Bright Shopping Guide

Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds Concert The 3-D Movie

2008-08-18T12:01:00.002-04:00

Awesome

Bought this for my 7 year old daughter who loves Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. Couldn't get tickets for the concert so we saw it at the movies and she told me when it comes to DVD she wants to buy it. So I purchased it and she listens to it and watches it quite often. I have to admit, I enjoyed it myself! Best of Both Worlds Concert: The 3-D Movie -- Karen Ladd (Somers, CT)

Fisher-Price Elmo Live

2008-08-12T10:25:00.002-04:00

Fisher-Price's Elmo Live is already proving to be one of the biggest items of the year...toy or otherwise. We told you back in February (after seeing it in New York at Toy Fair) that it would be hot...but even we didn't just how hot. (We couldn't even show you images of him at the time.) It doesn't even officially get released until October 14th but it's already flying of the (virtual) shelves. We don't usually do the hard sell here but you may want to, um, check Elmo out. Like, right now.

Skechers Women's D'Lites Extreme Sneaker

2008-08-10T14:06:00.002-04:00

Love them
Review by Anna L. Williams "Shopping Frenzy" (Golden, CO, USA)

I love these shoes. I've been hooked on Sketchers for years now, they are the only tennies that fit my arch. Bought these latest ones to take on vacation with me. I wore them 5 days straight through the Disney World resorts! I was hot and completely worn out by the end but my feet didn't hurt at all and these shoes truly are lighter than the other sketchers. They are cut a little lower around the ankle which felt unusual at first but I got used to it very quickly.

Buy Skechers Women's D'Lites Extreme Sneaker

Fellowes 3227901 Intellishred PS-79Ci Shredder

2008-08-07T13:09:00.003-04:00

Superb Shredder
Review by bulletx

I have had the Fellowes Intellishred PS-79Ci Shredder for one week. I have used it on several occassions for up to 15 minutes of intermittent shredding and it has worked flawlessly.

I have shredded up to 12 sheets of paper at one time (shredder works a little harder but still smoothly shreds), a couple of credit cards and approximately 15 CD/DVD disks. The operation with paper and credit cards is surprisingly quiet. You could probably shred with someone sleeping in the next room and not wake them. The noise level (dB) is probably doubled when shredding a computer disk, but it still is quieter than any other shredder I've worked with.

One time the shredding process stopped with paper still sticking up above the shredder. I had a pair of 8-10 bank checks, side by side, so that a total of 16-20 total checks were being shredded at one time. I thought that since the checks took only a fraction of the available space for feeding in paper that I could shred two stacks at one time. Well, the shredder stopped. I pressed the reverse button for a couple of seconds, then the forward button until all the checks were gobbled up. No further misfires since then, even doing the same thing again with checks.

Everything functions as Fellowes states. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a small bottle of oil and several clear waste bags. The bags work great. The operating manual is brief but answers some essential questions like what to do with shredding malfunctions, what not to shred, how long to shred and maintenance. While Fellowes tells you when to oil (at every waste bag exchange), Fellowes could have detailed exactly how to use their oil. Hopefully Fellowes technical support will be helpful when a question arises.

Shredded material size is as stated and is the same for paper as well as computer discs and credit cards. There are units with more finely shredded material, and there are many units that do not shred as small. A motivated thief with patience and plenty of time could reconstruct most any retail shredder's output. That said, a thief would most likely dumpster dive for someone else's unshredded documents before sifting through your well shredded ones. Overall, I feel reasonably comfortable with the level of security of the shredded material with this unit.

The construction and design appear to be of excellent quality with appropriate ruggedness. There is no bowing or undue flexibility of the frame when the drawer is out as has been commented on with the Fellowes Powershred PS-77Cs Shredder. The castors are resonably medium duty and can lock down to keep the unit from rolling away. The shredder without the castors sits flat and stable.

