Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16x LightScribe 30pk Spindle Discount.

August 6th, 2010 by alison8308517

Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16x LightScribe 30pk Spindle

Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16x LightScribe 30pk Spindle Discount.

Compare & Purchase Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16x LightScribe 30pk Spindle at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $72.00

Amazon Price: $14.99

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Verbatim DVD+R 4.7GB 16x LightScribe 30pk Spindle Description:

LightScribe Direct Disc Labeling is a new technology that offers consumers and businesses a simple, no-hassle way to burn professional, silkscreen-quality labels on their CDs and DVDs. Using the same laser that burns data in their disc drives, customers burn their data as always, flip the disc over, reinsert it into the drive and burn a precise and permanent iridescent label.

  • Size: 4.7GB
  • Color: Gold
  • Brand: Verbatim
  • Model: 95091
  • Format: CD
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 30
  • Dimensions: 3.40″ h x 5.30″ w x 5.40″ l, 1.20 pounds

Features

  • BURN music, digital photo albums, presentations and home movies directly on your CD or DVD. FLIP Inscribe/Burn your customized label. ALL with one laser - in one drive!
  • Professional-quality labels: laser precision and detail means no more marker scrawl or adhesive labels to center, only to have them peel off the disc
  • Simplicity: no-hassle labels, just burn the disc, flip it and burn the label
  • Durability: the disc’s image-ready coating is an integral part of its manufacture, providing long-lasting, scratch-resistant labels
  • Mobility: labels can be burned wherever and whenever a disc is burned, no need for a printer

Customer Reviews:

Three packs and not one lost5
These seem to burn really well. I’ve gone through three packs now without a single lost DVD. By the way, if you have a lightscribe burner and haven’t tried the actual label burning yet, you’ve gotta try it. The labels look really good (considering that they’re burned on), but the burning of the label can take more than 20 minutes if it’s a complex label.

Overall a great product here in these DVDs.

Tom Carpenter

Excellent Quality Discs5
I’ve burned 25 of these in an HP Lightscribe drive with only 1 coaster. To be fair, the coaster was the one disc I burned the graphics on before burning the content on the disc. My 16X HP drive will only burn these at 2.4X but my Iomega drive will burn them at 16X. The graphics are monochrome (black burned onto a gold background). It takes roughly 20 minutes to burn a high quality graphic on the disc. The DVD’s have played flawlessly in every DVD player I’ve tried. Excellent!

100% Satisfied5
All DVDs burned 100% with no exceptions and the Lightscribe labels were sharp and clear. Of the many diffrent brands I have tried Verbatim has always been about the best to date for quality as well as value.

Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack Black-Retail $69.95! Sale Only $59.95!

August 6th, 2010 by alison8308517

Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack Black

Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack Black-Retail $69.95! Sale Only $59.95!

Compare & Purchase Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack Black at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $69.95

Amazon Price: $59.95

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Lowepro SlingShot 100 All-Weather Digital Camera Backpack Black Description:

Perfect for photojournalists, the SlingShot 100 AW uses a unique sling design to go from “carry mode” to “ready mode” in just seconds. Carried comfortably on the back, it easily rotates to the front so you can get to your camera quickly. The SlingShot 100 AW holds an SLR with mid-range zoom lens attached 1 - 2 extra lenses, cables and accessories and has a full access lid to make loading it a snap. This feature-rich bag also includes a built-in memory card pouch, micro fiber LCD cloth and two generous organizer pockets. It’s certain to surprise even the most demanding photojournalists.

  • Size: One Size
  • Color: Black
  • Brand: Lowepro
  • Model: 34736
  • Dimensions: 6.70″ h x 8.10″ w x 15.70″ l, 1.76 pounds

Features

  • Perfect for photojournalists
  • Unique sling design goes from “carry mode” on your back, to “ready mode” in front of your chest
  • Ergonomic sling strap evenly distributes equipment weight in the “carry mode”
  • Holds an SLR with mid-range zoom lens attached, up to two extra lenses, cables, and other accessories
  • Built-in microfiber LCD cloth protects screens from camera straps, nicks, and scratches

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully made, intelligently designed5
After much thought, I decided to get a sling-type bag, as a backpack would be too difficult to access on the run, and in my experience a traditional (boxy) camera bag is a pain to carry around.

I have an EOS 20D with the 17-85mm zoom, and it fits beautifully in the main compartment with sufficient room for another lens and a flash or for two lenses.Then there’s an upper compartment where I keep my battery charger, cables and other assorted stuff, and a filter pocket in the front.

Some nice details that really stand out to me:
- The hidden all-weather cover that stows away in a flat Velcro-ed pocket to the base of the bag is invisible until you pull it out for use: so much so that one reviewer didn’t even realise it is there!
- The back is very well padded.
- The zips are very high quality, and silent when in use. When they are closed the zips themselves are not visible, instead you have a neat covered `bead’ for the length of the opening.
- The main compartment flap opens fully, giving unrestricted access.
- There are two nylon webbing straps with quick-release clips to that ensure that when the bag is on your front, there is no chance that the flap will accidentally open due to the weight of the camera, even is the zips are half opened. This is hard to describe accurately, but trust me- there’ll be no nasty surprises if these clips are in place.
- When in shooting position, the bag presents an excellent platform for your elbows, greatly enhancing the steadiness of your shot.
- There’s a built-in microfibre cloth that protects your LCD screen whilst the camera is in the bag, and may well be used as a lenscloth.
- When you want to get moving, there’s a second smaller strap that attaches easily to the main strap so that the bag really stays put on your back, even when hunched over on a bike.

This is beautifully made and intelligently designed bag that will likely last for years. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

UPDATE: Have gotten the 70-300 IS (non-DO) canon zoom and the SlingShot 100 will not fit this lens whilst it’s attached to the body without distortion of the closure flap - it does however fit the 20D body with a 17-85 mounted on it whilst the 70-300 is in the left compartment and the 70-300’s large lens hood stored either on the lens in reverse, or in the right compartment, so I’m still happy with it.

UPDATE 2: Alexander asked me is the Slingshot would work on one shoulder: i.e. not over your head and across your chest. The answer is yes and no: you can certainly sling it over one shoulder, but due to the angle it was designed to work at the strap does not ’sit’ as well on one side, so if you choose to carry it like this, you’ll have to hold on to the bag a bit. Having said this, I use it on one shoulder far more than slung across my chest, so let that be your guide.

Very well, padded, compact carrying case4
Contrary to the previous reviewer’s comments, the all-weather sleeve that did not “come with the bag” is attached to the bottom of the bag — there’s no way that it did not come with the bag as the previous author writes. It is a very well-padded compact bag, and has enough room for a dSLR with lens attached (I have an EOS Digital Rebel XT) and room for two additional lenses (one shorter-length prime lens and maybe one standard telephoto zoom). Additionally, it’s easy to quickly remove the camera from the bag because the zippers are on the side of the sling, allowing you quickly swing the bag to the front of your body, open the bag, and grab your camera. Removeable padded areas attached via Velcro allow for personal customization of the bag to better fit your equipment needs. This bag gets a favorable mention in my book.

