wrist Strap Hand Strap for HTC myTouch, PDAs, Smartphones and Cameras

HTC Green and Red Wrist Strap Hand Strap for HTC myTouch, PDAs, Smartphones and Cameras
  • 2-Pack: 1 unit of each color, Green and Red HTC Wrist Straps.
  • High Quality Straps compatible with HTC myTouch Device.
  • Universal Straps. Compatible with other Wrist Strap Friendly Devices such as Phones, Smartphones, MP3 Players and Cameras.
  • Durable and Comfortable Strap that you can wear around your hand.
  • Approximately 9 inches long.

Exactly as I expected. These straps are vibrant in color and the quality and strength are great as well. I am using these straps for my Canon SX230 camera, and it's a great fit!

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Monday, December 30, 2013

NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 6 Plus (Diskless) Network Attached Storage RNDP600U

NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra 6 Plus Network Attached Storage RNDP600U
  • 6-bay DLNA Certified NAS System with anytime multimedia streaming features
  • Maximum performance for cutting-edge prosumers (advanced home users/media enthusiasts)
  • First NAS system to offer mobile access and streaming using Orb transcoding add-
  • First NAS system to offer remote DLNA media streaming using Skifta media shifting add-on
  • First NAS system to be certified TiVo Compatible, allowing users to extend the capacity of their TiVo DVRs by offloading non-protected content to their ReadyNAS for future playbacks (available in the US and Australia only)

My first NAS and I like it. I considered building one from scratch but I spend enough time doing that with my PC. I chose the ReadyNAS because it can back up my PC as well as remote backup family members (PC & Mac), has support for Squeezebox (used by my two Logitech Squeezebox Touch devices), TiVo support (useless unless DirecTV releases their promised TiVo DVR to replace their lame custom DVR). I picked the 6 bay one so I can start with 2 x Seagate Constellation ES 2 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 64 MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST32000644NS Bare Drive now and then add larger drives later as I need them and HDD capacities increase.

This review is a work in progress until the Ultra 6 Plus does everything I need it to do.

MAJOR LESSON LEARNED: Make sure you pick hard drives that are on the compatibility list:

I did make a mistake with my first two drives I got at the same time I pre ordered the ReadyNAS Ultra 6 Plus. Apparently Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Green SATA Intellipower 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD20EARS are not on the supported hardware list on the Netgear site. Sux, I wish I had noticed that during the day or two of research I did into NAS boxes. Maybe they need a simple how to buy guide that includes a link to the hcl list instead of springing it on you when the device arrives.

Installation:

1) You open the front cover, pop out some HDD enclosures (no tools needed) attach the drives to them using supplied screws (small philips needed) and slide them back in.

2) Attach power cord, hook up 1-2 ethernet ports.

3) Power up and during the 10 mins or so it formats the drives you install from a CD the RAIDar software to control the box.

4) Follow the RAIDar setup wizard, add some shares, change password, add self as a user.

5) Plug in APC 900VA 120V Backup-UPS XS900 (BX900) usb monitoring cable. It recognizes it and can even display an estimated remaining time left for it.

6) Update to RAIDiator 4.2.15 (x86) which updates the box firmware.

7) Coffee time as it spends about 5-6 hours doing stuff including syncing.

Everything is simplicity itself and shares are visible from the PC.

Problem:

The non-compatible drives did indeed not work. The ReadyNAS forums contain instructions to use "wdiddle3" to diddle the drives into working. This seems bad because you are disabling a feature on the drive you paid for and anecdotal evidence of it working seems inadequate. Instead I am upgrading to a pair of Seagate Constellation ES 2 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 64 MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST32000644NS Bare Drive. Way more expensive but they have 5 year warranties and better MTBF. As someone pointed out on the forums, the extra drive cost is insignificant compared to the cost of retrieving data off of failed drives. While I wait for these to ship I am up and running with a pair of Western Digital 2 TB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD2001FASS drives from Fryes, which are identical to the constellations but lacking some vibration control features. Hopefully ReadyNAS will add more of the cheap WD Green line to the compatibility list.

