I own a Boxee, Roku and now Apple TV. It is hands down the best video streamer box on the market today. As expected from Apple, the menu system alone is worth every penny of paying a little more from Apple. The Netflix on my blueray, Roku and Boxee is pure crap. I was ready to turn off my Netflix until I tried the AppleTV box. Apple must have gotten special treatment from Netflix... but who cares. The menu is clean easy to use and responsive.
Additional features in the box like Youtube, podcasting and other stuff all follow the same format.
The remote control is a joy to use. the Roku remote tears my thumb off from too much use. My bluray player remote has blind bumps on it that make your thumb bleed from too much pressing. (Boxee has a decent remote control.)
Streaming from the iphone and ipad is simple. The box automatic recognizes the devices thru airplay.
A major flaw of the box is the Apple Movie rental portion of the box. I have purchased 3 movies from them. All took soooo long to buffer and stream. Dont even think about rewinding inside a movie, your stream will break and then you are in for another 20 min delay. I will never order a movie from Apple again until that is fixed.
Friday, May 27, 2011
TomTom XXL 540M 5-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
Everything is easy and enjoyable with it. This is my fourth TomTom. I keep buying them and give them away after using for a while. I have the big one so that I can see it without my glasses. I leave it on even driving locally as I can see when I am goin to arrive and speed limits/alerts. Never had the need for any kind of technical support, so I cant comment on that. I dont have the traffic update feature but a couple times when I ran into bad traffic, I just pushed alternate route and it sent me around it saving a great deal of time. Also I use it on my motorcycle. When I'm not using it, it's just rattling around in my saddle bag. Surprisingly, it takes the abuse. The screen has never got scratched or scuffed. The GPS that is an optional accessory for my bike is like $900. Whats up with that? Whatever extra it does, I don't need. The price for this particular model is unbelievably inexpensive. Like $100. Cant go wrong.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Black Eyed Peas - Just Cant Get Enough
Damn right, I just listened to this like four times in a row, absolutely loving it.
or download here:
or download here:
Yamaha NS-SP1800BL 5.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker Package
You will not belive your ears. For the price you cannot get better sound. ou will need to spend 5 times or more to match, let alone beat the sound qualty. Sub is powered and all the speakers look great. They will look great on stands or on end tables like I have them. They are 6 ohms which means they need more power than 8 ohms speakers to get same result. I have them with yamaha 463 receiver and they sound great. I'am very happy.
DeLonghi EC155 Espresso Maker
I love espresso, and this little baby makes a great cup. Here are a few points that might be useful for you to know:
Good points:
*It doesn't take up too much room on the counter and looks nice with it's silver metal accents.
*The water reservoir is a good size, you can make about 8-10 shots before you need to refill it, which is very easy to do, and there is a clear section behind the basket which shows the water level.
*Fast heat-up time (only about a minute), good frothing wand, no wait time between frothing and brewing (though you do have to wait a little between brewing and frothing).
Be warned:
*Frothing wand is only 3 1/4 inches from the counter top. Not a big deal, I just went and bought a frothing cup that is about that height.
*Distance from grounds basket to tray is only 2 1/2 inches, I usually use a small espresso cup.
*Built-in tamper sucks, buy a good metal one.
*You don't end up with a nice dry puck, the grounds basket is a watery soup after your espresso is made, so I dump it down the disposal.
*You will end up drinking more espresso than you mean to, it's that good!
Seriously, I chose this machine after a lot of online researching, and decided on this one based on its outstanding reviews and great price. What led me to it were the reviews of another DeLonghi, the EC140B, which is an older and less attractive model, but had reviews from people who had owned theirs for 6 and 10 years! I'm hoping that this one will have the same longevity.
Good points:
*It doesn't take up too much room on the counter and looks nice with it's silver metal accents.
*The water reservoir is a good size, you can make about 8-10 shots before you need to refill it, which is very easy to do, and there is a clear section behind the basket which shows the water level.
*Fast heat-up time (only about a minute), good frothing wand, no wait time between frothing and brewing (though you do have to wait a little between brewing and frothing).
Be warned:
*Frothing wand is only 3 1/4 inches from the counter top. Not a big deal, I just went and bought a frothing cup that is about that height.
*Distance from grounds basket to tray is only 2 1/2 inches, I usually use a small espresso cup.