Absolutely Beautiful-Form and Function.5
Lowe has done it again. I own 2 other Lowe bags (one being my expedition backpack for camping and a computrekker). I swear by their design innovation and attention to using professional grade materials.

I use the SlingShot 100 AW everyday. Photo ops come up at any second. You have to be ready and the SlingShot allows you to be there. It comfortably holds my DSLR Rebel XT, 430EX flash, 5 memory cards, cables, power adapter, 24mm lens, 85mm lens, 100mm macro lens and the attached 18-55mm lens.

The INGENIOUS sling design is easy to use. Simply rotate unzip the main compartment (everything stays in because the closeable buckles prohibit you from opening it up too far) and easily lift the camera out in shooting position.

While the camera is out, the bag hangs comfortable around the front and I use it to rest my elbow on while shooting (an added bonus! stability).

The stabilizing strap can be hidden away, very NICE touch. And easily pulled out when needed.

The all-weather (AW) hidden cover comes out and protects in a downpour. Another great idea.

The microfiber LCD protector, numerous pockets are added bonuses, but the TRUE BEAUTY OF THIS BAG is that it allows QUICK, EASY AND SECURE motion from storage to shoot.

I got the 100 because I’m smaller and prefer a smaller bag. If I need to absolutely carry more lenses and gear, I’ll most likely be going somewhere where I’m going to be stationary so I’ll use my Lowe computrekker.

But as for being in the field, and being ready at moments notice…the SlingShot is it.

UPDATE JULY 2008:
=================
I sold this bag. Not because it was bad–I got more stuff and bought the next size up! I own the Slingshot 200 now and it is just as versatile, convenient and durable. LoweProducts are the way to go.

From the Manufacturer

Manufacturer Description:

<!– Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW –> Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW The Slingshot 100 AW is a sling style camera bag designed to comfortably carry a digital SLR body with a compact zoom lens attached, plus 1-4 extra lenses or flash units. Loaded with features, the SlingShot 100 AW boasts an All Weather Cover, a built-in memory card pouch, a micro fiber LCD protector, Hypalon SlipLock attachment loops and plenty of other amenities to provide the greatest ease of use and comfort.

Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW

 

 

 

Hardware Capacity:

Canon EOS Series, Rebel Series; Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D; Leica Digilux 2; Nikon D70, D100; Olympus E-300; Pentax with compact Zoom lenses or flash units.

Slingshot 100 AW Highlights:

1. Ergonomic Sling Strap
Evenly distributes equipment weight while carrying heavy equipment

2. Full Access Lid
Allows you to easily work from the bag while wearing it, and provides 180° access while packing

3. All Weather Cover
Offers maximum protection against rain, dust and sand

4. Zip-Stop Buckles
Provides security when accessing camera equipment while wearing the bag

5. Tuck-Away Stability Strap
Adds stability while carrying or easily tucks away while accessing equipment

6. Built-In Memory Card Pouch
Quickly find memory cards in the same place every time

7. Built-in Micro Fiber LCD Cloth
Protects LCD screen from camera strap nicks and scratches

8. Silent Zipper Pulls
Provide quiet access around film crews or wildlife

9. SlipLock Attachment Loops
Add pouches or other SlipLock compatible products to customize

10. Accessory Pockets
Provide quick access to cables, adaptors, small accessories or personal items

11. Mesh Back Pad
Provides comfort during long treks

<!–

 

Additional Features & Benefits:

  • Side-entry compartment make it easy to access equipment and accessories, even when pack is being worn
  • Compact design protects camera with large lens plus notebook computer while providing generous storage for accessories
  • Lightweight material makes this bag perfect for daytrips
  • Padded main compartment with full 180-degree access and adjustable dividers delivers excellent protection and a customized fit
  • Padded, contoured shoulder straps with DryFlow fabric provide breathable comfort
  • Outer organizer pocket enables fast access to large accessories
  • Built-in pockets efficiently manage digital accessories
  • Reversed zipper with silent pulls resists sand and dirt
  • Durable, water-resistant outer fabric helps protect against the elements
  • Security flap provides additional protection to outer compartments
  • Harness incorporates a pocket for an MP3 player or mobile phone
  • Mesh side pocket keeps a water bottle readily available
  • SlipLock loops expand carrying capability by enabling attachment of any SlipLock-compatible product

–>

Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW

Product Description:

The unique design of the SlingShot 100 AW provides quick and easy access to camera equipment while still being worn. Perfect for photojournalists, sports photographers or anyone in need of quick access to their equipment, the SlingShot 100 AW allows you to focus on your shooting and not on finding your equipment.

 

ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black Lowest Price!

August 6th, 2010 by alison8308517

ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black

ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black Lowest Price!

Compare & Purchase ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $199.10

Amazon Price: $188.99

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ASUS VH236H 23 Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black Description:

16:9 Full HD, 2ms, HDMI, SPDIF out and 2Wx2 Build in Speaker

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #55 in Personal Computers
  • Color: Black
  • Brand: Asus
  • Model: VH236H
  • Dimensions: 7.00″ h x 18.00″ w x 25.00″ l, 17.10 pounds
  • CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
  • Memory: 128000MB DRAM
  • Hard Disk: 1GB
  • Processors: 1
  • Native resolution: 23
  • Display size: 23

Features

  • 23-Inch Wide (16:9)
  • 2 ms (GTG) Response Time
  • HDMI/24-Pin DVI-D/15-Pin D-Sub/SPDIF Audio
  • 20000:1 Smart Contrast Ratio
  • 2W x 2 Stereo, RMS

Customer Reviews:

Great product for the price5
[...]

One of my criteria is to have built-in speakers. I don’t have external speakers nor do I like more tangled wires. The speakers sound better than my old Viewsonic VA1912wb I replaced. That is a welcoming fact. Initially, there was a lot of waviness on screen. The troubleshooting guide suggested video connection as the issue. Turns out that it was my old VGA cable (I didn’t want to craw behind the computer initially…). Once I hooked up with the new cable provided, it started working perfectly. I’m running Windows XP Media Center. After I turned off and on my computer, it recognized the new monitor and reset the resolution and refresh rate profile. It now runs at 1920 x 1080 at 60Hz. No driver is needed. I was afraid that I would need to update my video driver since I have a 4 yr+ old computer but I don’t. With HDMI, DVI, and SPDIF Audio Output, it will be more than capable to handle my future computer (definitely not with Vista, though).

Of course, not everything is perfect with this monitor. The buttons and OSD menu are not great. But they are within my expectation based on other reviews I mentioned before. In addition, once you move away from the center view by, say, more than 45 degrees, the picture quality starts degrading rapidly. It means that if you want to show someone standing behind you the pictures on your screen, he/she would need to bend down, sit down, or step back in order to appreciate what you are trying to show. These are just minor flaws that I’m willing to live with for what I’m willing to pay. Overall, I’m a very happy customer.