One day I need to do the math of cheap RAID drives vs expensive RAED drives and the MTBF implications. RAED (Redundant Array of Expensive Disks) is: harsh on the pocket book; not in the spirit of RAID; not a real word.

Remote Access:

The ReadyNAS Remote software is quite nice for accessing from a remote location. Basically you install, follow a simple wizard, supply it with your email address and a user name. This gets stored on a NetGear server (I assume), since it takes about 5 minutes or so to become available. At that point, using the ReadyNAS web interface, you look up the email address and assign that person access and file space. They now have access and can mount folders they have access to. The email rigmarole is to get around needing the ReadyNAS on a static ip. In a couple of years after the ipv6 switch this kind of thing will no longer be necessary.

The process is simple when following the web documentation. Confusing if you do not RTFM. I like UI to be explorable, needing docs means the UI is flawed imo. Still you can get the job done if you do in fact read the manual. The registration delay of the email address is also confusing as it makes it seem like it is not working.

I did not fully explore the remote aspects yet for PC as the connection I was on (at&t premium dsl, prolly 4Mbps down / 128KBs up) was flaky as hell. Write speeds to the Readynas ranged from an acceptable +/75 Kbps one day to 15 Kbps the next. By the next time I try this it will be a Charter cable modem with 50Mbps down / 5 Mbps up. That should eliminate network performance from the equation. Sigh, if only Verizon did not stop rolling out Fios.

The process worked quite easily from a friend's Mac. There is support for time machine if you have a Mac on the local network. I do not know if it is feasible over the internet.

Having the ReadyNAS on a static ip made all this remote work easy as I could get to the admin page remotely.

Backup:

The install CD contains 3 licenses for "Memeo Pro". This is sketchy as there are no recent reviews for them and the ones from 2008 are terrible. Filled with misgivings I bailed on it. I do not know why Memeo is bundled. It does not show up on any of the many backup software reviews I went through.

Instead I am using the built in Windows 7 backup to store the entire system image and all files and followed directions to save my encryption certificates as well. This should enable a full system restore. Additionally for the media folder I am using Microsoft's free SyncToy 2.1(x64) to mirror the media on my PC. This way I, and iTunes, can muck around on my PC and then sync to the ReadyNAS so SqueezeBox can play my music.

If I had to use paid backup software I would likely choose something like True Image Home 2011 Plus or Symantec Norton Ghost 15.0 (1 PC).

Raid:

Regular raid modes 0/1/5/6 are supported. The default is a proprietary X-RAID2. X-RAID2 lets you replace or add a drive at any time and then repeat after the sync completes. The web site has a good animation that explores how it works. It also allows you to run with 1 or 2 disk redundancy. I think this implies a performance hit as this is not a hardware accelerated function. The flexibility you get makes it worth it in my opinion.

Squeezebox:

Upgrading to the latest SqueezeCenter server software is easy and straightforward by following instructions on the web. After upgrading, a few management settings are all that is required to get the server running. Voila, NAS based music streaming. Performance seems fine on the 133 GB of music I have ripped so far. However I need to go back and separate out the cover art into a folder.jpg file for each CD folder. This would add more overhead, if only when scanning. More on that later.

Performance:

I used Iometer to run some local tests with the ReadyNAS Ultra 6 Plus on a network mapped drive. Sequential writes were about 83 Mbps, reads were 41 Mbps. This is with no performance tuning like using jumbo frames, teaming both network connections, etc. Sadly my NIC does not support jumbo frames and teaming is impractical since I have only a single ethernet port on the PC motherboard. More after I buy some gear to support this.

Opening up the share in explorer and dragging some files (3GB music folders) to and from it has windows reporting 55 Mbps (maybe my own drives are slow or only 5400rpm vs 7200rpm for the Constellations). The initial rates range up to 80 90 Mbps and then drop over time. That seems to indicate initial caching effects skewing the average.

The highest rate I saw so far was 155 Mbps, for syncing operations on the NAS itself.

