Air Hogs - Stinger

I purchased the Air Hogs Battling Laser Havoc Helis for my son last year. I could only get one of them to work, which meant that we were never actually able to battle with them. I rated that product based on what it was supposed to do and what it delivered, giving it two stars due to the fact that the one that worked was fun, but they didn’t do what they were designed to do.

My son’s birthday just passed a couple of weeks ago. His friend bought him an Air Hogs Havoc Stinger which looked much like the ones he had last Christmas. Based on my prior experience, I probably would not have purchased this item again. However, I am glad he received this as a gift, because it is great fun. By eliminating the battle part of the equation, we were able to focus more on the issue at hand…commanding a flying vehicle.

One of the issues with his blue havoc heli was that I was never able to get it trimmed properly. The trimming process allows you to adjust the rotors on the helicopter using the remote control in order to prevent the helicopter from spiraling around on it’s axis or from continually leaning to the left or right. A properly trimmed helicopter will hover or move forward, turning only when the levers on the remote are used to create the turn. Trimming out the Stinger was exceptionally easy, making me wonder if they fixed something since last year.

The helicopter looks much the same, although it seems a tad bit lighter and the rear tail assembly appears to have been changed. The helicopter comes with spare rotors in case crash landings create a problem. They also come with foil appliqués that provide a bit of interesting contrast as well as counter-weighting as necessary. After trimming this helicopter, it was not necessary to apply any of the foil pieces. The remote control is intuitive, with a forward/back elevation control and a side to side directional control. The bottom of the aircraft has an on/off switch which has a small letter next to it identifying the proper flying channel. The corresponding channel switch is located on the remote control.

The remote control requires six AA Batteries. The helicopter charges by attaching a wire from the remote control to the underbelly of the aircraft. My son’s helicopter was not charging properly. It appeared initially that the product was defective. However, I was using Kirkland brand batteries that had been in storage for quite a while. I decided to try replacing the batteries in case there was not enough juice in the ones I had. This worked like a charm. Weak batteries apparently will simply not charge the heli regardless of how long you leave it connected. With a proper charge, the heli will provide several minutes of continuous flight.


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Microsoft Zune

Several months ago, I signed up at club.live.com. Club Live is an on-line search club that has interesting brain games that offer tickets as points for winning games. I like the crossword puzzles, which give 25 tickets per win. 800 games later, I had accumulated 20,000 tickets. I was actually playing for an X-Box 360 which was 35,000 tickets, but they sold out. So, I cashed out for a Microsoft Zune. It arrived in the mail yesterday.

My son and I eagerly opened the box to see what was inside. The packaging is interesting, if not confusing. there is a box that slides into a box cover. When the inner box is removed, there is a storage compartment that opens from the top, where the disc and flimsy manuals are stored. The other side of the box opens to reveal the Zune in the middle, with a smaller compartment to either side of the Zune, one containing ear phones, the other a USB cable for transferring data and charging the Zune.

I removed the disc and placed it into the D: drive and waited for the software to load. I proceeded to read the instructions, only to find that you get two pamphlets...the first is a quick-start guide that basically walks you through set-up using drawings and simple instructions. The other pamphlet talks about the battery, protecting your ears and the one year warranty that comes with the Zune. There were no instructions for actually transferring music from your PC to the Zune. However, there WAS a telephone number for Customer Support, appropriately, 1-800-GET-ZUNE.

I read bruguru's article on the Zune, and he obviously understands about ripping CD's, and must understand how to transfer these files without looking. I guess I could have asked him, too! I have never used this type of equipment or software (please don't use the word dinosaur), so I resorted to calling customer service. They must get a lot of idiot's like me on the phone because the lady at customer service was extremely pleasant. I am so used to number trees and rude customer service reps, that I have to say she really surprised me. She patiently walked me through the (in hindsight, ridiculously easy) steps for moving the files into the Zune directories, and then Syncing the device, so that the directories load onto the Zune. She also took the time to register my Zune for warranty purposes. I should also note that the Zune software sort of explains how to upload songs to your Zune, but if you haven't done it before, or don't understand how to sync, will seem like Greek. I don't have a Palm Pilot or any other device, so this was a learning experience for me. AND, it wasn't that hard. Customer Service for Microsoft Zune scores large.