August 11, 2009 Update:

Shortly after I wrote the initial impression above, I began to experience some flickering with the screen. This is my description to ASUS Customer Service:

“While in use, occasionally monitor would flicker. Anywhere from showing multi-color vertical bands (partial or full screen) to black or white screen. Sometimes it’s vertical and horizontal lines covering the full screen (forming dense grid pattern). This is a brand new monitor (in use for 1 week). I’m using VGA cable. I’ve unplugged and plugged the cable and made sure connection is good. I’ve updated my video card driver to the latest version but did not solve the problem. Saw this posted in forum but no solution replied. If not resolved, may need to return the monitor.”

ASUS replied in about 2 days making several recommendations. I followed the advice the best I could. See my subsequent reply of findings:

“Firstly, would you please tell us when and after what action this problem occurred?
1. When the computer first boot up. Doesn’t matter whether the monitor is on first or on after boot up. The screen flickers with vertical multi-color bands on the right or sometimes the whole screen. At times there are both vertical and horiztonal bands that form white fabric like pattern. Duration could last for 2 sec to good 5 seconds.
2. When in use during any computer session. Very sporadic. Sometimes happens while surfing the net. Not always repeatable. In one particular session, every time I went to dpreview.com, it flickered. But it didn’t happen again since.

Secondly, please press Splendid key on LCD about 3 seconds to load the default settings.
Did it and no change.

Please replace another graphic card.
Not possible but I have another laptop to test with. This laptop is much newer… 1 yr old. When switch to ASUS as external monitor, the same flickering happened, for long or short duration. But other than that, I did not experience other instances.

Thirdly, please check if there is any updated BIOS or driver for your other PC components.
Updated BIOS.

Now the only times that it flickers are when the computer first boots up or when it goes in and out of screen saver or when the monitor is first turned on. I’ve not observed other in-session interruptions as before.

Otherwise please change this LCD to another PC to test.”

Today, ASUS told me that this may be defective. I’ve proceeded to replace my unit via Amazon. Will update again in the future. Up to this point, ASUS customer service has been prompt.

August 15, 2009:

Requested Amazon for a replacement on Aug 11. Received a new unit 2 days later. Plugged it in. Not a single problem was observed. All flickering has been gone since. I have to commend the excellent customer services from both ASUS and Amazon. Couldn’t be happier.

Very nice value4
PROS:
- Every video connector you could possibly want
- 23″
- Very bright
- Audio is adequate for a monitor
- Dedicated input select button
- No obvious dead pixels (knock wood)
- Cables included: DSUB, DVI, male/male audio, AC power

CONS:
- Limited vertical viewing angle!
- Cumbersome menu / buttons
- Highly polished bezel & base scratch easily
- Volume control buried in the menus
- No LED backlighting (though not advertised as such)

OTHER:
This is a lot of monitor for the money! Blows everything in its price range away. If you need a general purpose monitor NOW and can get it cheap (rebate, free shipping, no tax) I recommend it. Though if you can wait, please do as LED backlighting is coming which will give you a potentially more efficient, reliable, inexpensive, lighter, and thinner monitor with significantly better color. I scratched the base before I could even turn it on for the first time, not a big fan of the highly polished plastic motif. Volume is adequate if you turn it way up (85% or more). Biggest con is the vertical viewing angle - no matter how I tilt it I can’t get rid of the “dark sky” effect. It’s almost as if there is no backlighting at the top, only at the bottom. This is common with most modern LCD monitors though. Base is not particularly flimsy, no vertical adjustment, tilt range is fine. I’m also not a huge fan of the current widescreen craze, and think a square monitor would be ideal. Have seen 1920 x 1200 in stores and prefer that 16:10 aspect ratio to this 16:9, but those are still rather expensive. Note: this is a plug-n-play monitor and doesn’t require a driver in XP! Also, the box it comes in should easily survive fairly rough shipping as it is sturdy with plenty of foam inside. Amazon double-boxed mine which made me feel even better about it’s journey home.

Very nice display.5
Purchased this Asus LCD is replace my four year old Samsung 21 inch LCD. The Asus is well worth the small investment. The image quality is clear, video quality is high and I love the 2ms response time. I have this connected to my 2009 MacMini via DVI and my resolution is set at 1080P! Word of advice for 1080P - if connecting to a computer, connect via DVI compared to HDMI. When I used a HDMI cable 1080P was shaky and problematic. Use DVI.

2-PK 6 FT HDMI 24K GOLD cable for HDTV PLASMA PS3 1080P-Retail —-! Sale Only $5.31!

August 5th, 2010 by alison8308517

2-PK 6 FT HDMI 24K GOLD cable for HDTV PLASMA PS3 1080P

2-PK 6 FT HDMI 24K GOLD cable for HDTV PLASMA PS3 1080P-Retail —-! Sale Only $5.31!

Compare & Purchase 2-PK 6 FT HDMI 24K GOLD cable for HDTV PLASMA PS3 1080P at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: —-

Amazon Price: $5.31

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2-PK 6 FT HDMI 24K GOLD cable for HDTV PLASMA PS3 1080P Description:

A premium quality HDMI-HDMI cable suitable for use in HDTV, Home Theater, and business class projector based applications. Features gold-plated connectors, molded strain-relief, and mylar-foil shielding. Cable constructed using the high quality material for best contact connection between HDMI equipments. Fully HDCP compliant to provide highest level of signal quality. Compatible with: multiple audio formats from stereo to multi-channel sound. Transfer Digital Audio and Video signals at warp speed of 5 Gigabits per second approximately!A superb cable with excellent audio-visual transfer properties that deliver signal without compromising purity and balance. Digital video doesn”t get any better than this! Features:Gold-plated connectors for highest signal transfer rate and resistance in corrosion. Large gauge PVC jacket provides maximum shielding against wear and tear and extreme temperaturesReinforced quad-layer braided shielding and Mylar-foil shielding provides utmost protection against RF and EM interference. Molded strain-relief design lessens plug/socket pressureDesigned to meet all HDMI standards. Supports 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p resolution.Color: Black. Cable Length: 2 meters (6.5 ft).

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #820 in Consumer Electronics
  • Brand: eforcity
  • Dimensions: .0 pounds

Features

  • This Value Combo includes: 2 X 6ft HDMI cable.
  • Eforcity Branded Non-OEM item
  • Enjoy a 30-Days Money Back Guarantee if purcahsed through Eforcity.