The read speed being half the write speed is weird. I would expect read to be double the speed due to dual disk redundancy. However I am using a proprietary ReadyNAS "X-RAID2" mode that allows easy 1 disk at a time expansion / replacement which may just not behave as I would expect.

Networking:

The NAS has two gigabit ethernet ports. They can be teamed to provide increased throughput and fail over redundancy (assuming your router / switch supports it).

Impressions:

* Noise. On boot up it is extremely loud. 70 80 decibels. After a few minutes it settles down to

Sunday, December 29, 2013

DPENR705 - Planon DocuPen R705 Pen Scanner 1 x USB - PC

DPENR705 - Planon DocuPen R705 Pen Scanner 1 x USB - PC
  • What's Included - R705 Monochrome Scanner, Leather Case, USB cable, PaperPort SE Software, CD-ROM install Disc, Quickstart Guide
  • Scan Width - 8
  • Resolution - 200 x 100 dpi
  • Scan Speed 4-8 seconds per page
  • Memory 4 MB

So bad! It doesn't work as expected at all! Difficult to use. The software is not good. The scanned pages are not good. They don't look like 200 dpi. My OCR program can hardly read the text in the pictures. Even good and large originals are difficult to scan properly. And I have trained and trained. This was my first scan pen and I am more than disappointed. Even my first scanner, eight years old, has better software. You should be ashamed over selling such a product. How do I return it?

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This pen is a handy tool and gives me the productivity onsite what i required.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

JAVOedge Editor Book Case with Multi-Angle Stand for the Amazon Kindle Fire - Latest Generation

JAVOedge Editor Book Case with Multi-Angle Stand for the Amazon Kindle Fire - Latest Generation
  • Back cover can be folded into a stand to prop up the Fire so that it can be viewed hands-free
  • Built-in frame offers a snug fit for the Fire to keep it safely inside the case at all times
  • Extra secure flap keeps the Fire in the Book Case and keeps it from accidentally slipping out
  • Design of the case allows for complete access to all of the device features

Item shipped and received promptly. Works great on my Kindle fire. Leather looking exterior looks very professional. I especially like the built in business card slots and pen holder. I use the holder for a stylus. Magnetic closure is also very nice.

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Saturday, October 12, 2013

COSMOS ® BLACK Color PU Leather Cover / Case + Black color Stylus/Pen for Kindle Fire 3G WI-FI + CO

COSMOS ® BLACK Color PU Leather Cover / Case + Black color Stylus/Pen for Kindle Fire 3G WI-FI + COSMOS cable tie
  • Black Color PU Leather Case for Amazon Kindle fire + stylus pen with clip
  • Cover with magnetic clip.
  • Soft charcoal black velvet interior protects screen from scratches.
  • Measures approximately 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.74 inches
  • Weight: 4oz

This case and stylus would get 5 stars except: The case was covered with what looks like little care. The seam is 1-inch onto the front of the cover. It is not glued on very well at this seam. Still recommend you buy it, but don't expect perfection.

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I bought this nice case for my Kindle Fire- however I hate typing on touch screen even w/ 2 styli. I would have bought the nice stand for 7" tablet w/usb kybd but Fire ignores USB keyboards even with proper connectors. Fire seems deliberately crippled by Amazon firmware, hope newer Kindle products fix that & take kybds.

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What can I say, I was expecting something so much better. Overall it is OK, the case I could live with out, I really didn't care for it. What caught me most about this product was the price, but let me say you get what you pay for. The one truly positive thing I can say about this product is I loved the stylus.

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This is a great case the Kindle Fire fits into it perfectly. It has a good feel to it, and though it isn't real leather, it does not look cheap. It is well made and there are no stitching issues as mentioned in another review. It comes with a stylus pen and a velcro cable tie for your power cord. All in all a very nice little case at a great price!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Energizer AP650MC Micro-USB Portable Charger -Black

Energizer AP650MC Micro-USB Portable Charger -BlackI bought this unit at Target for about $21. I uploaded pictures of my unit to Amazon and it is different look as original picture posted on this site. The unit is light weight and very small. The package said it contains 500 mAh lithium polymer pack inside. I bought this package because I was in the emergency and needed my phone to work for extra 1hr. The package said the unit is pre-charged and ready to use, however I think the unit had about 20% of juice after unpack it. It charged maybe just 2~3% and it was very disappointing.