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Fellowes Shredder

To introduce you to the importance of owning a shredder, let me cover a few important points before moving on to the product review. Financial Crimes Fraud accounts for five percent of the Gross Domestic Product in the United States every year. The primary ways that an individuals identity becomes compromised are through Skimming, Hacking, Phishing and Pharming. Skimming requires the complicity of an individual at the point of sale. This individual moves your credit card over a "reader" while processing the card through the system at the store or restaurant you are visiting. This reader is a small device that captures your information for transfer to a PC at a later time. Hacking is not as complicated as it may seem. This happens when a criminal hacks the point of sale terminal at a business, capturing any financial information that is transmitted via that terminal. In this manner, it does not require any complicity of an employee of that business. The business normally will not even know that their terminal has been compromised. Anyone reading this article has probably been targeted by Phishing. This is one of those emails that tells you that you need to update your account information at E-Bay or Bank X. If you click on the hyper-link in the email, it will take you to a site that resembles the official website for the financial institution...however it is a scam site with a URL that does not match your banks web address. This website asks you to input your password, at which time you have compromised your account. Hint: Never click the URL in an email to get to any of your accounts...visit the website directly. Also, your bank will never ask you to click a URL in an e-mail to begin with. Pharming is accomplished by Domain Spoofing, which is difficult to get around...you are unknowingly redirected to a spoof website. These types of attacks are aimed at the domain itself, and are usually spotted quickly by the financial institution. Finally, the low tech approach to identity theft...dumpster diving. This may also be done by stealing from your mailbox. Dumpster diving is nothing more than picking through your garbage searching for financial information. You might be surprised how much information about yourself you put in the trash. Protect yourself by ensuring that none of this information is usable.

My Past Experience with Fellowes
Along with this shredder, I have also owned the Fellowes 300, which is an expandable shredder that adjusts to fit a wastebasket of your choosing. The wastebasket does not come with the shredder. I also currently own a PS30, which (like the 300) is a ribbon-style shredder. These shredders are effective shredders, although ribbons are still capable of being reconstructed. The objective here is to make it more trouble than it's worth. These ribbon shredders both have worn down over the years, and no longer shred as effectively as they did initially. I imagine the blades become dull from all of the paper. These blades are contained within the unit and are difficult to get to, although they may have a device that can sharpen the blades. I don't know how much that would cost, but considering these shredders are inexpensive, it may not be worth your while to even try. I have not tried to find a way to sharpen them, opting instead to purchase a new one, and using the old ones as a backup.

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Polaroid I531 Digital Camera

My son plays pee-wee football. Last year, I used a work camera to take pictures at the games. This season, I decided to buy a cheap digital camera to record his games. While visiting Wal-mart, I stopped by the Electronics Department and scoped out the cameras. I wanted an inexpensive camera that was compact, so I could carry it up and down the sidelines with me, or stick in my pocket if needed.

I noticed the Polaroid I531 which was priced at $89.00. I see that it is available through Epinions partners for $69.00 currently. The on-line price is a good deal, I checked just before Christmas, and the price at Wal-Mart is still $89.00. My rating of this camera is based on the purchase point, and not the overall photographic abilities. Professional cameras can be very expensive. This camera is for personal use, and was purchased for it's cost, size and zoom features.

When I opened the box, I found that there were some extra pieces. Open further inspection, I discovered that there are three different face plates that can be installed on this camera. That indicates to me that this camera is intended to be marketed toward young people. I kept the faceplate that was on it when it came...that doesn't matter to me. The box also contained a USB bridge for downloading photos to your computer. I purchased a memory card for my camera, which can also install pictures directly to my computer, so I haven't used the bridge at all.

Most of the cameras in this price range had 3.0 Mexapixels. The Polaroid I531 is slightly superior in that area, delivering 5.0 megapixels in the same price range. If you go up another fifty to a hundred dollars in price, you can find newer camera models with even more megapixels. 5.0 megapixels serves my purpose just fine. The camera I had last year had a 12X zoom, which was pure optic zoom. This camera comes with 12X zoom also, but the zoom is divided...3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom. What that means is that you are basically stuck with 3X zoom, but are using the same zoom feature that you would use on your PC to zoom in closer on the action. The advantage of having it built into the camera is that you can better frame your subject matter from a distance, as well as capturing the image without requiring further manipulation. Most cameras in this price range are also delivering 3X optical zoom, but none of the others had the built in digital zoom. I actually like this feature. One thing I would note...from a 12X optical zoom, to a split zoom feature, there is a substantial difference in the quality of the photos. This camera delivers a much less desirable end product than the optical zoom.