Customer Reviews:

Upgraded cable box, DVD player, and Xbox 360 all to HDMI5
I got a 50 inch Samsung Plasma last year around Christmas. I always loved the picture but was never really blown away. I decided to upgrade from coaxial cable and component video to HDMI. I will never look back. The difference in the picture quality is AMAZING! These cables I picked up 4 of them for less that $10.00. In the store they are $30.00 (at least) for one of them. The cables arrived fast and in a very thick bubble wrap envalope. I was very pleased with the shipping and am very pleased with the cables. There is only one drawback. I have a Comcast digital cable set top box for my television signal and found that the volume control for that box, or any other Comcast box for that matter does not support HDMI connections. So now I am looking to upgrade my home theater system to something that I can control with the Comcast remote control so I can still use just one remote instead of 3. Cables were a great idea though. Picture quality is wonderful!

****ONE OTHER THING****
When I got these cables I got an OEM Xbox 360 HDMI and Stereo “RCA Type” jack for HD from the Xbox. I got these cables before the Xbox and tried one of them out with the Xbox. Needless to say, I didn’t have to spend the $15 on the Proprietary Microsoft HDMI cables. The sound goes great through my TV into my current home theater system. The Xbox cables actually weren’t necessary.

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920-Retail $298.99! Sale Only $279.99!

August 5th, 2010 by alison8308517

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920-Retail $298.99! Sale Only $279.99!

Compare & Purchase Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920 at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $298.99

Amazon Price: $279.99

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Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU BX80601920 Description:

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU

  • Brand: Intel
  • Model: BX80601920
  • Format: CD
  • Original language: English
  • Dimensions: 7.75″ h x 8.26″ w x 25.00″ l, 1.60 pounds
  • Processors: 1

Features

  • Intel Core i7-920
  • 4.8 Intel QuickPath Interconnect
  • 3 Channel Memory
  • 8MB L3 Cache
  • LGA-1366 package

Customer Reviews:

Very Satisfying5
Pros:
It’s my first build and coming from a Pentium 4 3.4 ghz in my Dell to this processor is simply amazing. I can now play Oblivion and L4D in the settings I want! Everything else it pretty much cuts through it like butter. It get a Windows 7 WEI of 7.6 3dmark Vantage CPU score P42500+ and I have it overclocked to 3.67 with blck of 184 vcore 1.225 with vdroop. Coupled with a Cooler Master V8 it’s prime 95 stable (small ffts - 2 hours, large - 2 hours, blend - 9 hours) and LinX stable (max memory 10 runs) 75 degrees C max. Ambient 80 F

Cons:
None

Other thoughts:
If you are new to overclocking like I was here are some simple steps for a modest overclock:
WARNING: It is entirely possible to burn your CPU! Don’t go crazy and set a high base clock from the start. Follow the steps!

1) download Realtemp.exe, cpu-z, prime 95, and LinX (google em)
2) go into your bios and increase the base clock by 5 (or 10 if impatient but remember my warning)
3) Load Windows and breath a sigh of relief if it does. But thats only 1/5 of the battle.
4) Run CPU-z to verify your overclock, close it then run realtemp.
5) Run LinX max memory, 3 runs. If it blue screens, restarts or errors then you’ve gone too far and you need to dial it down to keep your machine stable. Your last setting is your max overclock without adding vcore (cpu voltage).
6) If it passes with no errors and your max temps aren’t above 85 C (some people use 80) then you’re good, and you can add more base clock.
7) Go back to step 2 rinse and repeat.

8)Once you get to a speed you’re happy with and it passes LinX, and is below 85 C, run prime 95 stress test for at least 6 hours of blend, 2 hours of small ffts, and 2 hours of large ffts. If it survives that then you’re good for gaming and most everyday apps. If it survives p95 blend for 24 hours (no errors, < 85 C) then you’re rock stable ready for mission critical or server work.

You can run Linx for more passes or folding@home SMP for further stability testing.

Finally don’t expect much if you’re using the heatsink that came with the processor.

Good luck. If I made a mistake somewhere please correct me in the comments.

BTW my motherboard is the EVGA X58 vanilla. The folks at the forums in their website are the most helpful and supportive folks you can find. Really thats the stuff that money can’t buy, I strongly recommend their motherboards just for that. They have guides for more serious overclocks and guides explaining voltages, guides on optimizing Vista etc.

All the info about overclocking and stability testing comes from the stickied threads on the EVGA forums

8-cores at a 4-core price: another fantastic CPU from Intel5
I upgraded to the i7 from an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400. The main reasons I made the upgrade were:

1. Low power consumption (significantly lower than a Q6600 which is about $100 cheaper than the i7)
2. 8 logical cores available (quad core + hyper threading)
3. The ability to play cutting edge games that take advantage of all 8 cores.
4. The potential ability to load share between CPU & GPU once Windows 7 is released.

The upgrade might have been a bit premature, as the primary reason to buy an I7 processor won’t be possible until Windows 7 is released. Windows 7 will allow load sharing between GPU (graphics card) and CPU. This will enable some really nice performance gains in games, or other graphic intensive applications like video editing software. Allegedly, games like Crysis will get a 20-30 percent performance increase. However, I heard that before when Windows stated that Vista would provide significant performance gains for DirectX10 games, which has not proved to be the case.

Regardless, the i7 920 is truly an amazing CPU. I’ve yet to experiment with overclocking much, but I do have it running at 3.12ghz stable and with a core temperature of 41C at idle and around 60C under load. I’ll likely push things further in the coming weeks, and I’ll give updates on temperatures and performance when I do.

Combining this card with two 4870hd 512mb graphics cards in Crossfire mode produced a 3DMark06 score of just over 19,000! That is a 5,000 point gain from my previous rig, and is in about the top 4% of all systems out there. That is pretty phenomenal performance. In Crysis with all settings at very high and DX10, I average over 50 frames at 1980×1200. This CPU is a gaming beast.

If you plan to overclock this card even a little, invest in an aftermarket heat sink and some Arctic Silver thermal compound. The heatsink provided with the retail package is small and ineffective at cooling an overclocked card. I recommend this Zalman Cpu Cooler for moderate overclocking. It is a very quite and very effective fan.

If your in the market for a ‘future-proof’ processor, this is a great option at a reasonable price point. The ceiling speed of processors is growing increasingly unimportant as multi-thread programing become the norm in both games and applications. You could spend a lot more for a higher GHZ CPU, but you’re not really gaining as much performance as the jump from 2 to 4 cores, and then quad core to octo core. This processor will eat anything you throw at it and come back for more. Just make sure your mother board supports i7 chips before you buy one.

The D0 stepping really puts the Core i7 920 over the top5
I got my second Core i7 920 here on Amazon in early November, and received the D0 stepping. You can tell by looking for a sSpec number of SLBEJ on the box. (SLBCH was the C0 stepping.) You don’t need to unseal the Intel box to know what you’re getting, so you could just return it if you didn’t get the D0. Not that that’s likely anymore. I initially wasn’t impressed by the D0, using the same overclock settings I’d zeroed in on for the C0. If anything, it seemed to run even hotter. Then I learned the secret. You can turn the core voltage WAY down, which is the key to heat. I was at 1.30 volts to run the C0 stable at 3.7ghz (air cooled with Coolermaster V10). I’ve been able to turn it down to just a hair over 1.20 volts with the D0. With the bclk at 194, multiplier at 21, I’m now running over 4.0 ghz. That’s running Prime95 all night on all eight threads, with max core temps at 73 C or below. To summarize, the big improvement with the D0 stepping is being able to run with much lower voltages, which in turn allows higher overclocks with safe temps.