After I return to my home, I charged the unit. It took about 2hrs to fully charge the unit. After that, I charged my phone again and see how much it can charge my unit. My cell phone (AT&T Samsung Galaxy S2) had 64% battery when I started and after I plugged this unit, it charged to 80%. So this unit can add about 15% from fully charged.

It is good buy for insurance purpose such as emergency phone call, however if you are thinking about buying this unit for backup battery, I think this unit is not powerful enough to make your phone alive for smartphone applications.

For Samsung Galaxy S2, you can buy 3500 mAh extended battery pack at sub $8 on ebay so maybe this is a better choice.

I purchased as new but when received it had some scotch tape on the package which leads me to believe it was not new. When plugged in it would only "charge" for a short period and when installed on my phone it would charge for a couple min. and then cut off. The price was only $3.00ish so I am not out much money and it is not worth paying the shipping to return but I am bummed because I love the design and was exactly what I was looking for. Not sure that I would try another one.

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I keep this on my keychain just in case I am out and run low on battery. It adds about 20% to my Droid 4 which is usually enough to hold me over till I can charge it. Works great.

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Got one of these because I use my phone so much on vacation, I figured it would be a good idea...not so much.

This thing is AWFUL. First off, it gets WAAAAAAAY hot. On multiple occasions, I got a message on my phone saying the voltage was too high and that the phone would cease charging. And then, the charge that the device provides is minimal at best.

My recommendation: stay away from this thing, and invest in something more reliable, like the PanaTech A it's dookie, but it charges two phones at the same time, and you can get 4 full phone charges from one PanaTech A charge.

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very nice, small and handy, easy to use and charge! you can have it in your bag or your pocket and charge your phone anytime!

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Canon BJC-55 Color Bubble Jet Printer

Canon BJC-55 Color Bubble Jet Printer
  • 720 by 360 dpi print resolution
  • Desk-top quality printing in a compact model
  • Built-in USB and Fast IrDA
  • Prints black text at 5.5 pages per minute, color text at 2 pages per minute
  • Convenient wireless printing from compatible computers or hand-held organizers

On the go, I frequently need to print out documents, be it invoices, reciepts, e-mails, etc etc so I decided to purchase this product. Words cannot describe my feelings toward it, I use it soo much with the laptops I don't know how I lived without one before. Installation on Windows 2k, and ME was flawless, both using the Fast IrDA.

The printer is just the perfect size to slide in to my briefcase, and adds little weight. It's battery operation is really what caught my eye, it says you can print about 100 pages with a full charge, but I think its a bit less than that. However, the battery takes little time to charge.

I was not aware it would come with as much ink as it did, came with 2 color cartidges, 1 black (small), and 1 black (large), as well as two trays that they are held in. The Fast IrDA is such a fabulous thing, wireless printing all the way. I decided to purchase a USB cable, its much easier some times using the cable then the IrDA (Infared) port. The quality of the documents is fantastic, matching (and beating!) my desktop printers at home. The speed is good, considering this is a portable printer. The only real drawback is that it is a single sheet feed printer, unless you buy the paper loader, which I will surely do! This is THE BEST portable printer I've found on the market, it is well worth the money.

This is a small update, I've been using the printer for about 5 months now, and everything has gone smoothly. I purchased the auto-sheet feeder from Canon (directly, from their web site) and it performs just like a normal desktop printer would! I'm still loving it.

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I needed a printer to go with my Notebook and this one filled the bill. It isn't cheap but you seem to get what you pay for. When at home, adding the Auto Sheet Feeder makes it as convenient as a stationary printer but with a smaller footprint. Highly recommend this one for the Notebook users.

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I bought this printer for my Palm Vx. It works flawless with printboy. would buy again

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I watched this printer for years and I was waiting for the price to drop. I finally caved in a bought a refurb 1 year ago.