Buy Fellowes Intellishred PS-79Ci Shredder

Would be nice to know about the quality of the internal parts. I have read that some machines use plastic toothed gears which have higher/earlier failure rates than metal ones. At least this shredder has a two year warranty for the entire unit, which is twice many competing machines.

Overall, the PS-79Ci shredder is an excellent unit, working exactly as advertised. The Fellowes website has a nice multimedia presentation on the operations of this unit, including the noise level. I haven't had this unit for very long but I am extremely pleased so far with its performance and fit and finish. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light to medium duty shredder for home or home-office, especially if they want a longer warranty, low noise operation, very good build quality and plenty of whistles and bells that actually are useful and work.

Coby TF-DVD7377 7-Inch DivX Compatible Portable DVD Player

2008-08-04T06:32:00.001-04:00

EXCELLENT FEATURES - LOW QUALITY - GOOD DEAL FOR THE PRICE

I purchased this a month back and have been using it frequently.
I had a Philips portable earlier. So my comments are based on comparison with the earlier one.

Overall: 4/5 - Very good
1. Price: 5/5 - Excellent
2. Picture Quality: 2/5 - Poor
DVD video is not crisp at all. Color is bad.
AVI video is shakky. Perhaps I got a defective piece.
3. Sound Quality: 5/5 - No complaints.
Actualy the max volume is very high and you can listen well while using it on a noisy bus.
4. Formats & Media Supported: 5/5 - Excellent
Supports every possible format and external media.
Formats: MP3, AVI, JPG.
Media: DVD, USB and SD.
5. Battery life: 3/5 Ok
After a full charge, gives
just below 1 hour 30 mins for DVD
just above 1 hour 30 mins for SD Card
6. Device sturdiness: 2/5 - Poor.
Its huge and heavy.
The plastic is cheap and easily breakable.
The paint will wear out after a few months of usage.
DVD lid is very clunky.

Overall, a good deal for the price its offered.

Buy Coby TF-DVD7377 7-Inch DivX Compatible Portable DVD Player

Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

2008-08-04T05:59:00.002-04:00

Beautiful TV! From the picture to the bezel, just perfect
Review by Scomel (Greensboro, NC)

I've had this TV since very early March. I've watched HD, SD and Blu-Ray and can not find a flaw. The 650 handles motion extremely well to where blurring and other artifacts are vitually non-existant. The AMP is a very cool feature that brings a realism to film making it seem more life-like, or as if it were originally shot on HD Video. Some have said this gives off a "soap opera" effect. I can see that description, but to me it makes film based DVD's and movies look more like your watching a real-life play, viewing it through a window. It's a very cool effect!

I understand people's concern's with the glossy screens found on plasma and some LCD's. This screen is slightly less reflective than Samsung's 71 series but can still be a problem for some. It would be nice if there was an easy solution for this but there's not. Sony and other makers use a matte type of screen that certainly helps or eliminates the problem but introduces other negatives. I find colors and blacks just don't "pop" on matte screens and tend to wash out more for off-angle viewing. The 650 has a picture with great depth and color from any angle, greatly adding to the immersion effect.

Much talk has been about the TOC bezel. I think Samsung has hit it out of the park with this. I absolutely love the red. I think it adds just a touch of class. It sets this tv apart from all others(though the picture quality already does this) while still being very subtle and retaining the ability to blend in with any decor. Most people who've come to my home do not even notice the red until I point it out. I'm a little tired of every set looking the same with either a piano black bezel or flat black. This is a very welcome change.

I like many other suffered the shut-off issue. As has been mentioned it appears Samsung has fixed the issue with a firmware update. I've updated the FW and so far so good. It was annoying but not a huge deal to me. Samsung should be commended for how quickly they addressed the issue. I received several calls from upper level officials that were very concerned with my problem. I've never had this level of service from any other manufacturer. Well done Samsung! A side effect of the FW update is that the AMP processing received a boost. Before the FW update I usually had AMP on low at all times and would occasionally put it on High. Now, I still use it at the low setting most times but will put it on Medium occasionaly, and find the High setting a bit much for me. I can put it on High without most of the annoying artifacts people have desribed the 71 series has, which is nice, nut the actual effect is bit much for me.