From the Manufacturer
The Intel Core i7-920 processor combines the power of four 3.06 GHz computing cores into a single processor, guaranteeing enough processing power for the most demanding applications. With 8 MB of smart cache, the Core i7-920 processor ensures that you get maximum responsiveness from your system, even when several intensive programs run simultaneously. Compatible with motherboards based on the Intel X58 Express chipset, the Core i7-920 processor takes your computing and gaming experience to the next level.


Intel Core i7-920 Processor features:
  • Four 2.66 GHz cores for better multitasking and multithreaded performance.
  • 8 MB of smart cache.
  • Integrated memory controller delivers higher memory bandwidth.
  • Quick Path Interconnect provides fast data transfer between the processor and chipset.

With four cores in one processor, users will experience better multitasking and multithreaded performance.

The Intel Core i7-920 processor delivers unmatched performance for demanding tasks. View larger.

Powerful New Microarchitecture Eliminates Slowdown
The i7 family is Intel’s flagship processor, and for good reason. With the i7 family, Intel engineers invented a revolutionary new style of microarchitecture. They replaced the front side bus — a longtime staple of processor design — with a new technology called QuickPath Interconnect (QPI). Using QPI, the i7-920 achieves unprecedented levels of bandwidth, and can use its four computing cores to their maximum potential.

To put it simply, users will enjoy faster and more streamlined processing than ever before. Your computer will handle multiple projects and applications without the slowdown you’d experience with a lesser processor.

Extremely intensive programs like high-definition media editors will run more smoothly and responsively. And you’ll be able to experience next-generation games without frame-rate hiccups and slowdowns.

New Technologies Boost Performance
The Intel Core i7-920 processor also makes use of several other cutting-edge technologies:

  • Turbo Boost Technology allows the processor to run up to 133 MHz faster when it’s operating below power/thermal limits.
  • Hyper-threading Technology enables more efficient use of processor resources, making the most of highly threaded software like media players and next-generation games.
  • Smart Cache Memory increases available RAM resources, leading to less lag while multi-tasking.

Media Editing and Sharing Easier than Ever
Whether editing high-definition videos, touching up family photos, or splicing up music, the Intel Core i7-920 processor provides the processing power needed. The processor’s four cores are optimized to keep up with the most advanced digital editing software. It also accelerates DVD encoding and compression, allowing you to easily share your HD home videos with everyone.


Unparalleled Gaming Performance
With the advent of next-generation games, PC gaming is more immersive than ever. The latest games take advantage of multi-threaded programming, allowing for more realistic graphics, physics, and artificial intelligence (AI). But you’ll need more than just a good graphics card with high GPU output to fully experience all these effects. Underlying the visual realism and advanced AI scripts are thousands of high-speed calculations that your CPU must process.

Fortunately, Intel Core i7-920 processor is specifically designed to handle these calculations. Using multi-thread architecture, it has the ability to process thousands of graphical characteristics at once, resulting in a smooth and lag-free experience. Intel worked closely with CryTek — the developers of the advanced game engine behind such games as Crysis and Far Cry — to guarantee that gamers have an immersive and lifelike experience.

The Intel Core i7-920 processor is backed by a three-year limited warranty.



Intel Core i7-900 Processor Series
Intel Core i7-975 Processor Extreme Edition Intel Core i7-950 Processor Intel Core i7-920 Processor
Processor Frequency 3.33 GHz 3.06 GHz 2.66 GHz
Intel Smart Cache 8 MB 8 MB 8 MB
Intel Turbo Boost Technology Single-core performance up to 3.6 GHz Single-core performance up to 3.33 GHz Single-core performance up to 2.93 GHz
Number of Simultaneous Threads 8 (With Intel HT Technology) 8 (With Intel HT Technology) 8 (With Intel HT Technology)
Processor Integrated Memory Controller Yes Yes Yes
Number of Memory Channels 3 (DDR3 1066 MHz) 3 (DDR3 1066 MHz) 3 (DDR3 1066 MHz)
Intel X58 Chipset Motherboard DX58SO DX58SO DX58SO
Socket LGA1366 LGA1366 LGA1366

Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner Lowest Price!

August 4th, 2010 by alison8308517

Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner

Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner Lowest Price!

Compare & Purchase Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $299.99

Amazon Price: $244.43

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Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK 1080p Upconverting VHS DVD Recorder with Built In Tuner Description:

1080p Up-Conversion
By interpolating video data using proprietary algorithms, SD format data is up-converted to 1080 x 1920p HD format video data. This conversion increases the richness of the original data by almost six fold, producing the highest possible image quality when viewing content on a large-screen HDTV.

Digital Tuner Capable
The high-performance hybrid digital tuner is capable of receiving both digital and analog broadcasts. And even when digital signals drop out because of interference with direct signal access, which makes the picture either disappear or become filled with block noise, the Digital Tuner still produces a beautiful picture.

Easy Operation with VIERALink
Connect your Panasonic DVD recorder to your VIERA flat-panel HDTV via an HDMI cable, and the TV channel setting information is automatically downloaded to the recorder. Once the Auto Preset Download is complete, the DVD recorder will keep whichever TV channel you’re watching as its receiving channel. This means you can record the program you’re watching by just pressing the Record button on the VIERA remote. With VIERALink, you don’t have to worry about setting the recorder to the right channel every time you want to record something.

Expansion of Usages
The Panasonic DMR-EZ48VK DVD recorder is equipped with an SD Memory Card slot and USB terminal, which makes it easy to view photos from your digital camera. Just slip the SD card into the slot or use the cable to connect the camera to the USB terminal, and you’re ready to enjoy a spectacular big-screen slideshow with family and friends. You can even listen to music recorded onto a USB device while viewing your photos.