*Built-in tamper sucks, buy a good metal one.
*You don't end up with a nice dry puck, the grounds basket is a watery soup after your espresso is made, so I dump it down the disposal.
*You will end up drinking more espresso than you mean to, it's that good!
Seriously, I chose this machine after a lot of online researching, and decided on this one based on its outstanding reviews and great price. What led me to it were the reviews of another DeLonghi, the EC140B, which is an older and less attractive model, but had reviews from people who had owned theirs for 6 and 10 years! I'm hoping that this one will have the same longevity.
Sony Bloggie Touch (MHS-TS20/B) - 8 GB, 4 Hours NEWEST MODEL
I've had this camera for about a week now and have been loving it ever since. I've used another "flip" camcorder and the Bloggie Touch puts it to shame.
Pros:
1. Love the quick on and record. Great for spontaneous videos of the little one.
2. The touch screen interface makes it both useful and fun to use the big screen.
3. The still pictures come out brilliant, when the lighting and focus is good.
4. The battery charges up super fast and stays with you for a whole day of shooting.
5. The image stabilization is good. You can take decent video while walking around and panning too. Note that it is not optical, but electronic SteadyShot stabilization.
6. The lens is very good quality and the pictures are crisp.
7. Really like the "snap picture while recording" feature. I find myself using that feature the most. The video doesn't stall while the picture (full 12M resolution) is being taken and since the focus and exposure are usually locked well while you're in the middle of the video, the pictures come out great.
Cons:
1. In low lighting, there is quite a bit of graininess and using the digital zoom makes it much worse.
2. While the lens is good quality, the auto-focus mechanism is really very slow. If you move around the camera too much before focus has locked on, the auto-focus will almost never lock.
3. What I really miss with this camera is a flash. Even a tiny one would help with low light pictures.
4. Minor annoyance: to preview a picture right after you take it, you have to go through at least two clicks. Sony could have designed it so that it always goes to the last picture taken by default, instead of the thumbnail list of all pictures/video on the device.
I decided to purchase this camera over a still camera that can do video because:
1. This one is dead simple. One button to turn on, one to take video and one to take stills. This makes it both easy and quick to use.
2. This one can do 1080p video and 720p at 60fps.
3. Its under $200 and is smaller than your phone.
4. Its got internal flash and USB connector - no more SD cards or cables. 8GB is enough to get you through the day before you can come back to your laptop to dump the pictures.
I decided to purchase this camera over other ones in the same category because:
1. Its got a big display and the touch screen is fun to use.
2. Its got a better lens system than the others.
3. Its got (some) image stabilization.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
L.A. Noire for xbox360
L.A. Noire is a very good game for the gamer that likes to be analytical, gather clues, and figure things out. It's slow paced, as police work usually is, but it's also very rewarding. The Motion Scan technology in this game is fantastic, and I see it being built upon for future releases of completely different games. The ability to read an actors expression is certainly pushing a new paradigm in games that just hasn't been executed before with any success. Team Bondi delivers here.
The story in this game isn't something new. Allowing the user to be the police officer, and a good one, is for the most part new. There is almost an RPG like feel to the game, with long dialog while you're interrogating people. This may come off as boring to some, but I assure you the scenes aren't just fillers. They're fun, interesting, integral parts of the whole story.
The game is still an open world concept, so you can move around and explore the beautiful old L.A. city that Team Bondi laid out. There are also a number of side missions that you can do.
I gave it a 4 out of 5 because the game can get a bit redundant at times. Don't worry, the story does get varied, but a few of the cases are too similar. The other reason I took a bit off the final score is that there just isn't much room for replay value here. Short of the inevitable game add-on's that you can purchase from the XBox Live Marketplace, there's not going to be much reason to come back once you beat it. I'd put the gameplay at about 15-25 hours. This doesn't take into account how much time you spend exploring away from the main story line and side missions.
L.A. Noire is definitely worthy of your collection. I hope we see more Team Bondi developments produced by Rockstar.
Thank you for reading!
The story in this game isn't something new. Allowing the user to be the police officer, and a good one, is for the most part new. There is almost an RPG like feel to the game, with long dialog while you're interrogating people. This may come off as boring to some, but I assure you the scenes aren't just fillers. They're fun, interesting, integral parts of the whole story.
The game is still an open world concept, so you can move around and explore the beautiful old L.A. city that Team Bondi laid out. There are also a number of side missions that you can do.
