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Comment on Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder (Black) Reviews by Target Shopaholic

Target Shopaholic — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:07:57 +0000

93 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

good basic starter camcorder for the price, January 3, 2011

This review is from: Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder (Black) (Electronics)

Customer Video Review Length:: 1:21 Mins

Here's a compilation video of different clips taken under various conditions. We bought this camcorder when it went on sale at a nearby store. To summarize & confirm a couple of complaints:
~ it does have poor quality shots in low light shooting
~ photos are taken in 2M so they're not the best quality either

Things I liked about the camcorder:
* pretty good battery life
* awesome zoom capability
* microphone picks up sound very well
* lightweight, small, comfortable & easy to use
* love the "plug & play" into either a laptop or TV

Overall, for the price, this is a good basic starter camcorder.

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Comment on Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder (Black) Reviews by R. Malik

R. Malik — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:21:34 +0000

215 of 216 people found the following review helpful:

Great camcorder at great price, April 13, 2010

R. Malik -

This review is from: Samsung F40 Ultra Zoom Camcorder (Red) (Electronics)

I want to preface this review with a comment. If you are expecting that this camera is going to put out High Definition quality videos and be amazing in low light situations, then you're looking at the wrong camera. In fact, MOST cameras will have difficulties in low light situations. The camera was not designed for HD, obviously, so that expectation should go out the window.

Overall, the camera is great. Purchased for $165 from Amazon's website at the end of March 2010. The camera has excellent zoom and picks up sound very well. The reason that the camera was purchased was to capture golf shots between friends. It's very lightweight and easily fits within the compartments of our golf carts/bags. It's still a bit big to fit into my pants to the point where I feel comfortable taking a golf shot. Don't get me wrong, it is still small and CAN fit into your pant pockets. I just don't like the feel of it when I take golf shots.

I had considered purchasing the Flip HD and Kodak zi8 (which I do have) and must say that though the form factors on the handheld camcorders is better from a size standpoint, you simply can't beat the benefits of this camera.

For those of you who are concerned about the battery life, let me assure you that the 4.5 hrs of battery life is definitely real. I tested it today since I was skeptical about it as well. This 'concern' came about because the battery indicator light is not designed well and appears to drain faster than it really does. At one point, there were zero bars on the indicator but the camera continued taking video for an additional 45 minutes.

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Comment on Toshiba NB505-N508GN 10.1-Inch Netbook (Green) by E

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:06:49 +0000

141 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

Solid Netbook - Excellent Second Computer, February 7, 2011

E (NY NY) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Toshiba NB505-N508BL 10.1-Inch Netbook (Blue) (Personal Computers)

I bought this computer a few weeks ago and so far my experience has been very positive. This netbook is solidly constructed and is ready to use out of the box. The keyboard isn't difficult to use and the trackpad is OK - a little oversensitive for my taste. Unlike many other systems it doesn't come with a lot of bloatware - trial versions of programs you don't want anyway. There is some, but almost all for arguably useful programs. The included Toshiba software seems well-designed even though I personally have no use for it.

As for speed, the computer is powerful enough for a netbook, and will run net-based and home office applications smoothly. Of course, it falls short for more intense use like video editing, image processing or games - but then again, that's not what this computer is for. However, the Atom processor in this unit is on its way out, and for about $100 more you can get a netbook that is considerably faster. Nevertheless, or a solid, cheap, ultraportable computer, this is a good pick.

Pros:
* good keyboard
* good battery life
* nice, slim design
* little bloatware, useful software included
* solid build quality, looks like it will last

Cons:
* underwhelming sound (single speaker on the bottom)
* slow CPU

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Comment on DYMO Label Manager LM260P label Printer, Black /Gray (1754490) Reviews by Lana Baker "lanabaker"

Lana Baker "lanabaker" — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:24:00 +0000

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Label Manager 260P, January 16, 2011

Lana Baker "lanabaker" (Euless, Texas USA) -

This review is from: DYMO Label Manager LM260P label Printer, Black /Gray (1754490) (Office Product)

I've used this labelmaker for several weeks now and LOVE it, with one caveat: it's not qwerty.