Universal Design
All of our DVD recorder models are designed in compliance with Panasonic’s Universal Design principles. Frequently used buttons (Power, Open/Close) are located at the top of the main unit to make them easier to see when the unit is placed in a rack a

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #588 in Consumer Electronics
  • Color: Black
  • Brand: Panasonic
  • Model: DMR-EZ48VK
  • Dimensions: 3.30″ h x 17.00″ w x 13.60″ l, 11.66 pounds

Features

  • 1080p Upconversion via HDMI
  • Multi Format playback: DVD, DivX, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD, CD-R, CD-RW
  • Viera Link to Panasonic Televisions
  • Built In ATSC Tuner
  • SD card slot

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME MACHINE!5
The auto scan flawlessly found all the analog and unscrambled digital channels offered by Comcast in my area. It does not have an HD tuner but does capture the widescreen 16:9 signals. If you record on DVD-RAM (not -R, -RW, +R, or +RW) it will record the widescreen picture. Three added bonuses for using DVD-RAM are “Chasing Playback,” which allows you to watch a program from the beginning while the machine continues to record the remainder of it; more editing options; and the ability to selectively erase individual programs from the disc and then record new shows in the deleted space. You can find 10-packs of Panasonic DVD-RAMs online (item #LM-AF120LU10) for about $19; Amazon has a 5-pack (LM-AF120LU5) for about $10. The discs are rated for 100,000 re-recording cycles, versus about 1,000 for R/RW! Don’t expect to find them in stores (which baffles me).

I found the menus and remote control to be quite intuitive. This is also the quietest DVD recorder I have used. The machine is loaded with features, including upconversion all the way to 1080p if you use the HDMI connection. One of its best capabilities is that Panasonic engineered the 4-hour LP recording speed of the DVD drive to provide the same playback quality as the 2-hour SP speed! No, the VHS recorder does not record digital broadcasts, but who cares with the great playback quality of the DVD drive? I’m using the VHS to dub my old tapes over to DVD.

We interrupt this review for a helpful note…a couple years ago I learned from personal experience (and a Comcast technician) that digital signals are more “fragile” than analog ones. My first lesson occurred when I was connecting my new Panasonic HDTV. Some of the digital channels were very unstable and would cycle between displaying and going to black, or showed significant digital artifacts. That problem was caused by my brand new high end surge suppressor, which included f-jacks for cable protection. The suppressor’s internal cable protection circuitry altered the signal slightly, causing the problem. The tech connected the TV directly to the cable wall outlet, bypassing the suppressor, and the signal was perfect. (Note: always plug your AC power cords into a surge suppressor!) I had to recall my second lesson when hooking up my DMR-EZ48V. At first, a couple of the digital sub-channels in my area (21.1, 33.3) could not be received. I remembered that I had used an existing push-on type coax for my cable connection from the wall outlet to the machine. My bad. I replaced it with one of the cables the Comcast tech had made for me for future use, with screw on f-connectors, and all reception was perfect! We return now to my review of the DMR-EZ48V…

I have not seen any digital artifacts during playback on my Panasonic HDTV. The instruction manual gives you details for tweaking the machine and fixing many possible problems (I had none) by using the large array of accessible menu options. This machine may not be right for a technophobic individual, but for an enthusiast it is great!

Finally a DVD recorder that actually works5
Finally a DVD recorder that actually works and is pretty easy to operate. Thus far I have tried recording from VHS to DVD several times with out any problems. One just can not beat the two button recording sequence. You press the specified VHS->DVD record button located on the front of the unit then you either press the record button to play until the DVD is maxed out and finalize the recording automatically or the play button that will allow you to stop the recording, finalize at a later time, add VHS content from another VHS tape, etc. My pops that is not tech savvy at all has managed to work the unit. He is smiling that he can now convert his 20 year old VHS tapes to DVD

A must have is DVD-RAM discs. Allows one to tape broadcast content to view at a later time then delete and record again. I am still trying to find a PC program that will allow me to take DVD-RAM content and edit it on a PC. I have tried Adobe Premiere without any results (does not recognize the file format. If anyone knows please advise.

Update 11/21/2008 After many months of use I can say that the unit has worked very well for the purpose that we purchased it: Transferring homemade VHS tapes to DVD. First the footage is transferred to a DVD-RAM disc. (I purchased a pack of 5 and have only used 2 that still work). I have used with great success the authoring software called: TMPGEnc Authoring Works. It allowed me to take the raw unedited footage that was transfered from the VHS to the DVD-RAM disc then using TMPGEnc Authoring Works to edit footage and then burn it on a regular DVD.

It is also a decent VHS and DVD player.

Be Wary If Transferring VHS3
I purchased this mainly to transfer home movies. Unfortunately, Panasonic has decided that it knows better than you do. They have programmed the machine to divide recordings whenever a break in the video occurs. This means that your two-hour home video is going to be automatically divided into about 16 parts and there is no option to disable it. Each division causes a loss in the beginning of the next part.

You will have to plug a separate VCR into the unit to be certain of uninterrupted recording. Of course, you might as well buy any DVD recorder if you are going to do that and pay much less. The DVD recording quality is good - as good as just about any other recorder.

Too bad: Panasonic built a good concept, but they forgot to give the consumer the freedom to decide how to record.

Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter White Discount.

August 4th, 2010 by alison8308517

Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter White

Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter White Discount.

Compare & Purchase Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter White at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $19.99

Amazon Price: $13.73

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Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter White Description:

RockStar makes it fun to create your own music experience. Connect up to five headphones, and your iPod, to start sharing. Or, add another iPod to mix songs and listen together. Works with all MP3 and DVD players, as well as other portable media devices.

  • Color: White
  • Brand: Belkin
  • Model: F8Z274
  • Original language: English
  • Dimensions: 7.20″ h x 7.40″ w x .98″ l, .25 pounds

Features

  • Five jacks for attaching headphones or iPod devices
  • One hard-wired connection for your MP3 player
  • Mixing and fade-ins controlled by the standard controls of each MP3 player
  • Also works with all MP3 and portable DVD players
  • Share your music with up to five friends

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Splitter and Lets the Kids mix!5
Can be used with multiple pod and headphone combinations. My son plugged in Disney and Crazy Frog’s versions of a song, through 2 pods. He and I both listened to his mix, and we still had two ports available for more friends or MP3 players. Only has one MP3 jack, so to use more than one device at a time, you need a male-to-male plug (radio shack/target/walmart for >$5). This is really cool for letting 5 kids listen at once. Great product. We’ll see how it holds up over time, though the quality feels fine. Props to Belkin for making packaging that doesn’t require scissors and sharp edges/sliced fingers to open…

EDIT: My son checked the packaging this morning before he threw it away and there was an extra male-to-male plug for connecting a second ipod wrapped up inside. The only way it could be better is if it made my coffee…

Works great5
3 kids, one DVD player, 4,000 miles

Every other headphone adapter was for 2 people, I’ve got 3 kids. This worked great for the entire road trip– 4,000 miles and not once did I have to say “Don’t make me pull this car over!”

Useful to play guitar with backing tracks5
For me, the Rockstar name fits perfect to this product!
After minutes opened I connect my guitar amplifier headphone output and a MP3 player with a backing track. The result was simply great for the price.
Pros: cheap, small, no batteries, 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable supplied, nice design.
Cons: when you connect a headphone or another audio source, you can feel the audio volume droping down a little bit. That could be a problem for the Rolling Stones, for me it’s OK

Amazon.com Product Description — Posted May 22, 2008
The Belkin RockStar is a new way to share and mix your music with friends–a unique hub that connects a combination of MP3 players and headphones. Attach your headphones and hear your friend’s playlist. Or, add another iPod to mix songs and listen together. RockStar makes it fun to create your own music experience.