Pro: Lightweight 2Lbs(with battery), USB, battery powered, comes with AC adapter, size is small to fit in a back pack. Works with my Tablet PC software.

Con: High quality mode is slow compared to today's printers as well as resolution. Old type of feeding one page at a time. Could not get the IR to work. I suspect that my computer IR is not compatible. I just carry a very small USB cable.

I have looked at the current portable printers and they are all 5-6LBS. Yes they probably have great quality and photos but I don't need that. My purpose for this printer is to do quick print outs of 2 to 3 page reports, drafts and boarding passes. It fits so well in a computer bag with my slate and some paper.

The company that can produce a better quality printer with this size and weight will make money. That is probably why this printer has not dropped much in price even used. It's the year 2006 and it sells higher than the current canon and hp used.

I JUST BOUGHT THIS PRINTER FOR MY LAPTOP.

IT WAS VERY EASY TO INSTALL AND EASY TO WORK WITH. THE PRINTING IS GREAT, AND QUICK FOR A BUBBLE JET. THE COLOR IS VERY GOOD.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

3-in-1 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple iPad Nokia Symbian S60 Phones Sony PS3 Players (Keyboard, T

3-in-1 Mini Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple iPad Nokia Symbian S60 Phones Sony PS3 PlayersThe device worked fine for my Windows 7 Laptop, unfortunately, I bought it to use on my Sprint Galaxy Tablet. The box and the RiiTek website both say it works with Android, but every Android device I tried it on, it would not work... and that was after having to go to the website to find a driver that to this day requires authentication off the internet that fails to run no matter how good your internet connection is.

Best to leave this one alone if you are looking for a good Android Bluetooth Keyboard. I will be returning mine shortly.

There are two versions of this product. I made sure I bought the one that is bluetooth, the other works via a wireless frequency (and is generally less costly in price) but doesn't use the bluetooth protocols. I was able to connect this to my iMac (not using the included fob) in less than a minute. The keys are responsive and after some mouse sensitivity adjustments on the iMac, the track pad works well too.

I expected some limitations since the keyboard is a very compact layout; The most important limitation to note is that the "windows" key stroke is done via the Fn-Ctrl key stroke, which makes it impossible if you need to use key stroke combinations with the windows key, such as windows-M to minimize all windows (or Apple-Q to quit programs on Macs as the windows key is usually mapped to apple key on macs). You can almost get used to the keyboard enough to type without looking. The keys are raised enough to distinguish between them by touch, mouse buttons and arrow pad are distinctly different by touch from the keyboard. Enter and Fn key is two-key width and Space bar is three-key width; easy to distiguish by touch. The only thing that trips me up is the Enter key, on a normal keyboard it's located on the row with L, but in this compact layout it's located in the row with M. The arrow pad is in a great location right under the track pad, makes navigating around easy. While the left mouse button is right under the left side of the track pad, click-dragging is a bit awkward. It makes me wish they placed an additonal left mouse button where the Fn key is.

I do not use this frequently, it's connected to a computer in my kitchen that is usually just showing eyeTV. I wanted a tiny keyboard that I can just velcro to the back of the iMac; this product fills the niche well. whenever I need to jump onto a web browser and look up something quickly it's nice to be able to do this without taking out some bulky keyboard and mouse and needing a table to place it on. It comes with a laser pointer for presentations, I use it to play with the cat.

I usually leave it on and plugged into the USB cable that comes with it to keep it fully charged. Sometimes I leave it unplugged but have never left it unplugged for more than a day, so I've never had the device lose battery power yet. The box says standby time is 500-700 hours, I haven't confirmed this. I have left it unplugged for multiple days but turned it off on those occasions. Turning it back on (or picking it up after not using it for a while) requires the bluetooth to resync (takes a few seconds), but so far I've never had to go through the pairing process after the first.