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I have owned the Emerson 32 Inch LCD televisionfor more than a year. I shelled out approximately five hundred dollars purchasing this television from Wal-Mart. I have had ample opportunity to experience the quality of sound and picture that this television produces and have been very satisfied with both. This television has a 1366 X 768 resolution which is not the current top of the line (1080p fits that bill). However, with a digital converter box and high end cables, the programs I have watched in high definition on this television have produced a phenomenal picture quality.

My assessment of the Emerson television begins with the only negative that I have experienced, which is warm up time. I remember my grandmother’s old television back in the 1970s. It would slowly warm up, with a small dot of color in the middle of the screen the only indication that the television was actually turned on (along with the crackle sound it made when you pulled the "on" knob). This television has a remarkable pause after it is turned on. For some reason it takes eight to ten seconds for the screen to display an image after the power button is selected. There is a red LED light at the bottom of the television that turns green indicating you successfully powered up the television, so at least there is a visible indication that the remote control is working or within range. The delay seems a bit excessive and is longer than the two flat panel LCD televisions I own which are inferior in picture and sound quality compared to the Emerson.

The warm up time for the Emerson LC320EM9is a minor set-back. The picture quality in high definition far outweighs this minor shortcoming. Although the picture quality is not the highest available, it is superior enough to normal broadcasting to make it difficult to distinguish from a higher quality broadcast. I have seen the high definition DVD’s playing at the electronics store on 1080p televisions and find myself wondering if they are selling snake oil. My naked eye cannot distinguish any difference in the quality. It is possible that on a 32 inch television, this difference would not be as evident as it would on a larger screen. However, it is a 32 inch television I am reviewing, so compared to other televisions of equal size, I believe the picture quality exceeds my own standards and appears to be as good as any other comparable television that has the 1080p technology. The television advertises Clear PIX technology, and a 3D Digital Comb filter. I don’t know what that means in technical terms, but can articulate it in layman’s terms. The picture quality when combined with high definition broadcasting, receiver and cables equals an exceptional picture quality as good as anything I have seen in the store.

The sound quality of my Vizio 32 inch LCD television is severely lacking. I am contemplating the addition of a surround sound system to that television just to allow me to hear it. With the Emerson LC320EM9, I seldom have to adjust the sound beyond the halfway point. I have placed my Vizio television on 100 (the highest setting) and still struggled to hear. The Emerson produces clear sound that is easy for me to hear without adjusting the television into the upper range which is impressive for the dual 5 watt speakers. When this television is broadcasting music, the sound is clear and crisp. My Vizio has a tendency towards tinniness the higher the volume is adjusted. Thankfully, there is no noticeable distortion in the Emerson when adjusted to higher levels.

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Dell Latitude D430 Laptop

My last laptop was a Dell Latitude C840. The C840 is a heavy duty laptop that I abused thoroughly. It was bulky, heavy and durable. I like the fact that it survived three impacts with the floor before succumbing to a final blow that separated the monitor portion of the laptop from the keyboard. That final straw put me in the market for a new laptop. As hard as I can be on a computer when I travel, there were some things I didn’t like about the bulkier C840. Aside from the weight, the size was not very useful on an airplane. The small travel trays on the back of each seat barely have room for a calculator, never mind a laptop. When deciding on my new laptop I decided to focus on size and weight instead of durability. I found the perfect match with the Dell Latitude D430.

The Dell Latitude D430 is a lightweight laptop, weighing in at approximately three pounds. Double that if you include the docking station, which is also compact and portable. The smallish 12.1 inch WXGA monitor screen is surrounded by a thin border that barely exceeds a half inch at the thickest point. This keeps the laptop compact, with overall dimensions of 11.6 inches wide, 8.25 inches tall and an inch thick. The carrying case provides ample room for the power cord, laptop and docking station with plenty of room for other accessories or paperwork, if needed. The Dell Latitude D430 docking station is called a media base due to the fact that it has a DVD player built into it. When attached to the media base, the entire profile remains tight with less than an inch of additional width added by the media base.