It holds well in my hand, being neither too heavy nor too light. It runs on either batteries (Li-Ion replaceable battery) or AC power, and the battery recharges quickly. It uses the same DYMO label cassettes that other DYMO products use and the cassette is clearly labeled with color and size.

I can change the font (three choices) or the size of the font. I can print multiples of the same label. I can save the label to use later. The label can have multiple lines of print. I can italicize, bold, underline, put letters in a box. The labels are clean and crisp.

In short, it's a pretty amazing labelmaker! For me, though, it's supertough to find letters on the "keyboard" when it's it's in alphabetical order with an arbitrary seven letters on each line. I'm having a lot of trouble adjusting to that. Because of that one small thing, making a label is a bit time-consuming, and it seriously detracts from my enjoyment of this labelmaker.

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Comment on DYMO Label Manager LM260P label Printer, Black /Gray (1754490) Reviews by Bobbie - "Andromeda's Grandma"

Bobbie - "Andromeda's Grandma" — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:20:37 +0000

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

Lightweight, Easy to Use ..., February 25, 2011

Bobbie - "Andromeda's Grandma" (United States) -

This review is from: DYMO Label Manager LM260P label Printer, Black /Gray (1754490) (Office Product)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

Customer Video Review Length:: 7:40 Mins

I have been using a label machine since we opened our store three years ago. My label machine of choice back then was the Brother PT-1950 P-touch PC-Ready Labeler for Small Workgroups.

I was grateful to check out the Dymo Label Machine because there were some serious problems with my older machine. Here are the features I really like in the Dymo.

1) Rechargeable batteries included. No need to worry about the batteries, just plug in and keep charged, then when you are ready to go, grab the label machine and take it with you.

2) "Short" ends on the labels. The Brother left over an inch on either side of the labels, and wasted about 50% of the labels I made. Given the cost of the labels, this is a feature that is truly helpful.

3) The ability to easily save the label for re-use later.

4) The "sizing" feature on the Dymo. It is possible to designate a length of label, then ask the Dymo to print the label to that size. This is particularly nice for putting labels on Items I have canned.

5) The "fancy" outline capability on the labels (again, a nice feature for canned goods I enter in the fair). Nice counts.

6) The easy capability of making 2-line labels.

7) The ability to add symbols (Like $ % @) makes it very functional for a store or business.

8) The labels do come in clear, making the mirror image feature (a nice addition) practical for putting the label on the inside of a window or other glass and have it come through in the correct directions.

A couple of areas that disappointed me - small, but I wanted to point them out.

A) You cannot use the Dymo Label Manager while it is plugged in. The adapter it uses is intended ONLY for charging the label machine. So you really DO need to keep those batteries charged for when you are using it.

B) It will take me awhile to get used to the Alphabetic keyboard ...

C) The Brother PT had an "automatic cut" feature, this one must be manually cut by pushing the button hard enough to clip through the label.

* Note - the video is a bit blurry, but I wanted to post it anyway so that you could see some of the features. It's a VERY handy machine!

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Comment on Garmin nüvi 1490LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates by M☾☽ngobble

M☾☽ngobble — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:15:50 +0000

246 of 251 people found the following review helpful:

So Glad I Got This One!, November 27, 2010

M☾☽ngobble -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1450LMT 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates (Electronics)