Connect up to five headphones and your iPod to start sharing. Or, add another iPod to mix songs and listen together. Works with all MP3 and DVD players, as well as other portable media devices–if it has a mini output jack, you’re good to go.

What’s in the Box
Belkin RockStar 5-Way 3.5-mm Headphone Splitter (White)

Fanatic Digital Imperial Series 6ft v1.3c 120hz+ HDMI Cable- Gold Plated, Double Insulated Lowest Price!

August 4th, 2010 by alison8308517

Fanatic Digital Imperial Series 6ft v1.3c 120hz+ HDMI Cable- Gold Plated, Double Insulated

Fanatic Digital Imperial Series 6ft v1.3c 120hz+ HDMI Cable- Gold Plated, Double Insulated Lowest Price!

Compare & Purchase Fanatic Digital Imperial Series 6ft v1.3c 120hz+ HDMI Cable- Gold Plated, Double Insulated at Amazon by clicking here!

List Price: $69.99

Amazon Price: $7.95

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Fanatic Digital Imperial Series 6ft v1.3c 120hz+ HDMI Cable- Gold Plated, Double Insulated Description:

Fanatic Digital: Fanatic Digital is a US registered trademark. The Imperial Series HDMI Cables; The Ultimate In Performance, The Ultimate In Value. -Compatibility is guaranteed with all HDMI devices and brands such as PS3s Blu-Rays and Xbox360s/ 110% Money Back Guarantee!! Version 1.3c Category 2 Certified - Compatible with all the latest HDMI specs such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master AudioTM and future codecs. Double Insulated means no electronic interference or EMF “noise”. Compatible with resolutions 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, future-proof up to 1440p!! Higher Speed - single link bandwidth can be up to 340 MHzDeep Color - supports 10-bit, 12-bit and 16-bit (RGB or YCbCr) color depths (it was up to 8-bit).Broader color space - adds support for “x.v.ColorTM” Lip Sync - incorporates automatic audio synching capabilities that allows devices to perform this synchronization automatically with total accuracy.New HD lossless audio formats - adds additional support for new lossless compressed digital audio formats Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

  • Color: black
  • Brand: Fanatic Digital®
  • Model: 1.8MIMP
  • Dimensions: 1.00″ h x 1.00″ w x 72.00″ l, .44 pounds

Features

  • The Imperial Series HDMI Cables; The Ultimate In Performance, The Ultimate In Value.
  • Version 1.3c Category 2 Certified - Compatible with all the latest HDMI specs such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master AudioTM and future codecs.
  • Compatible with resolutions 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, future-proof up to 1440p!!
  • Double Insulated means no electronic interference or EMF “noise”
  • Compatibility is guaranteed with all HDMI devices and brands such as PS3s Blu-Rays and Xbox360s

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Cables, but Large Connectors4
The cables are very good and since they are flexible, they work very well with my entertainment center. The only problem is the cables extra wide because of the strain relief attached to the connector ends of the cable. Since the connectors are extra wide, I cannot attach these side by side on my HDMI video switch. My TV stacks the HDMI connectors instead of placing them side by side and these cables are fine when stacked. So if you have your HDMIs side by side, you may want to think twice when ordering, but if you have your HDMIs stacked, these cables are awesome.

HDMI cables are all the same, but this one will actually last.5
Yes, all HDMI cables are all the same in theory — they send 1s and 0s across the cable and you either get the picture, or you don’t.

However, I have noticed with some of my cheaper cables that the physical quality of the cable degrades over time. One of my cheapo cables ($2.99) had the rubber boot of the plug come off because it was cheaply made. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a cable that will actually last when I unplug it from the TV.

So I was on the hunt to buy a cable that was “monster quality” for cheap. Monster has great cables, but they’re not with the price for what you get. I found HDMI King had pretty cheap cables, and this one fit the bill. It actually had sleeving, rubber covers for the plugs (that don’t come off!) and plastic covers for the ends so they don’t get dirty.

It works just like any other HDMI cable does, but I don’t have to worry about carrying spares because this one will actually last. If you plan on plugging in your devices to the TV once and never moving it, just buy whatever HDMI cable is cheap, because they’re all the same.

I wanted quality so I went with HDMI King’s Imperial cable, which is Monster quality without the Monster price.

Durable? Not mine…2
I recently purchased this HDMI cable to compliment my new Blu Ray player. Withing a few days, the picture and sound quality that was once perfect, degraded to several issues. The video and sound continuously cut in and out. Upon closer inspection, the weight of the cable itself caused the end to loosen. I contacted Fanatic Digital, assuming that they would honor their warranty. I e-mailed them two weeks ago with no response. During that span, I attempted to contact them several times more, with no reply. At least Amazon is refunding my purchase. Maybe my cable had a small defect, but due to the lack of customer service, I doubt that I will make another purchase from Fanatic Digital.

HP USB Mini Speakers Discount.

August 4th, 2010 by alison8308517

HP USB Mini Speakers. HP USB Mini Speakers

Product: HP USB Mini Speakers Discount.

List Price: $39.99

Amazon Price: $23.99
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Compare Prices on HP USB Mini Speakers

Get clear, crisp sound from your notebook with these ultra-compact speakers, which supply a signal-to-noise ratio of 78 dB. They’re also very light, so they’re perfect travel companions.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #795 in Consumer Electronics
  • Brand: Hewlett-Packard
  • Model: NN109AA#ABA
  • Dimensions: .65 pounds

Features

  • Speakers Included: 2
  • Speaker Features: Plug and Play Technology
  • Sensitivity: 78dB
  • Frequency Response: 230Hz-16000Hz
  • Peak Power Handling: 2 Watts
  • Material: Plastic
  • Warranty Description: 1 Year Limited Manufacturer Warranty on Parts and Labor
  • Wired Connectivity: USB, 3.5mm Jack

Amazing Sound From These Tiny Speakers5
After listening to all I could possibly stand from my cheap acer built-in speakers, I broke down and bought these mini speakers. My expectations were not too high because they retail at only $40.

The packaging is durable. The instructions were clear and easy to understand. The housing on the speakers is plastic, but finished smoothly without any rough edges. They feel pretty solid, like the parts tolerances were tight and it was well put together even if it was plastic. The connectors are color coded so that you cannot mess this up and they are a decent quality. Plug the blue tipped cord into the blue tipped sockets and the green cord into the green socket. Then just plug the USB power cord into any USB port and the green cord into the speaker output of your device and you are done.

There is a handy little zipper case that makes this easy for travel or putting into a backpack/brief case or laptop case.

The sound is advertised as ‘Clearer Sound’. Honestly that is an understatement. I would call it fantastic sound for little plastic speakers! Far better in every range (high, mid and lows) than my heftier desktop speaker kits for any of my other machines. With a pretty rich stereo sound.