The Dell Latitude D430 has a decent package. The unit contains an Intel Core 2 Duo processor that operates at 533 MHz. It has a 2 MB Smart L2 Cache. The Duo Processors operate at 1.2 GHz (U7600) and 1.06 (U7500) GHz respectively. The Solo Processor (U1400) operates at 1.2 GHz. I do not engage in any on-line gaming or graphic intensive endeavors with my laptop, so it is difficult to talk about speed in comparison to hard-core gamers. My use primarily revolves around spreadsheets (which are often very large), power point (which sometimes includes video) and internet. When browsing internet sites with obnoxiously numerous videos and sound, I have not encountered any slow-downs. The processors seem to be able to handle my moderate use effectively. The manufacturer’s description of this laptop’s capacity exceeds my ability to explain it thoroughly, so for those who understand numbers: The Chipset is an Intel 945GMS with Intel onboard graphics. The memory has a minimum 1 GB DDR2 single channel shared 533 MHz with a maximum 2 GB DDR2 single channel shared 533 MHz.

Full Review of Dell Latitude D430

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Lexmark Z1300 Printer

My old printer was in storage, and I needed something cheap that I could print with intermittently. While visiting Wal-Mart, I saw this printer on sale for twenty-five dollars. For that price, I figured I couldn't pass this printer up. I normally stick with Hewlitt Packard printers, because the replacement cartridges generally run cheaper. However, this printer was on sale for less than I spent on my last Lexmark cartridges.

The size of this printer places it at the smaller end of the line for printers. It does not have a scanner, but is about half the height (4 3/4 inches tall) of most of the scanner printers I have seen recently. The footprint of this printer is about the same os those scanners, taking up 17 inches across and 8 inches deep. The paper tray sits straight up behind the printer. adding another six inches (in case this printer needs to fit into a compact space). The bottom tray where printed documents are ejected is retractable when this printer is not in use. The total weight of this unit is 5.1 pounds, which is relatively light.

The Lexmark Z1300 is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64, Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple Mac OS X (10.4.4-10.4.x Intel, Apple Mac OS X (10.3.x-10.4.x Power PC)and Microsoft Windows 2000 5.00.2195 or later.

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Plantronics Discovery 610 Blue Tooth

When I purchased my RAZR cell phone from Verizon last year, I decided to get a bluetooth. My Nextel phone is not compatible with Bluetooth so I had been using a Jabra with a cord that connected to my phone. Having a wireless headset would be liberating. I looked at the available selection of Bluetooth options and settled on the Plantronics Discovery 610. At sixty dollars, it was one of the less expensive models available inside the Verizon store. However, this model appears to be available through Amazon Marketplace for $40.77 as of this writing, making that a very attractive option.

As mentioned in my review of the Motorola H375 Bluetooth, I noted that one of the most important factors in purchasing a bluetooth is the fit. Sound quality and battery life are also important to me, with transmission distance being low on the list for me. Although most bluetooth products are easy to use, simplicity is also another factor that I consider in buying this type of product. I will discuss how this bluetooth matches up in each of these areas.

The Plantronics Discovery 610 comes with three rubber earpiece units in small, medium and large sizes so that you can customize the fit. The stem of the earpiece is rather small, with the majority of the bulk from the earpiece coming from the rubber unit that fits over the stem. Because the part that fits within your ear is primarily rubber, the fit of this Bluetooth is very comfortable. The fit is snug enough that the unit can be used without the ear hook attachment that hangs from your ear. The ear hook can be changed so that the unit can be used on either ear, if used with a hook. I prefer to use the hook on my bluetooth because I am prone to losing things. The fit of the Discovery 610 is far superior to the fit of my Motorola H375.

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Motorola i670 Cell Phone

I have had Nextel Service for six or seven years. During that time, I have owned three or four different Motorola Direct Connect (push to talk) cell phones. About two years ago, I switched to the Motorola i670 Cell Phone. My main reason for switching to this model was the DirecTalk feature which allows this cell phone to operate like a walkie talkie without using a cell tower. My experience has been a mixed bag. This review will not cover Nextel Service, nor the drop in the quality of that service following the merger with Sprint, concentrating instead on the functionality of this phone.

Durability Issues
My main issue with the Motorola i670 Cell Phone is the durability. As suggested by my Title, this phone should be purchased with a service contract. I have had this phone in the shop to be serviced five or six times in the past two years. The first problem I encountered was automatic shut down. While talking on the cell phone, it would completely shut down in the middle of a conversation and have to be turned back on. It started happening once or twice a day. When it happened approximately ten times in a row in a single day I got frustrated enough to take it to the shop. They replaced the entire unit and I was out of the shop the same day. The next problem I encountered was the Direct Connect button which failed on me twice. This also required a complete replacement of the handset guts. Several months ago, the dial pad stopped working requiring me to had the insides replaced yet again. Two days ago, while removing this phone from the holder, the antenna broke off. Another trip to the shop. I had other minor problems that didn't involve major replacements, but the overall reliability of this cell phone is weak.