I gave it a 4 out of 5 because the game can get a bit redundant at times. Don't worry, the story does get varied, but a few of the cases are too similar. The other reason I took a bit off the final score is that there just isn't much room for replay value here. Short of the inevitable game add-on's that you can purchase from the XBox Live Marketplace, there's not going to be much reason to come back once you beat it. I'd put the gameplay at about 15-25 hours. This doesn't take into account how much time you spend exploring away from the main story line and side missions.
L.A. Noire is definitely worthy of your collection. I hope we see more Team Bondi developments produced by Rockstar.
Thank you for reading!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Weber 386002 Q 100 Portable Propane Gas Grill
I've been using a Q100 / Baby Q for over 2 years now, and am still impressed by the quality of the product and what I'm able to do with it given it's small size. Here's the set up:
Q100 Grill
Weber Cart
Bulk tank adapter
5-lb. propane tank
The grill surface is large enough for a family of four. Six 1/3 lb. burgers fit well enough; more and they are hard to turn. I've also been able to do two average sized tri-tips at once. The lid isn't tall enough to allow a whole chicken. I was a bit wary of the 8K BTU rating at first, but the grill heats up just fine- it will do a wonderful sear on pretty much anything after 7-10 minutes of preheat. The heat is also very even, with the virtually whole grill surface usable. The best thing about the small burner is fuel efficiency; 5 lbs. of propane lasts all season (in SoCal!) at 1-2 uses per week. Please note that this is a single burner grill with a ring-shaped burner. Indirect cooking isn't really possible although on low heat, one can get close enough to do justice to a tri-tip.
I've only got a couple of small complaints... First, the support ring for the portable tank (at least with the Baby Q) only accepted 14 oz. propane bottles- the kind used with plumber's torches. They are more expensive than the 16 oz. bottles used for camping. I just made my own 16 oz. bottle ring out of a heavy coat hanger. Of course with the bulk tank, this is a non-issue. The 5 lb. tank (from Home Depot) is pretty small. Second, the grill is somewhat sensitive to wind. A good breeze blowing through the sides causes a definite loss of temperature above the grill surface, under the lid. Cooking is still possible but times go up about 30-40%. Last, the holes in the burner can get clogged up, especially when there's a lot of liquid pouring off the grill surface. I've had to 'unclog' parts of the burner with a push-pin a couple of times now.
Anyway, I love the product as it's about 75% of a full-size grill at 1/3 the size and 1/4 the price, within its limits (grill area). I think the only thing I'd do differently is get the version with the side tables (Q120).
Q100 Grill
Weber Cart
Bulk tank adapter
5-lb. propane tank
The grill surface is large enough for a family of four. Six 1/3 lb. burgers fit well enough; more and they are hard to turn. I've also been able to do two average sized tri-tips at once. The lid isn't tall enough to allow a whole chicken. I was a bit wary of the 8K BTU rating at first, but the grill heats up just fine- it will do a wonderful sear on pretty much anything after 7-10 minutes of preheat. The heat is also very even, with the virtually whole grill surface usable. The best thing about the small burner is fuel efficiency; 5 lbs. of propane lasts all season (in SoCal!) at 1-2 uses per week. Please note that this is a single burner grill with a ring-shaped burner. Indirect cooking isn't really possible although on low heat, one can get close enough to do justice to a tri-tip.
I've only got a couple of small complaints... First, the support ring for the portable tank (at least with the Baby Q) only accepted 14 oz. propane bottles- the kind used with plumber's torches. They are more expensive than the 16 oz. bottles used for camping. I just made my own 16 oz. bottle ring out of a heavy coat hanger. Of course with the bulk tank, this is a non-issue. The 5 lb. tank (from Home Depot) is pretty small. Second, the grill is somewhat sensitive to wind. A good breeze blowing through the sides causes a definite loss of temperature above the grill surface, under the lid. Cooking is still possible but times go up about 30-40%. Last, the holes in the burner can get clogged up, especially when there's a lot of liquid pouring off the grill surface. I've had to 'unclog' parts of the burner with a push-pin a couple of times now.
Anyway, I love the product as it's about 75% of a full-size grill at 1/3 the size and 1/4 the price, within its limits (grill area). I think the only thing I'd do differently is get the version with the side tables (Q120).