Overall, this is best the LCD on the market. I can't see Sony or any of the other manufactures making a better TV this year. They may match it perhaps, but certainly won't surpass it. For those that were on the fence waiting to buy until the shut-off issue was fixed, your wait is over. Buy with complete confidence and enjoy one of the best TV's out there!

Buy Samsung LN52A650 52-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color

Razor MX500 Dirt Rocket Electric Motocross Bike

2008-08-03T12:21:00.003-04:00

quiet and fast!
By Mom of two boys (Western Mass)

I ordered this electric dirt bike for my son's 11th birthday. After reading the reviews of the 350 model, we decided to upgrade to the 500, even though,technically, he is young for this model. It is perfect for him, and I'm glad we got the bigger bike because he won't grow out of it immediately. Also, it has enough reserve power to get him up hills. I would definitely order this bike again--in fact, I'm going to order one for my other son who wants one, too! The assembly was easy--3 steps, and all tools are included. My husband and I tried it too, and it is a blast, and quiet too!

Buy Razor MX500 Dirt Rocket Electric Motocross Bike

Sylvania 9007SU BP TWIN Silverstar Ultra, Twin Pack

2008-08-03T12:03:00.002-04:00

Very happy with these bulbs
I've had the regular Silverstars on my two previous trucks, and after owning my current truck for a year with stock bulbs, I decided to upgrade. Instead of going with the regular Silverstars again, I decided to give the Ultras a try. I only changed my headlights, but decided to wait on my foglights and see if I liked them. There's a noticeable difference in color, it's brighter, whiter, and a very crisp clean color, not too annoying. I've had them in for about 2 weeks, and have been bright lighted once on a dark 2-lane road. Now I need to go buy the matching foglight bulbs, and I would definately buy these again!

Buy Sylvania 9007SU BP TWIN Silverstar Ultra

JanSport Wasabi Daypack School Backpacks

2008-08-03T11:52:00.002-04:00

the Bag with the master plan
Review by Kitty N

so...I got the red backpack knowing it would be burnt orange. And it's such a great color. I love it. There are great deep pockets all about just when you need to find them. People tell me how great my bag is and ask where I got it. There's room enough in this bag for a short weekend trip or to use as a day to day school bag. Fit's my laptop great (although it doesn't have "laptop specific padding" if that's what you're looking for). Just to let you know, if there isn't anything in the bag, or if it's really light (which I wouldn't imagine happening too often), the straps at the back of the neck might be uncomfortable. But this is a total aside since the truth of it is that this bag is awesome!

Buy JanSport Wasabi Daypack School Backpacks

Hoover U5140-900 Tempo Widepath Bagged Upright Vacuum

2008-08-02T23:37:00.002-04:00

Excellent Vacuum
Review by Jason B. "ebays-cyclonechem" (Ames, IA)

When purchasing a vacuum, I was looking for something relatively inexpensive with good suction and an old-fashioned bag, as I want nothing to do with emptying dirt cups or changing filters.

This vacuum is extraordinary. It has very strong suction and the bristling action is exceptionally proficient at removing stuff from my carpet. After vacuuming, I swear that the carpeting looks as if it has been cleaned professionally.

The only disadvantage I've experienced is that it's loud. The loudness doesn't bother me when I'm vacuuming the carpet, but I do notice it when I leave the vacuum stationary and use the attachments to clean corners and such. My ears end up closer to the vacuum and the noise is an irritant.

Buy Hoover Vacuum U5140-900

Brother LS2125I 10-Stitch Free-Arm Sewing Machine with Automatic 4-Step Buttonholer

2008-08-02T23:28:00.003-04:00

"Brother" Will Take You Through a Lifetime of Sewing
Review by Rach from the Midwest

--I don't have this exact sewing machine. But I do have one manufactured by Brother that looks very similar, and I bet this is just a newer model.