Direct Connect
The Motorola i670 Cell Phone is equipped with Direct Connect capability, which allows the phone to be used with Nextel Service. The Direct Connect feature uses cell towers to chirp another person allowing one person to talk at a time between handsets. This feature requires a calling string rather than a telephone number to connect. The button that enables the Direct Connect is made of rubber and has been resistant to damage externally. This feature has serious issues internally. One of the problems I had with this feature involved repeated discharges when the button was not pressed. After finishing a conversation using the direct connect feature, the phone would discharge to the last person called without the button being depressed. Another issue I had with this feature involved double discharges during the initiation of a conversation. When the button was depressed it would chirp twice instead of simply chirping to allow conversation to begin. When it double chirped it would not allow me to talk before chirping again. It acted very similar to the alert feature, but on the other end sounded like two individual chirps.

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Cuisinart TAN-4 Tandem Toaster

During the week, my breakfast often consists of coffee. I sometimes supplement my meager morning meal with a small piece of fruit or toast. One the weekend, I prefer a bit more, either bagels or croissant sandwiches. The Cuisinart Toaster handles the bread portion of my meals while I concentrate on the fillings. Not having to worry about whether my bread gets burned or not allows me to concentrate on other tasks. This toaster was purchased to replace a Cuisinart CPT-60, which has been a great toaster for seven years, but only has room for two slices at a time.

Durability. That's what I equate the Cuisinart brand with. Cuisinart products cost a bit more than equivalent small appliances. I own non-Cuisinart products and have had great success with many of them. However, I have not had any problems with my Cuisinart products, so there is an inherent level of trust in their reliability. The exterior of the TAN-4 is durable, but more importantly the interior components appear to be well manufactured. I have not owned this toaster long enough to say with certainty that the interior is flawless, but based on my prior toaster, I am confident that this will be the case once again. The hard plastic exterior is both durable and does not conduct heat well. You can touch the toaster while it is in operation without fear of getting toasted yourself.

The versatility of this toaster also sets it apart from most standard toasters. The four slice capacity allows this toaster to complete your bread browning tasks in half the time of traditional toasters. Additionally, the wide mouth openings allow for a variety of bread options. I have used this toaster for waffles, English muffins, bagels, bread and pita flatbread (toasted pita bread is great with hummus). The wide mouth would also allow you to toast home made bread that might be difficult to slice thin enough for smaller toasters. There is also a lever that allows you to lift the carriage in the event that you have a smaller bread product like English muffins or the crust end of your bread.

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Cuisinart DTC-975BKN 12-Cup Carafe Coffee Maker

I have never owned a carafe type coffee maker before. I have always liked the idea of having a burner plate that keeps the coffee piping hot, especially on Saturday mornings when I have more time to sit back and enjoy my coffee throughout the morning. The latest addition to my eclectic collection of coffee pots is the Cuisinart 12-Cup Carafe Coffee Maker. I have been pleasantly surprised at the performance of this coffee maker.

The most surprising aspect of this coffee maker is the quality of the coffee it brews. When you employ a burner plate type brew system your coffee continues to cook after it has been strained through the coffee grounds. Although your coffee stays piping hot with a burner plate, the strength of the coffee gradually increases as the liquid slowly cooks off. This creates a situation where your last cup of coffee may be much stronger than your first...regulating the coffee strength can become a bit tricky if you plan on slowly drinking an entire pot over the course of a morning. With the Cuisinart Carafe Coffee Maker the coffee is stored in a thermos carafe where it is kept warm until you are ready to drink it. What surprised me most about this carafe was that it kept the coffee as hot as I would expect it to be from a burner plate type maker. Merging the best of both worlds, this coffee maker produces a consistent coffee strength that stays surprisingly hot all morning.