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Xbox has the most reliable gaming servers out there... period. I have been an xbox user for years now, though the birth of my daughter has turned it into a netflix box more than anything lately. I am sure however that I will soon enough get back to my games and with Kinect for xbox the young one will be gaming sooner than I would have thought possible previously too :-)
Motorola Droid X by Verizon!
I absolutely love this phone, i had an earlier android( lg ally) it was too slow, filled up too fast and dialer had issues.
This one has been perfect, the camera is great, screen is big, nice fast response.
Only thing i do definitely recommend though is get a screen protector
Friday, May 20, 2011
Affiliate Marketing Software
Affiliate marketing software is the perfect solution to everyone's problems when it comes to keeping track of your income and your earning potential. Affiliate marketing is something that many people get involved with, but few people actually know how to manage it. The use of an affiliate marketing software can not only help you succeed in affiliate marketing, but can help you maximize your profits.
The affiliate marketing software that you choose will help show you which products and affiliate programs that you will be able to maximize your profits with. There are so many affiliate programs available that it can be incredibly difficult to decide which programs are the best programs to get involved with, and which ones will bring in the most money. Some affiliate programs will offer more money per click or a higher percentage per purchase, but the sales that result from that do not tend to be as high, which in turn hurts your profit.
The affiliate marketing software will take away all the guesswork involved with trying to decide which programs or products turn the most profit. They will supply you with reports that will allow you to see which ones have had the greatest amount of return for other people, so that you will be able to sign up for their program.
The affiliate marketing software is specifically built so that instead of signing up for every affiliate program out there which can make your website look jam packed with spam, and can draw attention away from the big money making marketing plans. You will be able to select the top earners, so that you maximize the amount of traffic that flows through these select marketing plans which in turn will earn you a much greater amount of money.
Most affiliate marketing software will not only help you select which specific affiliate programs that you should sign up for or get involved with, but will help you track your income as well. You will be able to see which programs are bringing in the greatest amount of money. Depending on the affiliate marketing software that you decide on, you will be able to receive affiliate marketing training so that you will be able to know how to design your website to help maximize profit. Most affiliate marketing software will allow you to set up everything you need to so that you will be able to maximize your profits. There are many affiliate marketing software programs that are available. It is surprising how much easier it will be to get started and begin making money rather quickly.
To learn more about affiliate marketing software that can put 5 figures a month in your pocket while you lazily do nothing at all, click here!
http://eridlon.lazyafrich.hop.clickbank.net
Affiliate marketing software is the perfect solution to everyone's problems when it comes to keeping track of your income and your earning potential. Affiliate marketing is something that many people get involved with, but few people actually know how to manage it. The use of an affiliate marketing software can not only help you succeed in affiliate marketing, but can help you maximize your profits.
The affiliate marketing software that you choose will help show you which products and affiliate programs that you will be able to maximize your profits with. There are so many affiliate programs available that it can be incredibly difficult to decide which programs are the best programs to get involved with, and which ones will bring in the most money. Some affiliate programs will offer more money per click or a higher percentage per purchase, but the sales that result from that do not tend to be as high, which in turn hurts your profit.
The affiliate marketing software will take away all the guesswork involved with trying to decide which programs or products turn the most profit. They will supply you with reports that will allow you to see which ones have had the greatest amount of return for other people, so that you will be able to sign up for their program.
The affiliate marketing software is specifically built so that instead of signing up for every affiliate program out there which can make your website look jam packed with spam, and can draw attention away from the big money making marketing plans. You will be able to select the top earners, so that you maximize the amount of traffic that flows through these select marketing plans which in turn will earn you a much greater amount of money.
Most affiliate marketing software will not only help you select which specific affiliate programs that you should sign up for or get involved with, but will help you track your income as well. You will be able to see which programs are bringing in the greatest amount of money. Depending on the affiliate marketing software that you decide on, you will be able to receive affiliate marketing training so that you will be able to know how to design your website to help maximize profit. Most affiliate marketing software will allow you to set up everything you need to so that you will be able to maximize your profits. There are many affiliate marketing software programs that are available. It is surprising how much easier it will be to get started and begin making money rather quickly.
To learn more about affiliate marketing software that can put 5 figures a month in your pocket while you lazily do nothing at all, click here!
http://eridlon.lazyafrich.hop.clickbank.net
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