My mother bought me my sewing machine for Christmas when I was 16 and I'm now 23. I have used my machine so much, from everything from getting married (made my own veil and some fabric decorations for the ceremony), to sewing for my husband (two matching seat covers), to clothing my little dog, Daisy (two sweaters), to the birth of my daughter (her 'coming home' blanket and onesie), to having a new baby around (dozens of bibs), to having a toddler (two Halloween costumes, two Christmas dresses, two Easter dresses, a "shopping cart cover"), to sewing for my niece and nephews (a dress, a skirt, a romper), to sewing for my big dog, Duke (a large dog bed), to helping friends who needed work clothes cheap (30+ nurses scrubs), to finally where I am now: Starting home decor, I have already made a tablecloth, chair cushions, and fabric bowls (HGTV) now I am trying my hand at curtains. ALL these things with one basic sewing machine!

All I have to do is oil it once a week (since I use it so much) and it has lasted for SEVEN years. Nothing (excepting needles!) has ever broke, not ever, not even the light bulb has burned out.

Wonderful basic sewing machine!

Buy Brother Sewing Machine LS2125I

Portable Dishwasher

2008-08-02T09:55:00.001-04:00

i'm lovin it
I have never had a dishwasher before. So far I like this product overall, and I would buy it again, and recommend it to others.

pros:
pretty quiet, about the sound level of a fan turned on high
easy easy set up
adds counterspace
lots of different features
cleans the dishes very well
slides easily around the kitchen on wheels

cons:
very unwieldy, moving up three flights of stairs, no handles or anything, the top felt like it was going to give if we lifted there, and every time we grabbed the bottom of the dishwasher, we pricked our fingers with something sticking out (like screws)
kind of seems a little cheaply made

Buy Portable Dishwasher

Teton Sports Fox 75+10L Internal Frame Backpack Red

2008-08-01T23:37:00.002-04:00

Great Pack, I'd say 4.5 out of 5

I bought this pack for an internship that I am currently doing. It is an awesome color, and I'm really happy that it came with a rain fly. It has enought space to carry more than what I need, and a ton of little side pockets for things like bug spray or socks. You really can't beat the price either. I haven't seen many packs that are this big and they are still much more expensive. I love that it has a bunch of straps so that you can attach things that would fit ackwardly inside to the outside. In addition to all this the top extends to fit a lot more. Overall, this is a great pack. I only had one problem with it and that was that it got a small hole in a pocket the first week i had it. Other than that, the pack is awesome and I love it.

Buy Teton Sports Fox 75+10L Internal Frame Backpack (Red)

PHP Obfuscator & Encoder

2008-08-01T23:25:00.003-04:00

TrueBug PHP Obfuscator & Encoder is for PHP application developers use to protect their source codes from modification, the Obfuscate functional will replace class, function, and variable names in PHP source codes with md5-hashes, making source code harder to understand and reverse engineering. The Software also includes simple PHP Encoder engine to encode through the source code by using byte-code technique, and no loader is required to install on the server machine.

Buy TrueBug PHP Obfuscator & Encoder

Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV

2008-07-11T01:55:00.003-04:00

Best bang for the buck, great features of LED
Review by mikepro (Ann Arbor, MI)

Very happy with this TV! Much improved over last years LED sets. Excellent picture, great performance, and nice, efficient LED engine. Does it have the best picture available? No, that's probably the 9G Pioneer Kuro plasma, but that costs about $3000 more. Even the new Mitsubishi bulb based DLP's have a slightly better picture, since they use the newer TI Darkchip4 DLP chip, and the Samsung uses the Darkchip3. But, I feel the advantages of the LED light engine outweigh any slight picture quality difference. In my opinion, this TV has the best bang for the buck, by far.

I wrote a FAQ on AVS forum, so I will include some of that here:

- Why should I get a 750 LED series over the 650 bulb series?