The Cuisinart 12-cup carafe coffee maker has several features that appeal to me. Aside from the thermos carafe that keeps the coffee warm, this coffee pot also has a clock and timer that allows you to prepare the coffee maker the night before...allowing you to wake up to the smell of brewing coffee...ready to pour when you stumble out of the bed. There is an audible alert which beeps when the coffee is finished brewing. If you happen to stumble out of bed before the alert sounds, the coffee maker also has a “sneak a cup” feature that will let you pour yourself a cup while the coffee is still brewing. The design of this coffee maker is sleek, with black plastic complimented by the stainless steel carafe and stainless steel accents. The coffee maker is slightly taller than other coffee makers I have owned. Sitting on my counter top, I have to position the pot so that it is not directly beneath the cabinets. The water reservoir lid opens upwards, requiring additional height to fill the tank. The lid does not clear my cabinets. The basket for the coffee filter is on a swivel that opens outward, which makes it much easier to access than the reservoir. Cleaning this unit is very simple. The filter basket lifts out of the swivel arm that holds it in place, allowing you to empty used grounds and rinse the basket with little effort. This coffee maker uses the cone shaped filters.

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EMachines T3642 Refurbished AMD Desktop Computer

I have found that purchasing a computer can be an agonizing task. Trying to balance capabilities with affordability can be a challenge. I am not a gamer, so my requirements are much simpler from that perspective. The majority of my use is internet related, although I do use my personal computer at times to assist with work related processing. Having a decent software package and adequate storage and speed are about the extent of my concerns. My first real home computer purchase was in 1991 when I bought the fastest computer on the market…it ran at 33 MHZ and cost me nearly two thousand dollars. In more recent times, it has appeared to me that buying a model that is six months or a year old provides adequate capabilities with a greatly reduced price tag. Having said that, price was a driving factor in my purchase of the EMachines T3642.

Prior to purchasing this computer, I conducted internet searches and visited several electronics stores. The baseline that I was finding for most computer systems was around $399, although I did see one for $299. These were all towers without printers or monitors. All of the packages included speakers, keyboard and mouse. While searching at Tigerdirect.com (at the physical location in Durham, North Carolina), I found the EMachines T3642 for $249. This model was a refurbished desktop computer with a decent software bundle installed. Aside from the software bundle, I examined the speed, storage capacity and available drives. Having owned EMachines products in the past, the name brand recognition was not an issue. My only concern was that I have never purchased a refurbished computer (or any electronics product for that matter).

I spoke with one of the salespeople at Tigerdirect.com and was advised that the refurbished computers are restored to new condition under a very strict quality control environment. The computers come with a ninety day warranty (you have to keep the box and receipt if you want to return the product under the warranty). In addition to the ninety day warranty, you may purchase an extended warranty plan starting around forty dollars. I rolled the dice on my purchase, buying the computer outright under the ninety day free warranty. I have spent a lot of money over the years on extended warranties that I never had to take advantage of. The replacement cost of this computer makes it hard for me to justify spending that much money on a warranty (twenty percent the total cost).

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Vizio 32 Inch LCD HDTV

I currently own three LCD flat screen televisions. I have owned the Vizio VX32L for over a year. I purchased this television primarily because of the price point, which was around four hundred and fifty dollars at the time I bought it. I also own a 32 inch Emerson LCD and a smaller RCA LCD television. When I looked at the Vizio in the store, the clear picture and price convinced me that I had found an excellent bargain. Now that I have owned this television for an extended period of time, I wish I had spent a little more money for a better television. The primary problem I have had with this unit is the sound quality, which is not even adequate.

I will start with my complaint and then discuss the positive attributes of this product. When I talk about sound quality, I’m referring to sound quality in terms of high definition surround sound tech-guy sound quality. This is very basic. The sound quality is tinny and often difficult to hear. Depending upon which channel I am watching, I have to have the sound of the 10 watt speakers all the way up to 100, which is the maximum on this television. The sound quality becomes even more garbled at the higher end of the volume control, but it has to be all the way up just to hear anything. When I am on a channel that I can hear in lower ranges (50s or 60s), the sound is a little bit better, but conversations are often muffled. When watching movies, which seem to have better sound quality, the problem is not as pronounced. However, when watching news programs, it is often difficult to determine what is being said. I have thought about correcting the problem by adding speakers to the television, which I will probably end up doing. However, this goes back to my point. The money I spend on speakers could have been better spent on a television that produces good sound.