My review is going to be geared to those who have owned previous Garmin units, and perhaps have several year old models. I have had a Street Pilot c550 and a 205W. I was never happy with either the screen brightness or the volume on the Street Pilot. When I bought the 205W it was a new model and promised a very bright screen and loud directions - it had neither. Still, I used it until about two months ago, when for no reason it suddenly dumped all my saved destinations. Swell. I figured it was time for a new unit, and I wanted Lane Assist and Junction View. Was originally going to buy another unit that has the feature where it will help you get back to your parked car, but that unit isn't going to be available for an unknown period of time, so I settled on the 1450lmt. I didn't care so much about the traffic, but I definitely wanted lifetime maps. So - excellent Amazon service with delivery, amazingly fast. Right out of the box, it picked up a signal in my apartment - wow. Downloaded an updated map and it only took about 45 mins. total, no problems. Tried it out today. Screen is beautifully bright - I don't actually need it on 100%. The voice is LOUD and clear, and again, I don't need it full volume. Those two things alone totally delighted me. It is ready to navigate almost instantly when I turn it on, including in my carport, where my previous model never got a signal. It has very accurate and exhaustive small local POIs, which again impressed me, as the 205W still showed places that hadn't existed for 5 years, and that was when it and the maps were new. The junction view/lane assist is easily visible and will be invaluable in unfamiliar areas. I haven't actually seen the traffic alerts in use, but I have cruised the screens and checked the scans, and it seems as if it will be helpful. I know it can't be perfect, but I'm sure it'll be better than not having it at all. I've also had fun downloading different vehicles and voices. I just might be tempted to pay for Spongebob (most of the voices are free). SO happy I didn't buy the unit I was originally intending to buy, and got this one instead with its great 5-inch screen. It's a vast improvement on my 3 year old previous model. Garmin's really started getting it right!

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Comment on Toshiba NB505-N508GN 10.1-Inch Netbook (Green) by goofy-foot

goofy-foot — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:10:17 +0000

515 of 520 people found the following review helpful:

Good netbook with FULL keyboard, February 8, 2011

goofy-foot -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Toshiba NB505-N508BN 10.1-Inch Netbook (Brown) (Personal Computers)

Great little netbook at an affordable price. Specs are pretty standard for a 2010/2011 netbook: 1G RAM, 250Gb HD, 3 USB ports, basic video camera, separate Mic & headphone jacks, sd card slot, vga output and a very useful 8h battery life.

There are a lot of netbooks like this on the market, but what really stands out for me on this one is the keyboard, FULL size main keys with ALL the cursor movement keys: DEDICATED up, down, right,left, PGUP, PGDN, HOME and END. I work a lot with excel spreadsheets and it is really uncomfortable to move pressing fn+end/up orf+end/down or ctrl+fn+home, ctrl+fn+end, etc. to move around. Also scrolling with pgup/pgdown while reading a long web page is a pain when you have to press also the fn key! With most netbooks you have to live with the fn key, not in this case, the NB505 keyboard is really practical and comfortable, almost like a full laptop or pc keyboard, even do the position of the keys is not standard, they let you do the work easier and faster.

I also really like the case feeling: like some very soft rubbery cover, it looks nice and grips nice!

Windows 7 Starter is really basic, but you can find programs, utilities and tips on the Internet to take care of the basic "missing features" like changing the background image, colors, sounds, re-size pictures, etc. I got rid of most of the Toshiba utilities and also Norton, and installed MS Security and my preferred freeware home edition utilities.

I would have liked to have stereo speakers, but the netbook only includes a mono speaker under the unit.

I have older Toshiba laptops with excellent experience, in fact they are still working (WIN98, 450Mb HD,64Mb RAM)! so I decided to take the risk and bought the netbook from Amazon. It arrived fast, and working OK! (no DOA).

Its been a month since I got the netbook and I am still happy, but I think I will upgrade the memory to 2Gb, to make it snappier, I find Win7 heavier than Win XP for 1 gb of RAM (but that is just my feeling...).

All in all, I WOULD recommend it to my friends!

*** UPDATE **** July 2011 ****
I did upgrade the memory to 2Gb on February'11 and it works faster, but, if you plan to do it, just be aware of THIS: (info from the Toshiba support web site)

"NOTE: Two types of DDR memory are used in the Toshiba NB500 and NB505 netbook series. In order to upgrade, you WILL NEED to determine the current memory speed of your Netbook before you buy and replace it:
1) Locate the gray part number label on bottom of machine.
2) If there is a "D3" in the UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER of the label, then DDR3 memory is installed, upgrade using the following: "PA3856U-1M2G Toshiba DDR3-1066MHz, 2GB Memory" or compatible.
3) All other units, assembled with DDR2 memory, upgrade using the following module: "PA3669U-1M2G, Toshiba DDR2-800MHz, 2GB memory Module" or compatible (cheaper).
Alternate Identification Method (Serial Number):
1) PLL50U-01900C(5B294965K or greater, or a serial number starting with 6B ,7B , 8B) use DDR3.
2) PLL50U-01900C(5B294964K or less, or a serial number starting with 4B,3B , 2B ,1B, ZA, YA, or XA)- use DDR2."