* The 750 comes in bigger sizes, 61" and 67".
* The 750 has an LED light source that should last the life of the set. No bulbs to replace.
* The 750 uses the CinemaPure Color Engine that creates brilliant, realistic images and displays color that's 40% brighter than traditional HDTVs. (Note that most sources don't take advantage of this extra color space. Some Camcorders do support it.)
* Nearly instant startup times, with instant brightness no need for the bulb or ballast to warm up.
* No spinning color wheel, so quieter TV (color wheels spin fast and can sometimes have a high pitch whine), and less moving parts
* Much, much less chance of seeing rainbows as the LED's cycle much faster than the color wheel.
* "Green" TV. The LED set uses much less power than bulb based sets and has one of the lowest energy consumption of TV's. Note that actual energy usage is less than the max rated watts listed on the TV.

- Why should I get the 750 series over a competitor, like the Mitsubishi

* The 750 has an LED light source that should last the life of the set. No bulbs to replace.
* Nearly instant startup times, with instant brightness no need for the bulb or ballast to warm up.
* No spinning color wheel, so quieter TV (color wheels spin fast and can sometimes have a high pitch whine), and less moving parts
* Much, much less chance of seeing rainbows as the LED's cycle much faster than the color wheel.
* "Green" TV. The LED set uses much less power than bulb based sets and has one of the lowest energy consumption of TV's. Note that actual energy usage is less than the max rated watts listed on the TV.
* The Samsung has 120Hz video processing for smooth, judder free playback of 24 fps film based material, such as Blu-Ray movies. Have to move to the expensive Diamond series to get this in the Mitsubishi.
* Extensive user menu settings for picture adjustments
* The Phlatlight LED engine is made in the USA.

This TV has A LOT of options for adjusting the picture. So many, that some may get confused, so I will post my suggested settings. First of all, when you get the set or see it in the store, it defaults to Dynamic mode, which in my opinion looks HORRIBLE!!! Don't judge this set too much by how it looks in the store, it looks waaay better in person.

Suggested Picture settings

Picture mode: Standard
Usage: What I like for normal Cable/HD viewing. Provides extra "pop", and 3D-ish look but clearly over saturated.

Contrast 97
Brightness 48
Sharp 0
Color 49
Tint 46/54

Detailed Settings
Black Adj off
Dyn Contrast Low (Adds the "pop" many people are looking for)
LED Control Auto (Sometimes turn down to medium at night)
Gamma 0
White Bal -4
Flesh Tone -3
Edge Ehancement off
xvYCC off

Picture Options
Color Tone Normal
Size Just Scan
Digital NR Auto
DNIe Off
HDMI Black Lvl Normal * See notes below
Film Mode Auto
Blue Only Mode off
Color Gamut sRGB

Picture mode Movie
Usage: Movies, Blu Ray playback. Generally, the most accurate mode

Contrast 100
Brightness 47
Sharp 0
Color 49
Tint 50/50

Detailed Settings
Black Adj off
Dyn Contrast off
LED Control Medium
Gamma -3
White Bal 0
Flesh Tone 0
Edge Ehancement off
xvYCC off

Picture Options
Color Tone Warm 2
Size Just Scan
Digital NR Auto
DNIe off
HDMI Black Lvl Normal * See notes below
Film Mode Auto
Blue Only Mode off
Color Gamut sRGB

Buy Samsung HL61A750 61-Inch 1080p LED Powered DLP HDTV Low Price

The Endless Summer Sale

2008-07-10T08:26:00.006-04:00

Save up to 40% The Endless Summer Sale
Shop for Women, Men, Kids and Handbags

Endless.com is an exciting new destination for shoes and handbags dedicated to providing the best prices, selection, and overall experience you'll find online. To put it simply--we LOVE shoes and handbags. We've created a unique store that offers our customers the ability to find what they want easily and quickly, and with our free overnight shipping, free return shipping, 110% price guarantee, and 365-day returns window, we offer our customers a no-risk opportunity to try us out.