The picture quality on the Vizio is exceptional. Especially when watching the 16.7 million colors in 1080i high definition. This television is connected to an HD converter box provided by my cable company. The connecting cables are also high definition cables. When I am watching a show in high definition, I am getting an extremely high quality picture. Some of the normal channels experience a bit of static, but that is definitely a broadcasting issue. I have watched the television series Heroes and some other programs aired on normal television, but on the HD Channel and have been thoroughly impressed with the difference. The formatting changes the shape of the picture a little bit, but the quality of these images are phenomenal. I have switched back and forth between the HD and normal channels and can see a marked difference in quality. HD Movies or movies played on a DVD also provide exceptional pictures. I am not using a Blue Ray DVD player, but understand that this type of DVD would further enhance the HD experience. Even without the Blue Ray, DVD’s provide exceptional quality for viewing.

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RCA 26" LCD HDTV

About a year ago, I found the RCA L26WD23 flat screen television at a clearance sale for well under five hundred dollars. Epinions is showing a link to purchase this television for $530, which seems a little bit steep for this model. I have three flat screen televisions. One is a Vizio 32 inch LCD which has a great picture but anemic sound. The other 32 inch LCD flat screen is an Emerson, which has a great picture and audio but slow warm up time. Finally, there is the RCA 26 inch LCD flat panel, which has great picture and sound, fast warm up time, but is considerably smaller than the other two models. This television is currently selling for slightly less than what I paid for the 32-inch Emerson. At the current listed price, I probably would not have bought this unit. However, at the price I paid, I have no complaints.

I have this television set up in my guest bedroom. It is being used as my multi-media monitor. It is hooked up to cable (without a box) so all of the basic cable channels are available. It is also hooked up to an X-Box and a computer with wireless internet, mouse and keyboard. If I have company that wants to surf the internet, they can lay in the bed and use the wireless keyboard and mouse to surf. The remote control for the television has easy to understand buttons, which includes an input button to switch between the various input modes. There are numerous jacks on the back panel of the television to allow for a variety of feeds. The jacks include a VGA Input, which I have used to connect my computer to the television. There is also an audio input next to the VGA jack in case you want to connect your computer sound to the television instead of using the standard speakers. There are two component video input jacks which allow you the option of connecting using the high definition cables along with left and right speakers. There is a composite video jack which offers a selection between the red yellow and white connecting cables or an S-Video cable. There is a composite video output along with a coaxial audio output. There are also two HDMI jacks. On the side of the television is another composite video jack with the same options as the one on the rear with the addition of a headphone jack. This makes it easier to connect a device that is not permanently attached to the television (X-Box or a DVD player). Surfing between input devices can be done quickly with the remote control. The remote control can also be programmed to work with two additional devices.

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LG VX8350 Cell Phone

Several months ago I obtained an LG Model 8350 cell phone in addition to my Motorola RAZR phone. Both phones are on the Verizon Network, so the service plan is clearly not an issue. Any differences between the two phones are related to the quality of the phone and not the phone company. I find the LG 8350 to be superior to the RAZR phone in many ways. The Model 8350 was launched to replace the Model 8300 which looked very similar but had large speakers built into the hinge and external antenna. The smaller speakers make this model a sleeker improvement on the model it replaced. Compared to the RAZR, this model seems to have a better antennae, longer battery life and smaller lightweight design. The screen is smaller than the RAZR but is proportional to the size of the phone.

The LG 8350 cell phone is very lightweight. I wear it on my belt, and have it on me anytime I am not at home. Toting a phone around constantly (which many of us do) makes you notice the extra size and weight. Weighing in at 3.3 ounces, this cell phone barely registers when it is clipped to your belt. Because I carry both phones, my RAZR feels like a brick in comparison, even though it is touted to be just a fraction of an ounce heavier. Much of it has to do with the size of the RAZR, which is taller but thinner than the 8350. The 8350 is approximately 3 ¾ inches tall, Two inches wide and less than an inch thick. The holster that I place it in fits sideways on my belt. Worn this way, the phone is about the same thickness as my belt. I don’t mind the bulge created by the inch of thickness (plus holster). What creates more of a problem is when a phone digs into your skin when you are sitting down and it is wider than your belt. My RAZR is wider than my belt either way that I turn it. I normally wear the RAZR more towards my side to prevent this problem. The size of the 8350 is ideal for my uses.

The LG 8350 has an internal antenna which is great, considering I broke off the antennae from of my old Motorola Nextel…more than once. The internal antennae seems to generate as good a signal as any other phone that I have owned. It is not uncommon for my LG phone to have a signal while my Motorola indicates “No Service.” They both have internal antennae, but the LG seems to work better. Aside from the potential from breaking, the internal antenna also makes the overall design sleeker.

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