Mine used DDR2...

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Comment on Garmin nüvi 1490LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates by J.B.

J.B. — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:20:07 +0000

617 of 632 people found the following review helpful:

Garmin's nuvi 1450LMT is Outstanding, October 24, 2010

J.B. (Carlsbad, CA) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1450LMT 5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates (Electronics)

Researching GPS devices was and is worse than buying a car with all the different product offerings and features plus none of the model numbering seems to make sense which was even more frustrating. You can't tell a low end unit from a high end unit. Garmin is no different either.

Through all of that I am very pleased that I settled on the Garmin 1450. IMO Garmin has made a wonderful device. The UI is very intuitive and very easy to operate even with my big hands. The touch screen is very accurate and responsive. From power up to satelite acquisiiton takes seconds. The turn by turn instructions are very clear but a bit too chatty. We have found the street name pronunciations fairly entertaining. The points of interest have been pretty accurate as has the gas station mapping and the hospitals and such. The bread and butter of a GPS is really whether it can get you where you need to go especially if you as the operator have no idea. I have travelled outside my area of familiarity a few times now and this GPS receiver has been flawless. The screen size is very nice and easy to read while driving.

This unit I purchased has liftime maps and traffic. So the first thing I did was register the unit and update the maps. The web site is pretty easy to navigate on. The map update was simple but just expect it to take awhile. The traffic portion seems to work however to date it has not offered any alternate routes so I can't judge its effectiveness. Nor have I tried the blutooth functionality.

This unit comes with everything you need so unless you want extra power cords or something there is no need for anything extra. The window suction cup works well. The unit fell once but I found I did not seat the suction cup very well. They do have a weighted mount that sits on the dashboard which would be better if you have a co-pilot and you need to look for alternate addresses or something. I found putting the unit in the middle of the window creates an annoyingly large blind spot. So I now put it to the left of the steering wheel.

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Comment on Garmin nüvi 1490LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates by C. James

C. James — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:17:57 +0000

823 of 834 people found the following review helpful:

Great Screen - Great Fratures - Some Quirks, December 4, 2010

C. James -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Garmin nüvi 1490LMT 5-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Lifetime Map & Traffic Updates (Electronics)

Having been a Garmin owner for about 5 years I had no doubt what brand I was going to buy, my old Garmin served me well but it was time for a new one and the wide screen was a key feature I wanted in my new one.

The screen is impressive, while going from 4.3" to 5" does not sound like much it is really amazing how much more map and information that fits well on the screen. The screen itself is anti-glare that works, and very bright if you want it, I have the brightness at 60% and that is fine even in bright sunlight. The images are very crisp and clear, street names and such are auto-sized to not obstruct the map but big enough to read easily. The volume when it is reading out direction is also outstanding, so loud I have it also on 60%. So a solid 5 Stars on the screen and voice volume, as well as the pronunciation of the street names!

Quirk: When I first got it I was in my office and opened it, plugged it in to just power and fired it up, it kept asking for me to agree to the license terms and no matter how I answered it rebooted itself, did this like 4 times and then was ok. This would happen each time I turned it on. Not a big issue really, as soon as it "sees" the sats it stops doing it and is fine. Little off for the scare factor, it has never done it again.

The update process is very easy but long, likely very long on a slower PC and/or slow internet connection, the map data is huge. That said it is the nature of the beast and Garmin makes it as painless as possible, the registration and update process was very slick.