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Razor Pocket Mod Miniature Euro Electric Scooter

2008-07-06T22:57:00.001-04:00

Razor Pocket Mod Review
By Lisa A. Behrman (South Florida, U.S.A.)

So far, no problems-it's lots of fun and very quiet. We've had it for less than a month. We've only had to go pick-up our daughter twice so far, because it ran out of power. She's got to get used to just how far she can go and get home on 1 charge, and I make sure she has her phone with her when she takes it, for just such a "miscalculation". But it's so small, it fit easily in the hatchback. A portable extra, 'emergency' power source would be a great accessory, but I don't know where it would be kept without losing the small amount of trunk space under the seat.
When it arrived, the box was crushed and torn and opened from abuse in places. It was not packed well for the weight of it-in a flimsy cardboard box, with no packing material, and not sealed well. Whoever packaged it did a terrible job. The delivery guy made a report of it, in case we had to return it. I didn't want to accept it, to tell you the truth, but my daughter was so happy it arrived, I decided to take the chance. It was smaller than I expected, but my adult-sized teenage daughter rides it with ease. So far, soooo good!

Buy Razor Pocket Mod Miniature Euro Electric Scooter Low Price at ToyMart

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player 2nd Generation Black

2008-07-06T06:07:00.001-04:00

The One
Review by catalyst (MN)

Before I start talking about the Zune I have to say that I've had several mp3 players in the past, from flash-based to HD-based. My newest one is this 8GB Zune. I got my Zune about a week ago, after getting rid of my 3G 8GB Nano, that I was not happy with. So this is why I'm more satisfied with the Zune vs. the Nano...

Hardware
-Shape is easier to hold and use than WS Nano
-LCD is glass, more durable and sharper than plastic on Nano
-Zune Touch Pad is more responsive and precise vs. click wheel
-Wireless sharing/syncing option
-Built-in FM Tuner
-Better sound quality even without EQ...I just hated how bad the Nano sounds even with Shure headphones

Software
-Very simple and easy
-Asthetically better than iTunes

User Interface
-No Coverflow but interface is more organized and intuitive
-Customizable background, not an option on Nano
-Easier to read

I have not tested the battery life but it's rated close to the Nano so I'll live with whatever it really is. One thing I haven't checked on but someone else wrote about was the Zune not being a UMS Device when plugged in. Hopefully that's something Microsoft can/will change so that you can store other files on it. Overall, I'm must more satisfied with this player than the Nano.

Zune 8 GB Digital Media Player 2nd Generation Black Low Price

Philips 42PFL5603D/27 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

2008-07-03T18:17:00.004-04:00

Excellent picture quality and very power efficient!!
By R. Anderson (San Diego, CA United States)

This tv is amazing, it picked up my HD channels right away and the picture quality is very impressive! We've been watching so many movies and it's been such a treat. The sound on the TV isn't all that bad either, it was a big improvement compared to our older CRT tv... but for movies we have sound coming from a receiver/theater speakers.

I connected my killowatt meter to measure the consumption in power saving mode and sure enough, it consumes between 65watts to 75watts. I looked at CNET's charts that compared power consumption and this beat all other LCD's and Plasma's by a HUGE margin in power consumption (even screens that are much smaller than this). I didn't notice the picture quality go down w/ the power saving mode, it just got slightly dimmer.

The video processing features are nice too, though I disabled the natural motion option (it made movies have a weird appearance to me, kind of like a reality show... hard to describe).

I definitely would recommend this 42PFL5603D LCD TV.

Here's the average power consumption details that I tested for each TV mode (mine is usually set to Power Save):
Power Saving Mode = 72 watts
Sports = 227 watts
Standard = 140 watts
Movie = 140 watts
Game = 210 watts

Where to buy Philips 42PFL5603D/27 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV?