The product is very well packaged, came with a well-written and illustrated user's manual and driver mini-CD. I used neither pairing it with my iMac. Dimensions: 151x59x12.5mm / 6"x2.4"x0.5" Weight: 104g. Feels solid in my hand. As far as dropping durability, I wouldn't be as careless as I would with a TV remote. I haven't dropped my Rii mini wireless keyboard yet. The keyboard is backlit, which is activated via Fn-F1 keystroke, not too hard to remember and feel for those times you need to turn on backlighting in a dark room. I haven't tested the limits of the wireless range, but it works flawlessly in my range of usage of 1-8 feet.

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This keyboard has some great features. It was a bit of a pain to get paired with my Droid Bionic. The instructions were misleading. If you're the type who never reads the directions, you'll have better luck getting it paired without difficulty. (For those who are curious, you don't install the software that came on the CD for new phones.). Overall, I really like the device and would recommend it for use with Webtop or HTPC on your Droid devices. I find the trackpad to be very useful, however the placement of the mouse buttons makes it a tiny bit awkward to use when dragging and dropping. I personally prefer the candybar style of this device over the Logitech DiNova Mini and the Lenovo Mini. No complaints so far (other than the worthless instructions). Although it would be nice to have a battery charge indicator, I have charged mine enough to use in less than 15 minutes or so.

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I connect my laptop to my TV in the bedroom. this is an amazin toy if you dont wanna type too much. I dont need too get up and touch anything. the price is very good. I didnt see the USB adapter at first so I had to buy it alone for $44 from best buy. (until I found the one attach to the keyboard and returned the one that I got from best buy).

I didnt use it for any other device, so I dont know if it's compatible or not! but there is a CD included in the box that has a folder for Android/Windows phone/iPhone.

I recommend this product

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For some reason the software for Android based phones does not work on Sprint's Photon phone. Very disappointing. I have not been able to find a work around.

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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Mini Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard - Compatible with Apple iPad, PC, and Mac - Features Built-in Touch

Mini Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard - Compatible with Apple iPad, PC, and Mac - Features Built-in Touchpad Mouse, Backlit Display and Laser PointerFeels cheaply made, the space bar didn't have same feel or sound when pressed like the other keys do, maybe mine is defective in that way. Another issue i encountered was digits repeated once in awhile, even when the key is no longer pressed or physically stuck, maybe its my computers issue?!?!? I do like the size of this device and fell in love with the pictures of it on Amazon, but once in my hands and i started using it I was a bit disappointed. I continue wanting to hold this device from each side and type with my thumbs. The device was not designed for that, as the touch pad is located on the right of the device. Of course I'll continue to play with it and maybe update review after some more time then the 2 weeks I've sparingly used.

Works perfectly. Tried on Linux, Windows 7 and keyboard and touchpad works fine. Tried it on android phone and keyboard works fine too, didn't try the touchpad

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

New X Line Grip TPU Rubber Case / Protective for Nexus 7 Android Tablet PC - Blue

New X Line Grip TPU Rubber Case / Protective for Nexus 7 Android Tablet PC - Blue
  • Compatible With: Asus Google Nexus 7
  • Made of high quality Gel Rubber
  • Perfect fit for your device, easy access to all buttons
  • Color: Blue - 6 More Colors Available
  • Model Number: #9915#-1

Got it way faster than expected, and it looks exactly like the picture. I was really surprised with how sturdy it is. It went on easily and really does grip wonderfully around the corners. It will not come off and will provide bumper protection. I love the extra grip it provides. I use it in combo with (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BM8OZM/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_1) and it adheres wonderfully to that case (also rec that case).

The one thing I would change instead of adding a button cover on the power/volume button I would cut that part out. That is the only reason I gave it four stars. I don't have any major problems adjusting them but I have to press just a tad harder on them. It's not a big difference at all but will take an adjustment period. I suppose I could cut them out myself though. still rec the case, great value and well done.

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I have come to love TPU cases, primarily because they offer good protection at a good price and feel nice in the hand if there is some texturing, which the X line case has in the right locations. Cut outs are spot on, fit is very snug without being too tight. The color turned out to be a little less exciting than it looked like in the picture, but nevertheless, this is a good case.