Once all updated and ready to go it is time to go through the options, you don't have to, out of the box it picks everything, but I think most will find it worth it, there are a lot of options on how you want it to find routes, deal with traffic (comes with lifetime traffic info), how you want the maps to look in many aspects, 2D, 3D, Track top to your direction or top to always north, and all kinds of additional information that can optionally be on the map screen. Out of the box Garmin has every bell and whistle turned on which I guess I understand but this is why I say it is worth getting it where you like. From the factory you will only see 4.3" of map on route as it has 4 tabs of optional information along the right side. I wanted 5" of map so I disabled the side tabs in settings, very nice option, you can also pick what tab is showing what information from a good selection of options.

Quirk: If you are using the traffic information and have the traffic avoidance enabled you can get some really odd routes, since I was just trying mine out around town and to work and back I knew it was telling me wrong turns, a little time in the manual and I found out why, it was automatically altering the route around traffic alerts, while this may sound like a good thing and would be if it told you it was doing that, in my case it was not, no other route is going to help and I did not know what in the heck it was doing :) I found you can have the best of both worlds, keep trafic information turned on but disable traffic in the avoidances setting tab. Then it warns you of traffic on your route, lets you see where, and gives you a detour option at that point you can take or ignore. It would be better during the route calc process if it said it had added detours, and when it does it on the fly it should also, minor quirk once you know. This is a 3 star feature in the auto mode. 5 star would be to tell you and offer y/n detour options for each point.

Junction View to me was one of the most impressive features, I go through one very complex set of interchanges for 3 freeways with express lanes to bybass interchanges and local lane to pick up any direction to or from any free way, many a folks have left on the wrong path... When I was aproaching it the garmin flipped to junction view and wow, it had a clearly marked path through the maze, and nailed every lane on the money, and the optimum lane for the follwing turn if there was more than one lane leading into it. Very nice! Another 5 star feature, this would have made my first time through that a lost safer than the old garmin with just a yellow line through it.

The routes it comes up with are 4.5 star, it hits most very very well but will toss a few more odd ones out than my old Garmin did, they all do some, I think this could do better, the good news is these are not horrible routes, just not the better or best always.

The next 4 star item is the power cord/FM Traffic radio, it is like having jumper cables going up your dash, why it is not in the unit is beyond me, I am stumped so far as to how to route the cables a lot more cleaner than this and have traffic info.

Another option is to skip the traffic radio and run on battery, with the right settings you can get 3 hours, but with my settings I can get just over 2 hours on battery... Read more

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Comment on LG 32LK450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV by Fred T. Belcher Jr.

Fred T. Belcher Jr. — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:20:45 +0000

73 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent overall TV, June 1, 2011

Fred T. Belcher Jr. (Virginia) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: LG 32LK450 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Electronics)

The set up is fairly easy although I found the manual to be lacking in more detail, especially concerning a better explanation of some of the features.

The HD picture is just AWESOME and BEAUTIFUL. I did increase the "Sharpness" from 70 to about 90, but otherwise, left it on 'AUTO'. I thought the screen might be a little too big for my computer but I was totally wrong....it is just great! I do not have a HDMI connector for the PC, only the RGB, but it is still just outstanding. Hook-up was a matter of just connecting the plugs.

The sound is better than good, but not great. I like it and it does seem to have some legitimate "surround sound" quality.

I was going to give it 4 stars because the non-HD channels are just good, and acceptable; but, the more I look at it, I realize it is actually pretty good. So, it warrants 5 stars.

I have seen a number of HDTVs, especially in showrooms, and this one seems to be better than those. It truly has an amazing picture with HD and I am very pleased with the purchase.

UPDATE 07/09/2011: After tinkering with the set for a month or so, I have been able to improve the sound considerably.....and it was pretty good to start with. A few tips: Under "Menu", then "Audio:, make sure the Clear Voice II:ON 3 is turned on. I use "MUSIC" mode also, with treble of 82 and Bass of 70. These changes give me a really nice sound.

With the picture, it has improved also although it was astonishing before. I went to "ADVANCED" and you can mess with the categories to fine what suits you. I would make the sure the "Dynamic Color" is on "HIGH". Enjoy!!!

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