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Banzai Jungle Blast Slide

2008-07-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

Jungle Blast Slide is a Blast for ALL!!
By Angela Weber (Skippack, PA )suburb kind of close to Philly))

We were trying to find the best slide for the money and decided on this one even though it was listed in most places as a penny less than nine hundred dollars. Boy, am I glad we didnt buy it when we first decided on it because we found it on sale on memorials day for four hundred and seventy nine dollars!! What a steal....besides that we just put up the slide today and my son,husband and I all had a blast on the slide...it was sooo much fun...my son is only 3 and had no trouble climbing up the rock wall to get to the larger two slides...I was a little worried that he might fall off and have no support back there but there is a little platform for those slippery falls...there is also netting at the top between the passage way to the two larger slides...we also didnt realize there was water spraying from under neath the mock green jungle leaves along the curved tunnel slide...the splash pool at the bottom is also huge as well...it didnt take long to put together either and the cannon squirter is an extra bonus that we definitely took full advantage of we squirted each other while coming down the slide and even while you were walking to get on the slide...so far I would recommend this to anyone and its really durable so adults (even bigger adults) can enjoy this as well...my son has already asked to play on it tommorow too.

Where to buy Banzai Jungle Blast Slide?

Buy Banzai Jungle Blast Slide at ToyMart

Firebird Freedom RTF Electric

2008-07-03T04:26:00.003-04:00

Buy this Airplane!
By Steinberger Man (Melbourne, FL USA)

I am just getting started in this hobby and I can say without hesitation that this is the best airplane on the market for beginners. I have wasted money on the Hobbyzone Firebird Commander 2, Parkzone Slo-V and two others I purchased at Harbor Freight Tools (Yellow Bee and J-3 Cub). All of these airplanes fall into the category of "crash and trash" except for the Firebird Freedom which I have crashed numerous times with little more than a scratch. I also had an experienced RC pilot fly it and he said, "this airplane is a winner." I would also recommend the low cost flight simulator available from hobby-estore.com so you can practice at home (use the Trans-All model). This makes all the difference when you actually get to the field for a real flight.

Where to buy Firebird Freedom RTF Electric?

Buy Firebird Freedom RTF Electric at ToyMart Help you save & get free shipping

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Samsung PN50A650 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

2008-07-03T03:07:00.003-04:00

Samsung Plasma 650
By A. Culp (Lancaster, SC United States)

I just received my Samsung 650 from Amazon - first, the price was great - Amazon was great about crediting my account when the price went down right after I ordered - thank you Amazon! - The TV is beautiful - the TOC red is hard to see but I know it's there and I love it - the picture quality is outstanding! I have looked at the Panny 800u and was even considering the 750u but this picture to me is much better - I have a very bright room - lots of french doors - there is some reflection at some angles but overall the picture is great - I have Directtv on the way tomorrow to hook up HD so I haven't experienced that PQ yet but even without it - the picture is awesome. I love this TV.

Where to buy Samsung PN50A650 Plasma HDTV?

Buy Samsung PN50A650 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV at ElectronicMart Help you save

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Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo

2008-07-03T02:51:00.002-04:00

Best Baby Entertainer
By Kelli McDonald (Chula Vista, CA)

I purchased this Jumperoo after much research. This jumperoo is an absolute must buy. I rely heavily on "real people" reviews because a manufacturer is trying to sell you the product; an actual consumer will give you the realities of it. I read reviews from BabiesRUs and was sold on the fact that the majority of the pictures had babies falling asleep in the Jumperoo! This offers a true baby workout! We got our fallen asleep picture the same day we received it. (Ahhh...)

This Jumperoo strengthens baby's legs, entertains him, offers you hands free time which also encourages his independance, will get him to walk sooner (if you want that), teaches him to rotate as the seat has a 360* turning diameter, has different toys at every turn to keep him stimulated (not bored-more hands free time for you) is cute and coordinates with the rest of our rainforest theme for his toys. Amazon has the best deal for purchasing this Jumperoo.

Don't dely in purchasing it as I did. You will benefit from this "toy" as soon as your baby can hold his head by himself for extended periods of time. We also used this opportunity to get him used to wearing tennis shoes (he has small feet and we couldn't find shoes that fit him).