I heard no crackle, static or any background noise. The signal to noise is 78 dB (not bad for the price). My first test was with a digital recording of a harp playing classical music like Fur Elise. You could hear every string with clarity and beauty. It stopped a group of kids nearby who started talking about the songs I was playing. The quality was just amazing for mini-speakers.

So, I may be purchasing another set of these. I heartily recommend them!

Springy Cables3
Small light weight speakers with a travel case. The sound is ok for the small size but they don’t have much bass, which is to be expected. The only real problem I have is the very stiff, springy connection wires combined with the slick, light weight plastic speaker cases made them very difficult to position as they keep moving around.
Had I known this, I wouldn’t have bought them.

HP you could do better3
I was going to post a video review but it took too long to upload and was larger than the 100mb Amazon says is the max. So here is my written review: The HP notebook speakers have great sound, and are very tiny (about three inches) and easy to carry on a trip-with one exception (see negatives). I compared these speakers to GE usb speakers (bad sound very muddled) logitech V-20 which are about twice as large as the HP’s (and more expensive) and would not be great travel speakers. The advantage of Logitech over HP is that Logitech have volume as well as other controls on the speakers and only one cable to connect (the material is not springy). I tested the Logitech’s at a large box store with the initials B. B however I could not get them up as loud as the HP’s. It might have been the pair I tried or because of other noise in the store. They are also more expensive then the HP’s.
Ok here is the negative for the HP speakers. There are three cables for the HP’s, one goes from speaker to speaker, one goes to the USB port, and one goes to the speaker headset jack. As one reviewer had said these cables are very springy and make it hard to stretch the speakers out without them flopping all over the place. You also have a wirery mess, which isn’t good for travel. HP can easily improve these speakers by either making them Bluetooth (in which no cables would be needed) or follow Logitech’s lead and use only one cable for the entire setup. The very least HP should do is replace the material the cables are made out of so they are not springy. The HP speakers also have no volume, on/off, base or treble control. All that is done with the software on your laptop. A knob for the volume or inline volume leveler would have been nice.
Bottom line: These speakers have great sound both for bass and treble. They have a lot of potential, however, I might just wait until HP listens to their customers and makes some changes regarding the cabling which is by far the worst flaw. I want to use these speakers with travel as well as at home and there are too many cables to connect (more to lose on a trip) and they are far too springy. For these reasons I cannot recommend The HP’s until some changes are made.

Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer-Retail $169.00! Sale Only $60.87!

August 3rd, 2010 by alison8308517

Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer. Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer

Product: Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer-Retail $169.00! Sale Only $60.87!

List Price: $169.00

Amazon Price: $60.87
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Compare Prices on Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer

The sleek, compact and stylish Brother QL-570 Professional Label Printer is perfect for creating cost effective labels on demand for envelopes, packages, file folders, CD / DVD, name badges and more… Once you use the Brother QL-570 Label Printer you will discover many more uses for this versatile product. The Brother QL-570 Label Printer is for those wanting to create customized labels quickly and easily so they can look more professional and become more organized.s can contain any combination of text, barcodes, images and logos.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #60 in Office Product
  • Color: Black
  • Brand: Brother
  • Model: QL-570
  • Platforms: Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows 2000
  • Format: CD
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 5.60″ h x 5.30″ w x 8.20″ l, 4.45 pounds

Features

  • Labeler produces high-resolution labels for home and business applications
  • Can print at speeds up to 68 labels per minute
  • 300 x 600 dpi resolution for sharp and detailed text and imagery
  • Includes P-Touch Label Creation software for customized labels
  • Backed by a two-year limited warranty

Great printer, confusing setup4
Great label printer. Fast, reliable, and quiet. A bit bulky but the size makes it easy to change the label.

Note about setting up printer for postage:
I bought this printer to print folder labels and postage. Folder labels was easy enough but postage proved difficult. I read on a forum that you could print USPS click and ship postage. Signed up on USPS and spent a few hours trying to fit the postage image onto the label. Finally, a search revealed that paypal has this functionality. I signed into paypal and under Profile -> shipping settings set the printer settings to ql-550 (ql-570 not listed but it’s okay). It gives you a heads up that you need Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment to print labels to your label printer and points to you a link for the no longer unsupported J2SE JRE from 2005 that no longer works. You do need Java Run Time Environment but can use the newer one. You can get it by searching for JRE or get the older one by searching J2SE JRE.

Then I went into Label Printing Application found under Aution Tools tab -> PayPal MultiOrder Shipping and printed two labels. Wasted about 1 foot of labels trying to get them to print. Then finally realized there is another setting inside this MultiOrder Shipping App under Edit -> Settings. I set this to the ql-550 and hit the “Reprint” button (next to View Details…) under the History tab. I wasted another foot of continuous label trying to print the labels. Then realized that reprinting keeps the original printing formatting. Had to void out the labels and /really/ re-print them (luckily I didn’t have to refill in the shipping details). Very annoying experience. end rant.

1. Download Java http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
2. Create or login your Paypal Account
3. Click auction tools -> free MultiOrder Shipping
4. If Getting Started pops up click Close
5. Click Edit -> Settings -> Print Settings -> Label Printer, and choose ql-550. (Also I unchecked packing slips and receipt. Packlist comes up after printing labels and you can choose your regular printer)
6. Click Ok
7. You are done. Click File -> Create New Order

Also, turn off pop-up blocker before trying to print and you might want to change your OS’s “Printer Preferences” paper size to the correct value so you don’t have to do this everytime you print. The default is wrong for the ql-570.

This is a big feature for the ql series so they should have some better documentation but it is equally paypals fault for poor documentation.

Brother QL-570 lends professionalism to your business5
I got this a few weeks ago and I’ve been enjoying beautiful label printing since. While Brother has many label printers, this model is all you really need. It was actually recommended by a Brother reptile ;) at Macworld.

Set-up was easy and I’m using it with both Mac Leopard and Windows Vista and I’ve experienced no problems printing whatsoever. The Windows software has more features than the Mac side and feels “slicker” too.

The QL-570 prints fast and silent. It’s a little bigger than you would expect, but that’s due to the easy-to-change label cartridges, which are a big plus.

Great little printer5
I use this printer on a Mac with OS X 10.5, and it works great. I think of new uses for the labels just about every day. Its super fast, and changing labels or tape is a snap. They come in a cartridge that just drops into the printer. The printer reads the label size so its available to the software.

One other nice thing about this printer is lots of type of labels and tape. There is circle labels, squares, big ones and small ones, and continuous tape in both paper and film.

One slight negative is that the software doesn’t make it as easy to enter a POSTNET barcode as it should. You need to manually enter the zip code and manually position the bar code. Not terrible, but not as nice as the rest of the software.

Overall this is a great printer, durable, and you will love it.