This is our favorite product from the Fisher Price Rainforest line. Even if it doesn't match your theme, you should have this Jumperoo for your little one. :)

Where to buy Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo?

Buy Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo at ToyMart Help you save & get free shipping

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KETTLER KETTCAR Grand Prix Pedal Car

2008-07-03T02:29:00.003-04:00

10 month's old and still his favorite toy! Well built and fun.
By Judith Blumhorst (SF Bay area, CA, USA)

It's darn near perfect! Top quality and design at an affordable price. Worth every penny we paid. After 10 months of abuse it still looks almost like new and nothing has broken. We got it when he was 3 years old and now he's 4. He uses it every day. This toy is SAFE, DURABLE and FUN! It's the most popular toy on the block. As he gets olderr, we can move the seat to make it bigger for him. I expect he'll be enjoying this peddle car for many, many years to come.

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Samsung LN46A550 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

2008-07-02T03:20:00.002-04:00

Fantastic TV With Fantastic Options
By Michael K. Zupan (Albany, NY USA)

I was replacing my old Sony 42A10 Grand Wega Rear Projection LCD. That's an older set and the black levels were notoriously bad. After some calibration, I was able to get a decent picture out of it. Apparantly this line had been lemons though, as optical engine after optical engine being replaced had failed. Time for a new TV.

I was honestly going to go for a Panasonic Plasma originally. Plasmas are known for great contrast levels. I've seen 30,000:1 for some plasma contrast levels, but LCD's are catching up and Samsung this year brings out an affordable set that's below the popular $2000 budget, and makes it a breeze to use.

Out of the box the color levels aren't bad at all. Grey scale is actually not too far off from being accurate with the 'movie mode' setting, which takes off most artificial effects to the picture which would really make colors pop un-naturally and crush darker shades of black so you lose some minor detail. Of course, I did a calibration for this set based on some calibrations done in the AVSForum online and this set at that point blew me away even more. Samsungs over months and months of figuring out what I should buy between plasma or LCD, or what brand even, have come out on top in picture quality and color reproduction.

So there's the praise on the picture, but we all know that if you're serious about an HDTV you need to consider everything else. The 5ms response time is nice and works just fine with time sensitive games... forget wasting your money on the more expensive sets that give you 4ms response time. Hundreds of dollars for this and a 50,000:1 contrast ratio alone aren't worth it. This TV doesn't have 120hz but there's really nothing to say negative about any kind of motion blur, this set holds up extremely well with very very little or no blur at all.

How about the ease of use? The menus are very easy to navigate. I mentioned I did some calibrating, which usually means you have to go into a service menu that has to be accessed by punching a secret code in a remote. Then, you're staring at menus that you have no idea what anything means, so if you change the wrong values, you could potentially turn your TV into a large paperweight. Don't like the new service menu settings, and forgot to write down what the old ones were? Well, you're screwed. Especially since service menu tinkering voids your warranty!

Not so with this set, and this is my favorite part of the TV's settings since I love to tweak my set:

All of the color and white balance options are accessible via the normal user menu. Change your color mode to custom, and you can change all of your gains and off-sets... and if you don't like what you've done or if you messed up... there's a option in each color menu that says 'Reset'. Tell me that's not convenient. If you never wanted to shell out $200-$400 for a professional calibration, and you've always been a little weary of tweaking your service menu... fear no more.

The only downside to this set, is that the speakers sound pretty bad. Most people like myself, already have a surround sound system so this may not be a deal breaker... but the options for the sound can be calibrated to sound decent enough as long as you're patient.

Last but not least, Samsung has given us a much larger viewing angle for this LCD than we'd get with normal LCD panels. Samsung is ahead of the game with LCD's and if you're thinking about LCD (which I did because I game a lot and didn't want to even risk image retention with plasma), Samsung is the way to go. When Sony is using Samsung parts now-a-days, you know that's gotta mean good things, right? Great contrast, good black levels, good viewing angle, lots of HDMI and component inputs, can't ask for much more than that.

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